USING THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF USING THE NATIONAL SURVEY OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TO ASSESS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TO ASSESS EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS EDUCATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Jeanne Butler, DirectorJeanne Butler, Director

Office of AssessmentOffice of Assessment

University of Nebraska University of Nebraska KearneyKearney

What Really Matters in What Really Matters in College?College?

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

Pascarella & Terenzini, How College Pascarella & Terenzini, How College Affects Students, 2005, p. 602Affects Students, 2005, p. 602

Research on Student Research on Student EngagementEngagement

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

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

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

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

► Best Practices in Best Practices in undergraduate education undergraduate education (Chickering & Gamson, (Chickering & Gamson, 19871987

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

Research FindingsResearch Findings

Thousands of studies have been done to Thousands of studies have been done to determine causes of attrition of determine causes of attrition of college students. A common finding college students. A common finding is that:is that:

► The degree of student engagement The degree of student engagement with faculty and other students and with faculty and other students and stage at which the engagement begins stage at which the engagement begins is positively correlated with is positively correlated with retention.retention.

► Student engagement is positively Student engagement is positively correlated with the academic success correlated with the academic success (GPA) and persistence of students to (GPA) and persistence of students to graduation.graduation.

Student Engagement Student Engagement TrinityTrinity

1.1. 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

2.2. What faculty What faculty DODO – channel student – channel student energy toward activities that energy toward activities that mattermatter

3.3. What students What students DO DO - time and energy - time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What is NSSE?What is NSSE?

The National Survey of Student The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a college Engagement (NSSE) is a college student survey that assesses the student survey that assesses the extent to which students engage in extent to which students engage in educational practices associated educational practices associated with high levels of learning and with high levels of learning and development.development.

http://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfmhttp://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm

Who Uses NSSE?Who Uses NSSE?

►1,000,000 + students from 1,200 1,000,000 + students from 1,200 different institutions of higher different institutions of higher education in the USeducation in the US

►80% of 4-year US undergraduate 80% of 4-year US undergraduate FTEFTE

►50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada►70+ consortia70+ consortia

NSSE VirtuesNSSE Virtues

► Research basedResearch based► Focus on educationally Focus on educationally

purposeful activitiespurposeful activities► Results point to areas Results point to areas

where improvement is where improvement is neededneeded

► Compelling face Compelling face validityvalidity

► Established Established psychometricspsychometrics

► Transparent operationsTransparent operations► Third party Third party

administrationadministration

► Random samplingRandom sampling► Targeted samplingTargeted sampling► FlexibilityFlexibility► Contributes to value-Contributes to value-

added estimates when added estimates when linked to BCSSE, CLA, linked to BCSSE, CLA, and other measuresand other measures

► Benchmarks for peer, Benchmarks for peer, national and other national and other comparisonscomparisons

Measures Effective Measures Effective Educational PracticesEducational Practices

► Level of Academic Level of Academic ChallengeChallenge

► Student Faculty Student Faculty InteractionInteraction

► Active and Active and Collaborative Collaborative LearningLearning

► Supportive Campus Supportive Campus EnvironmentEnvironment

► Enriching Enriching Educational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

► Student-faculty Student-faculty contactcontact

► Active learningActive learning► Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback► Time on taskTime on task► High expectationsHigh expectations► Experiences with Experiences with diversitydiversity

► Cooperation among Cooperation among studentsstudents

Focus on the Real Focus on the Real ProblemsProblems

► Engaging studentsEngaging students► First year First year experienceexperience

► Academic Academic challengechallenge

► Connections to Connections to real worldreal world

► Capstone Capstone experiencesexperiences

Engaging StudentsEngaging Students

► Class discussionsClass discussions► Required class Required class participationparticipation

► Group or team Group or team projectsprojects

► Student Student presentationspresentations

► Student researchStudent research► Real world Real world assignmentsassignments

► Other:Other:

First Year Experience

►Freshman orientation

►Student mentors►Faculty advising►Connection to department

►Research experience►Formal 1st year course

►Other:

Academic Challenge

►High standards►Meaningful learning experiences

►Recognition/rewards

►Student feedback►Other:

Real World Connections

►Service learning projects

►Internship/work placement

►Work study►Research assistant

►Teaching assistant

►Other:

Capstone Experience

►Independent Research

►Lab Course ►Senior Seminar►Practicum►Other:

Faculty Buy-InFaculty Buy-In

►Make sure faculty understand the Make sure faculty understand the concept of student engagementconcept of student engagement

►Confirm/corroborate resultsConfirm/corroborate results►Drive data down to department Drive data down to department levellevel

►Gain consensus on student Gain consensus on student engagement prioritiesengagement priorities

Impact of Faculty Buy-InImpact of Faculty Buy-In

What to Make of ThisWhat to Make of This

When faculty members value and When faculty members value and emphasize certain educational emphasize certain educational practices, students engage in practices, students engage in them to a greater extent than them to a greater extent than

their peers elsewhere.their peers elsewhere.

Engaging Students

Passive LearningFungi, Slime Molds, Lichens, and Mosses