National Research National Research Agenda to Support Agenda to Support

TransformationTransformation

National Learning Infrastructure InitiativeNational Learning Infrastructure InitiativeFocus Session Focus Session

June, 2003June, 2003

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ObjectivesObjectives

Stimulate your thinking about Stimulate your thinking about national research activity and its national research activity and its role in transformation role in transformation

Introduce NSSE as one example of Introduce NSSE as one example of national researchnational research

Share what we’re learning from Share what we’re learning from NSSE and from institutionsNSSE and from institutions

Principles for Good Practice in Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

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

What What ReallyReally Matters in College: Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement

““The research is unequivocal: The research is unequivocal: students who are actively involved students who are actively involved in both academic and out-of-class in both academic and out-of-class activities gain more from the activities gain more from the college experience than those who college experience than those who are not so involved.”are not so involved.”

Ernest T. Pascarella & Patrick T. Terenzini, Ernest T. Pascarella & Patrick T. Terenzini, How College Affects StudentsHow College Affects Students

Lessons From The ResearchLessons From The Research

What matters most to desired What matters most to desired outcomes is what students do, not outcomes is what students do, not who they arewho they are

A key factor in student learning is A key factor in student learning is the quality of effort students’ the quality of effort students’ devote to educationally purposeful devote to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

Lessons From The ResearchLessons From The Research

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward the right channel student energy toward the right activitiesactivities

Learning is reinforced through Learning is reinforced through application.application.

The first year of undergraduate study is The first year of undergraduate study is critical to student success.critical to student success.

““It's an embarrassment that we It's an embarrassment that we can tell people almost anything can tell people almost anything about education except how about education except how well students are learning.”well students are learning.”

Patrick M. Callan, National Center for Public Patrick M. Callan, National Center for Public Policy and Higher EducationPolicy and Higher Education

Impetus for NSSEImpetus for NSSE

We know a lot about what is We know a lot about what is important to student learningimportant to student learning

We ought to have better indicators of We ought to have better indicators of quality in undergraduate education quality in undergraduate education

Institutions need data for Institutions need data for accountability and improvement accountability and improvement initiativesinitiatives

NSSE Research QuestionsNSSE Research Questions

To what extent are students To what extent are students engaged in effective educational engaged in effective educational practices?practices?

To what extent do institutions To what extent do institutions induce students to be involved induce students to be involved in educationally purposeful in educationally purposeful activities? activities?

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

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

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

Two Components of Two Components of Student EngagementStudent Engagement

What students do -- time and What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally energy devoted to educationally purposeful activitiespurposeful activities

What institutions do -- using What institutions do -- using effective educational practices effective educational practices to induce students to do the to induce students to do the right thingsright things

NSSE and ResearchNSSE and Research

NSSE as national data systemNSSE as national data system

Institutional use of national Institutional use of national findingsfindings

Institutional use of national Institutional use of national instruments instruments

NSSE Project ScopeNSSE Project Scope

265,000 students from 618 265,000 students from 618 different schools different schools

49 states 49 states

24 institutional consortia24 institutional consortia

52% of 4-yr undergraduate 52% of 4-yr undergraduate FTE FTE

Survey AdministrationSurvey Administration

Paper or webPaper or web All students can All students can

fill out fill out The ReportThe Report on-lineon-line

Indiana University Indiana University Center for Survey Center for Survey Research Research administersadministers

The College Student ReportThe College Student Report

Student Behaviors

Institutional Actions & Requirements

Reactions to College

Student BackgroundInformation

Student Learning &

Development

Benchmarks of Effective Benchmarks of Effective Educational PracticeEducational Practice

Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge

Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative

LearningLearning

EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus

EnvironmentEnvironment

Student-Student-Faculty Faculty

InteractionInteraction

NSSE and National ResearchNSSE and National Research

NSSE results are a snapshot of NSSE results are a snapshot of higher education higher education

““It’s not the Hubble, but it reveals It’s not the Hubble, but it reveals a new dimension of quality.” a new dimension of quality.”

- Russ Edgerton, Pew Forum- Russ Edgerton, Pew Forum

What have we learned What have we learned so far from NSSE?so far from NSSE?

Who’s more engaged?Who’s more engaged?

WomenWomen Fraternity and sorority membersFraternity and sorority members Learning community studentsLearning community students Full-time studentsFull-time students Students who live on campusStudents who live on campus Students with diversity experiencesStudents with diversity experiences

What do we know about What do we know about institutions?institutions?

Liberal arts colleges score higher Liberal arts colleges score higher than all other typesthan all other types

Similar colleges vary in their Similar colleges vary in their performanceperformance

Colleges tend to be strong in Colleges tend to be strong in particular areas rather than particular areas rather than across the board across the board (only 4 scored in the top (only 4 scored in the top 20% on all 5 benchmarks)20% on all 5 benchmarks)

Disappointing FindingsDisappointing Findings

Transfer students less engagedTransfer students less engaged Students study less than we expectStudents study less than we expect 19% of first-year students 19% of first-year students nevernever

made a class presentation, and made a class presentation, and 46% 46% nevernever discussed readings or discussed readings or ideas with faculty member outside ideas with faculty member outside of classof class

Multiple Uses of NSSEMultiple Uses of NSSE Assessment and improvement Assessment and improvement General education reform General education reform Benchmarking Benchmarking Alumni outreach Alumni outreach Accountability Accountability Grant writing Grant writing

Institutional Use of DataInstitutional Use of Data

Discover current Discover current levels of engagement levels of engagement (institution, major (institution, major field, year in school)field, year in school)

Determine if current Determine if current levels are satisfactory levels are satisfactory (criterion reference, (criterion reference, normative or peer normative or peer comparison)comparison)

Target areas for Target areas for improvement improvement

Modify programs and Modify programs and policies accordingly policies accordingly

Teach students what Teach students what is required to is required to “succeed” “succeed”

Monitor student and Monitor student and institutional institutional performanceperformance

Institutional Use of FindingsInstitutional Use of Findings

Generation of internal reports to Generation of internal reports to lead to action lead to action

Examples: Examples: Southwest Texas StateSouthwest Texas StateUniversity of the SouthUniversity of the SouthGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University

Institutional Use of FindingsInstitutional Use of Findings TechnologyTechnology

Examples: Examples: The University of Utah results revealed low use The University of Utah results revealed low use of technology. Data shared with IT staff to assist of technology. Data shared with IT staff to assist in planning.in planning.

Example: Aurora University discussed the role Example: Aurora University discussed the role of computing in its general education of computing in its general education requirements and the need for a more requirements and the need for a more formalized curriculum. NSSE results help formalized curriculum. NSSE results help stimulate movement on both issues. stimulate movement on both issues.

Institutional Use of Findings Institutional Use of Findings cont’dcont’d

Technology Technology Framingham State College focused on Framingham State College focused on

faculty integration of technology in faculty integration of technology in courses. Dual intent to expose students courses. Dual intent to expose students to technology and increase to technology and increase communication between students and communication between students and faculty. NSSE is being used to assess faculty. NSSE is being used to assess changes resulting from initiativechanges resulting from initiative

Institutional Use of Findings Institutional Use of Findings cont’dcont’d

George Mason University uses George Mason University uses technology to enhance the learning technology to enhance the learning environment through its Technology environment through its Technology Across the Curriculum (TAC) program, Across the Curriculum (TAC) program, which assists liberal arts students in which assists liberal arts students in achieving ten instructional technology achieving ten instructional technology goalsgoals..

Coordinated Use of NSSE DataCoordinated Use of NSSE Data

More than 250 institutions participated in 30 More than 250 institutions participated in 30 consortia: women’s colleges, urban consortia: women’s colleges, urban universities, members of the Council of universities, members of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, engineering Christian Colleges and Universities, engineering colleges, and research universitiescolleges, and research universities

Institutions share results with a central office, or Institutions share results with a central office, or communicated directly with members of the communicated directly with members of the group group

Schools in two consortia exchanged student-Schools in two consortia exchanged student-level records after removing individual student level records after removing individual student identification information identification information

Questions Questions

and Commentsand Comments

For more information:For more information:

www.iub.edu/~nssewww.iub.edu/~nsse