National Survey of Student Engagement NSSE

1
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
Glenn Craney Executive Director Institutional
Research and Analysis Presentation to APPC
Planning Day May 3. 2007
2
NSSE Introduction

• The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
  is conducted by the Indiana University Survey
  Research Centre on behalf of the NSSE Institute.
• In 2004 York participated along with G10
  universities and Carleton University.
• In 2005 York University, along with eight other
  Canadian universities participated in the survey
  as the Canadian Consortium.
• Beginning in 2006 all Ontario universities
  participated in NSSE as part of the
  accountability framework being developed by the
  provincial government.

3
NSSE Origins

• Grew out of a large body of research on student
  learning which concluded that students who are
  actively involved in academic and co-curricular
  activities gain more from their college
  experience than students who are not as involved.
• Was designed in 1998 by a team led by Peter Ewell
  of The National Center for Higher Education
  Management Systems (NCHEMS). The majority of
  items were modified from the College Student
  Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ) and the
  Cooperative Institutional Research Program
  (CIRP). First conducted in 2000 with 63,000
  students from 276 institutions.
• Funded by the Pew Foundation.
• NSSE is designed to measure student engagement
  and the degree to which institutions provide
  students with an effective learning environment.
• Based on student self-reports

4
The NSSE Survey

• 120 individual questions on engagement,
  satisfaction and demographics
• Results presented as benchmarks
• Academic Challenge
• Active and Collaborative Learning
• Student-Faculty Interaction
• Enriching Educational Experience
• Supportive Campus Environment
• 2 measures of overall satisfaction
• As well as individual question results

5
What NSSE is and is not

• NSSE provides
• Information on how students spend their time
  these activities have been empirically tested to
  be associated with desired outcomes of
  postsecondary education
• An index of the nature and extent of a students
  active participation in the learning process
• Engagement as measured by NSSE is valued by
  students and institutions and is an indicator of
  motivation and habits that carry over into other
  current and future settings
• NSSE is not
• An index of student learning
• An independent measure of the learning that is
  assumed to take place as a result of these
  activities

Dr Tony Chambers, University of Toronto
6
Whats NSSE Trying To Do and How?

• The NSSE survey instrument is a versatile,
  research-based tool for gathering information
  that focuses on learning-centred indicators of
  quality in undergraduate education.
• The instrument is useful in several ways
• Institutional improvement as a diagnostic tool
  to identify areas in which a school can enhance
  students educational experiences and student
  learning
• Benchmarking instrument establishing regional
  and national norms of educational practices and
  performance by sector
• Public accountability documenting and improving
  institutional effectiveness over time.
• Based on the notion that students who are engaged
  are more likely to do better. Therefore, need to
  measure how engaged students are. But does
  increased engagement lead to better outcomes?

7
NSSE Rankings

• NSSE is officially opposed to the use of NSSE for
  Rankings
• I am dismayed that Macleans used a few results
  from the National Survey of Student Engagement
  (NSSE) in its Spring 2006 rankings of Canadian
  universities. NSSE always eschewed this idea,
  posting the reasons why on its website
  (http//nsse.iub.edu/html/usingst.cfm). Rankings
  are inherently flawed because they reduce complex
  dimensions of university life to a single number
  - George Kuh, Director NSSE
• NSSE should not be used to compare that are
  fundamentally different
• Bias against commuter institutions

8
Higher Proportion of Part-time Students
First Year Students
Senior Students
Source 2006 NSSE
9
Large Proportion of Students Live at Home with
their Parents
First Year Students
Senior Students
Source 2006 NSSE
10
Almost 50 of York students Commute for More than
40 minutes
First Year Students
Senior Students
Source 2006 NSSE
11
More York Students Spend Time Working For Pay
First Year Students
Senior Students
Source 2006 NSSE
12
York Students Spend More Time Working For Pay
On Campus
Off Campus
Source 2006 NSSE
13
York Students Spend Less Time on Campus outside
of Class
First Year Students
Senior Students
Source 2006 NSSE
14
Key Questions

• What type of student experiences are we trying to
  provide?
• Given this, what can NSSE tell us about
  ourselves?
• How much and what reporting out to we want to
  provide to the internal and external community?
• Can the basic NSSE results be informed by other
  surveys?
• In the NSSE family, BCSSE, LSSE, FSSE
• Other surveys of learning there are many!

15
Benchmark Results Level of Academic Challenge
Survey Items Preparing for class (studying,
reading, writing, rehearsing, etc. related to
academic program). Number of assigned textbooks,
books, or book-length packs of course
readings. Number of written papers or reports of
20 pages or more number of written papers or
reports of between 5 and 19 pages number of
written papers or reports of fewer than 5
pages. Course work emphasizing analysis of the
basic elements or an idea, experience or
theory. Course work emphasizing synthesis and
organizing of ideas, information or experiences
into new, more complex interpretations and
relationships. Course work emphasizing
application of theories or concepts to practical
problems or in new situations. Working harder
than you thought you could to meet an
instructors standards or expectations. Campus
environment emphasizing time studying and on
academic work
16
Benchmark Results Active Collaborative Learning
Survey Items Asked questions in class or
contributed to class discussions. Made a class
presentation. Worked with other students on
projects during class. Worked with classmates
outside of class to prepare class
assignments. Tutoring or taught other
students. Participated in a community-based
project as part of a regular course. Discussed
ideas from your readings or classes with others
outside of class (students, family members
coworkers, etc.)
17
Benchmark Results Student-Faculty Interaction

• Survey Items
• Discussed grades or assignments with an
  instructor.
• Talked about career plans with a faculty member
  or advisor.
• Discussed ideas from your readings or classes
  with faculty members outside of class.
• Worked with faculty members on activities other
  than coursework (committees, orientation,
  student-life activities, etc.).
• Received prompt feedback from faculty on your
  academic performance (written or oral).
• Worked with a faculty member on a research
  project outside of course or program requirements.

18
Benchmark Results Enriching Educational
Experience
Survey Items Participating in co-curricular
activities (organizations, publications, student
government, sports, etc.). Practicum,
internship, field experience, co-op experience or
clinical assignment. Community service or
volunteer work. Foreign language coursework and
study abroad. Independent study or self-designed
major. Culminating senior experience
(comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis,
project, etc). Serious conversations with
students of different religious beliefs,
political opinions, or personal values. Serious
conversation with students of a different race or
ethnicity. Using electronic technology to
discuss or complete an assignment. Campus
environment encouraging contact among students
from different economic, social and racial or
ethnic backgrounds. Participate in a learning
community or some other formal program where
groups of students take two or more classes
together
19
Benchmark Results Supportive Campus Environment
Survey Items Campus environment provides the
support you need to help you succeed
academically. Campus environment helps you cope
with your non-academic responsibilities (work,
family, etc.). Campus environment provides the
support you need to thrive socially. Quality of
relationships with other students. Quality of
relationships with faculty members. Quality of
relationships with administrative personnel and
offices
20
Overall Evaluation 2004-2006
21
NSSE 2005 Overall Evaluation Faculty Level
Reports
22
Overall Evaluation 2004-2006
23
NSSE 2005 Overall Evaluation Faculty Level
Reports
24
Barriers to Success First Year Students
25
Barriers to Success Senior Year Students
26
Improvements in the Classroom
27
Improvements outside the Classroom