George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh1616thth ISL Symposium ISL SymposiumDurham, EnglandDurham, England

September 2, 2008September 2, 2008

High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities

What They Are, What They Are, Why They Work, Why They Work,

Who BenefitsWho Benefits

Javier Javier

Sarah Sarah

NicoleNicole

We all want the same thing--an We all want the same thing--an undergraduate experience that undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning results in high levels of learning and personal development for and personal development for all students.all students.

Student Success in CollegeStudent Success in College

Academic achievement, engagement Academic achievement, engagement in educationally purposeful activities, in educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired satisfaction, acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and competencies, knowledge, skills and competencies, persistence, attainment of educational persistence, attainment of educational objectives, and post-college objectives, and post-college performanceperformance

OverviewOverview

The U.S. context What the world needs now Student engagement High impact practices: what

they are, why they matter and who benefits

Advance OrganizersAdvance Organizers

To what extent do your students To what extent do your students engage in productive learning engage in productive learning activities, inside activities, inside andand outside the outside the classroom? classroom?

How do you know? How do you know? What could we do differently -- or What could we do differently -- or

better -- to enhance student better -- to enhance student success? success?

The U.S. ContextThe U.S. Context

Unprecedented numbers of Unprecedented numbers of increasingly diverse students increasingly diverse students matriculatingmatriculating

Many underprepared studentsMany underprepared students Rising college costsRising college costs Continuing shift of cost from Continuing shift of cost from

states to studentsstates to students Increasing numbers of part-time Increasing numbers of part-time

instructorsinstructors Worries about collegiate quality, Worries about collegiate quality,

global competitivenessglobal competitiveness

The U.S. ContextThe U.S. Context

National Commission on Future of National Commission on Future of Higher EducationHigher Education

Voluntary System of AccountabilityVoluntary System of Accountability (NASULGC & AASCU)

Voluntary System of AccountabilityVoluntary System of Accountability

College PortraitConsumer informationConsumer informationStudent experiences and Student experiences and

perceptionsperceptionsStudent learning outcomesStudent learning outcomes

TransparencyTransparency

ImprovementImprovement

AccountabilityAccountability

Assessment PurposesAssessment Purposes

Association of American Colleges and Universities

Narrow Learning is Not EnoughNarrow Learning is Not Enough——The Essential Learning OutcomesThe Essential Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Human Cultures Knowledge of Human Cultures and the and the Physical & Natural WorldPhysical & Natural World

Intellectual and Practical SkillsIntellectual and Practical Skills

Personal and Social ResponsibilityPersonal and Social Responsibility

““Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning

Most Important Skills Employers Look For In New Hires

Teamwork skills

Critical thinking/ reasoning

Oral/written communication

Ability to assemble/organize information

Innovative/thinking creatively

Able to work with numbers/statisticsForeign language

proficiency 3%

9%

20%

21%

30%

33%

44%

RecentGrads*

38%

37%

37%

10%

21%

4%

6%* Skills/abilities recent graduates think are the two most important to employers

Employers On Accountability Challenge – December 2007 – Hart Research forEmployers On Accountability Challenge – December 2007 – Hart Research for

7%

33%

35%

46%

69%

Supervised internship/community-based projectSupervised internship/community-based project83%83%

79%79%

60%60%

56%56%

32%32%

Senior project (e.g., thesis, project)Senior project (e.g., thesis, project)

Essay testsEssay tests

Electronic portfolio & faculty assessmentsElectronic portfolio & faculty assessments

Multiple-choice testsMultiple-choice tests

Evidence of College Graduates Skills/Knowledge

Very effectiveVery effective Fairly effectiveFairly effective

What Really Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement

Because iBecause individual effort and ndividual effort and involvement are the critical involvement are the critical determinants of college impact, determinants of college impact, institutions should focus on the institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to extracurricular offerings to encourage encourage student engagementstudent engagement. .

Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602

Foundations of Student EngagementFoundations of Student Engagement

Time on task Time on task (Tyler, 1930s)(Tyler, 1930s)

Quality of effort Quality of effort (Pace, 1960-70s)(Pace, 1960-70s)

Student involvement Student involvement (Astin, 1984)(Astin, 1984)

Social, academic integration Social, academic integration (Tinto,1987, 1993)(Tinto,1987, 1993)

Good practices in Good practices in undergraduate education undergraduate education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

College impact College impact (Pascarella, 1985)(Pascarella, 1985)

Student engagement Student engagement (Kuh, 1991, (Kuh, 1991, 2005)2005)

Student Engagement TrinityStudent Engagement Trinity

What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)

Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students

National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)

Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)

College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

NSSE Project ScopeNSSE Project Scope

2,000,000+ students from 1,334 2,000,000+ students from 1,334 different schools different schools

80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate 80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate FTE FTE

50 states, Puerto Rico50 states, Puerto Rico

59 Canadian IHEs59 Canadian IHEs

100+ consortia100+ consortia

NSSE Use Over Time

140

276321

367

437473

529557

609

772

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Nu

mb

er

of

Sch

oo

ls

Year

AUSSIE

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) is administered by ACER. It is intended to yield generalisable information about university education sensitive to institutional diversity that will allow institutions to monitor and enhance the quality of education.

NSSE QuestionnaireNSSE Questionnaire

Student Behaviors

Institutional Actions & Requirements

Reactions to College

Student BackgroundInformation

Student Learning &

Development

Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices

Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge

Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative

LearningLearning

EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus

EnvironmentEnvironment

Student-Student-Faculty Faculty

InteractionInteraction

Key findingsKey findings

Grades, persistence, student Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, and engagement satisfaction, and engagement go hand in handgo hand in hand

Student engagement varies Student engagement varies more more withinwithin than between than between institutions.institutions.

Student-Faculty Interaction: First-Year Students at Liberal Arts Institutions

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Liberal Arts Institutions

Percentile 10

Percentile 50

Percentile 90

Supportive Campus Environment: Seniors at Master's Institutions

0

20

40

60

80

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Master's Institutions

Percentile 10

Percentile 50

Percentile 90

It’s more complicated than this…It’s more complicated than this…

Many of the effects of college Many of the effects of college are “conditional”are “conditional”

Some are compensatorySome are compensatory

Narrow Learning is Not EnoughNarrow Learning is Not Enough——The Essential Learning OutcomesThe Essential Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Human Cultures Knowledge of Human Cultures and the and the Physical & Natural WorldPhysical & Natural World

Intellectual and Practical SkillsIntellectual and Practical Skills

Personal and Social ResponsibilityPersonal and Social Responsibility

““Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning

“ “Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning

Attend to the underlying meaning of Attend to the underlying meaning of information as well as contentinformation as well as content

Integrate and synthesize different Integrate and synthesize different ideas, sources of informationideas, sources of information

Discern patterns in evidence or Discern patterns in evidence or phenomenaphenomena

Apply knowledge in different Apply knowledge in different situationssituations

View issues from multiple View issues from multiple perspectivesperspectives

““Deep learningDeep learning is learning that is learning that takes root in our apparatus of takes root in our apparatus of understanding, in the embedded understanding, in the embedded meanings that define us and that meanings that define us and that we use to define the world.”we use to define the world.” J. Tagg (2003). J. Tagg (2003). The learning paradigm college (p. The learning paradigm college (p. 70).70). Bolton, MA: Anker Bolton, MA: Anker

Integrating ideas or information from various sources

Included diverse perspectives in class discussions/writing

Put together ideas from different courses

Discussed ideas with faculty members outside of class

Discussed ideas with others outside of class

Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory

Essential Learning Outcome: NSSE Deep/Integrative Learning

Synthesizing & organizing ideas, info., or experiences

Making judgments about the value of information

Applying theories to practical problems or in new situations

Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views

Tried to better understand someone else's views

Learned something that changed how you understand an issue

National Survey of Student Engagement

Writing and Deep Learning

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Number of Pages WrittenNumber of Pages Written

Avera

ge D

eep

Learn

ing

Seniors

First-Year Students

National Survey of Student Engagement

Feedback and Deep LearningFeedback and Deep Learning

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

3.50

4.00

Never Sometimes Often Very often

Frequency of Prompt Feedback from FacultyFrequency of Prompt Feedback from Faculty

Avera

ge D

eep

Learn

ing Seniors

First-Year Students

High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities

First-Year Seminars and Experiences First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual ExperiencesCommon Intellectual Experiences Learning CommunitiesLearning Communities Writing-Intensive CoursesWriting-Intensive Courses Collaborative Assignments and ProjectsCollaborative Assignments and Projects “ “Science as Science Is Done”; Science as Science Is Done”;

Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research Diversity/Global LearningDiversity/Global Learning Service Learning, Community-Based Service Learning, Community-Based

Learning Learning InternshipsInternships Capstone Courses and ProjectsCapstone Courses and Projects

Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices on Deep/Integrative Learning and Gainson Deep/Integrative Learning and Gains

Deep

Learning Gains

General Gains

Personal Gains

Practical

First-Year

Learning Communities +++ ++ ++ ++ Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++

Senior

Study Abroad ++ + ++ Student-Faculty Research +++ ++ ++ ++ Internship ++ ++ ++ ++

Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++ Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ ++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices on Student Engagementon Student Engagement

Level of Academic Challenge

Active and Collab.

Learning

Student-Faculty

Interaction

Supportive Campus

Env.

First-Year Learning Communities ++ +++ +++ ++ Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++

Senior Study Abroad ++ ++ ++ + Student-Faculty Research +++ +++ +++ ++ Internship ++ +++ +++ ++

Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++ Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ +++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

Learning Communities

• Formal program where groups of students (FY) take two or more classes together

• LC programs that integrate material across courses are associated with better student engagement and learning

Service Learning

• Community-based project as part of a regular course

• 36% of FY students and 46% of seniors participate in SL

• More likely to be present at smaller and private institutions

• Positively associated with deep learning and personal development

Research with a Faculty Member

• Outside of course/program requirements• More likely in the sciences; less likely in

business• Majority utilized existing info (libraries,

WWW), and almost half worked in laboratory and fieldwork settings

• Reviewing literature and interpreting findings most closely related to deep learning

• Data collection had the weakest relationship

Contributions to Aspects of the Research Project

Average Weekly Research Hours

12.0

7.36.7 6.6

2.5 2.4 2.6 2.7

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

Doctoral Univ Master's Bac-Div Bac-Arts

Research and scholarly activities

Working with undergraduates on research

Percentage of Students Participating in Research with Faculty by Faculty Time Spent on UG

Research

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

1 2 3 4 5 6

Hours per week

Percentage of Students Participating in Research with Faculty by Importance Placed on UG

Research

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

2 2.5 3 3.5 4

Somewhatimportant

Important Veryimportant

Study Abroad

• 14% of seniors studied abroad• A life changing experience• Positively related to engagement and

learning outcomes upon return to home campus

• Living with host nationals related to more integrative and reflective learning, and personal and social gains

• The length of time spent abroad did not make a difference

Participation in Study Abroad by Parents’ Education

811 14 17

22 2430

37

0

25

50

75

100

0 or

les s

2 4 6 8 11 14 20

P arents ' Hig her E duc ation (S um of Years )

Culminating Senior Activities

• Capstone course, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, field placement

• A third (32%) of seniors reported having completed such an experience

• Another 29% said they planned to do so before graduating

58%

46%

36%

29%

25%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Major paper, project, or thesis

Capstone course in my major

Formal presentation or demonstration

Comprehensive exam

Field placement or experience

Capstone course unrelated to major

Participation in Selected Culminating Activities

Culminating Senior Activities

• Half of students worked alone; 40% worked with others

• Field placements related to greatest number of gains,

• Other productive activities:– Projects that required the greatest

investment of time – Working in groups – Meeting often with supervising faculty

member – Receiving clear expectations for the

activity

High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities Increase Odds Students Will:Increase Odds Students Will:

Invest time and effort Invest time and effort Interact with faculty and peers Interact with faculty and peers

about substantive mattersabout substantive matters Experience diversityExperience diversity Get more frequent feedbackGet more frequent feedback Reflect & integrate learningReflect & integrate learning Discover relevance of learning Discover relevance of learning

through real-world applicationsthrough real-world applications

Engaging Classroom ActivitiesEngaging Classroom Activities

1.1. One minute papers (variations)One minute papers (variations)2.2. Case studiesCase studies3.3. DebatesDebates4.4. Small group problem sets…Small group problem sets…5.5. OthersOthers

If We Could Do One Thing…If We Could Do One Thing…

Make it possible for Make it possible for every student every student to do at least one “high-impact” to do at least one “high-impact” experience in the first year and experience in the first year and another later linked to the major  another later linked to the major 

Faculty Survey of Faculty Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement

(pronounced “fessie”)

FSSE measures faculty FSSE measures faculty expectations and expectations and activities related to activities related to student engagement in student engagement in effective educational effective educational practicespractices

Percentage of Faculty Indicating Activity is Important

49% 53%44%

81%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Learningcommunity

Research withfaculty

Study abroad Culminatingsenior

experience

National Survey of Student Engagement

Learning Community ParticipationLearning Community Participation

3%

29%

55%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Somewhat Important Important Very Important

Average Importance Faculty Place on Learning Communities

Perc

en

tag

e o

f Fir

st-

Year

Stu

den

ts W

ho P

art

icip

ate

d

National Survey of Student Engagement

Senior Participation in High Impact Senior Participation in High Impact ActivitiesActivities

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Somewhat Important Important Very Important

Average Importance Faculty Placed on the Experience

Perc

en

tag

e o

f S

en

iors

Wh

o

Did

th

e E

xp

eri

en

ce Culminating Senior Experience

Research with a Faculty Member

Study Abroad

Faculty Priorities and Faculty Priorities and Student EngagementStudent Engagement

AVGAVG STUDENTSTUDENT

AVGAVG FACULTYFACULTY AcadAcad emicemic cchallhallengeenge

ActActiveive --ccollabollab

Diversity Diversity eexperiencesxperiences

StuStudentdent --ffacacultyulty

AAccadademicemic challchall engeenge emphemphasisasis

ActActiveive --collabcollab practicespractices

EmphEmph asisasis on diversityon diversity experiencesexperiences

EmphEmph asisasis on on hhigherigher orderorder thinkingthinking

ImpImportanceortance enrichingenriching ededucuc eexpxp erienceseriences

What to Make of This?

1. When faculty members emphasize certain educational practices, students engage in them to a greater extent than their peers elsewhere.

2. Good things go together3. Teacher-scholars matter

Last WordLast Word

We cannot change the lineage of our students.

Campus cultures do not change easily or willingly.

We can counter both by using promising policies and practices more consistently throughout the institution to increase the odds that students will succeed.

Do we have the will to do so?

Questions & Questions & DiscussionDiscussion