NSSEAssessing Student Engagement

NSSE Defines Engagement As…

1. Amount of time/effort students put into their studies and other educationally purposeful activities

2. How institutional resources, courses, and other learning opportunities facilitate student participation in activities that matter to student learning

Engagement Indicators Academic Challenge

Learning With Peers

Experiences With Faculty

Campus Environment

PSU Students vs. NE Public + Compar

Academic Challenge

o Higher Order Learning

o Reflective/Integrative Learning

o Learning Strategies

o Quantitative Reasoning

First Year Senior

NS p < .05

p < .05 p < .05

NS NS

p < .05 p < .05

Engagement Indicators Learning With Peers

o Collaborative Learning

o Discussions With Diverse Others

First YearSeniors

NS NS

NS p < .05

Engagement Indicators Experiences With Faculty

o Student-Faculty Interaction

o Effective Teaching Practices

First YearSeniors

p < .05 p < .05

p < .05 p < .05

Engagement Indicators Campus Environment

o Quality of Interactions

o Supportive Environment

First YearSeniors

NS p < .05

NS p < .05

High Impact Practices in NSSE

Learning Community (taking 2+ classes together)

Service Learning

Work with Faculty on Research

Internship/Co-op/Field/Clinical/Student teaching

Study Abroad

Capstone (course/project/thesis/portfolio)

HIPs

First Year PSU: LC, SL, Rsch

o 8%: 2 + HIPso 53%: 1 HIP

NE Pub & Comp. 12%: 2 + HIPs46%: 1 HIP

Senior PSU: LC, SL, Rsch

o 79%: 2 + HIPso 15%: 1 HIP

NE Pub & Comp

61%: 2 + HIPs25%: 1 HIP

Academic Challenge

Time Spent Preparing for Class (per week)

First Year 13.0 hrs PSU

13.3 hrs NE Pub & Comp

Senior 13. 6 hrs PSU

14.0 hrs NE Pub & Comp

Reading (per week)

First Year 6.7 hrs PSU

6.2 hrs NE Pub & Comp

Senior 6.2 hrs PSU

6.5 hrs NE Pub & Comp

Writing (avg. pages assigned)

First Year 53.6 PSU

47.1 NE Pub & Comp

Senior 81.8 PSU

74.2 NE Pub & Comp

Challenging Courses (do best work)

First Year 44% high challenge

PSU

47% high challenge NE Pub & Comp

Senior 50% high challenge

PSU

56% high challenge NE Pub & Comp

Academic Emphasis (very much/quite a bit)

First Year 72% PSU

80% NE Pub & Comp

Senior 73% PSU

78% NE Pub & Comp

Perceived Gains: Seniors

Percent: very much/quite a bit

91% Thinking critically/analytically 84% Writing clearly/effectively 83% Speaking clearly/effectively 83% Working effectively with others 79% Acquiring work-related knowledge/skills 68% Developing/clarifying personal code of

ethics 67% Being an informed, active citizen 66% Solving complex real-world problems 59% Understanding other backgrounds (race,

econ) 55% Analyzing numerical/statistical information

Item Comparisons

Highest Performing Relative to NE Public + Comparators Combined ideas from different courses when completing

assignments

Worked with other students on course projects or assignments

Reached conclusions based on your own analysis of numerical information

Quality of interactions with: Students

Quality of interactions with: Student services staff

First-Year Students

Lowest Performing Relative to NE Public + Comparators Discussions with: People of a race or ethnicity other than your own

Helping you manage your non-academic responsibilities

Discussions with: People with religious beliefs other than your own

Contact among students from different backgrounds

Participated in a learning community or some other formal program where

First-Year Students

Highest Performing Relative to NE Public + Comparators

Completed a culminating senior experience

Discussed course topics, ideas with a faculty member outside of class

Quality of interactions with: Academic advisors

Talked about career plans with a faculty member

At least some courses included a community-based project (service-learning)

Seniors

Lowest Performing Relative to NE Public + Comparators

Contact among students from different backgrounds

Discussions with: People from an economic background other than your own

Discussions with: People with religious beliefs other than your own

Reviewed your notes after class

Discussions with: People of a race or ethnicity other than your own

Seniors

Advising Module

First Year 2.3 vs. 2.2 # times discussed academic issues 3.0 vs. 3.0 extent advisor available 2.7 vs. 2.8 informed of important deadlines 2.7 vs. 2.8 helped understand academic

policies 2.7 vs. 2.7 informed academic support

options 2.8 vs. 2.9 useful information about courses 2.6 vs. 2.7 helped with academic difficulties 2.4 vs. 2.5 discussed careers post-grad plans

Seniors 3.3 vs. 2.3 # times discussed academic issues 3.3 vs. 3.0 extent advisor available 3.0 vs. 2.7 informed of important deadlines 2.8 vs. 2.7 helped understand academic

policies 2.7 vs. 2.4 informed academic support

options 3.1 vs. 2.7 useful information about courses 3.1 vs. 2.6 helped with academic difficulties 3.0 vs. 2.5 discussed careers post-grad plans

Satisfaction With PSU

Overall rating: “excellent or good”

First Year 86% PSU

83% NE Public & Comp

Senior 90% PSU

83% NE Public & Comp

Definitely/Probably would attend again

First Year 82% PSU

80% NE Public & Comp

Senior 83% PSU

78% NE Public & Comp