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NSSE Results Fort Lewis College (2010)

Richard A. Miller

Exec. Dir – OIRPA

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Presentation Outline

Why is student engagement important?

What is NSSE?

NSSE 2010

Highlights – Fort Lewis

Using NSSE data

Questions and discussion

Question: Why is Engagement Important?

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Alexander Astin’s Assessment Paradigm

Why is Engagement Important?

Typical Measures Funding

Tuition

Test scores

Faculty Pay

Focus is on operations

Ranking publications

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Why is Engagement Important?

Measures (selected) Academic Challenge

Student/Faculty Interactions

Student Support

Type of Learning

Enriching Experiences

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Why is Engagement Important? By focusing on engagement, we shift the

focus from external factors, to internal.

We focus on processes, experiences, and interactions that are more within our control.

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Education research suggests,

“…students who are actively involved in both academic and out-of-class activities gain more from the college experience than those who are not as involved.”

Pascarella & Terenzini. (1991). How College Affects Students.

Why is Engagement Important?

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What students do during college counts more in terms of what they

learn, and whether they will persist in college than who they are, or even

where they go to college.

Kuh et al (2005)Student Success in College

Why is Engagement Important?

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What is NSSE?(pronounced “nessie”)

Evaluates the extent to which first-year and senior students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

Supported by grants from Lumina Foundation for Education and the Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts at Wabash College

Co-sponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning

NSSE 2010

NSSE surveys students at hundreds of colleges and universities, annually.

GROUP First-Year

Seniors

FLC 848 586

COPLAC 12,230 14,424

Public 4 Yr

26,397 24,639

All NSSE 558,788 584,728

GROUP # Inst.

COPLAC 16

Public 4 Yr

46

All NSSE 563

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Overview – Fort Lewis Results NSSE Measures Five Principle Areas:

Level of Academic Challenge

Active & Collaborative Learning

Student-Faculty Interaction

Enriching Educational Experiences

Supportive Campus Environment

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Level of Academic Challenge

● Number of assigned textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings

Hours spent preparing for class (studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, etc. related to academic program

● Number of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more, between 5 and 19 pages, and fewer than 5 pages

● Coursework emphasizes: Analysis of the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory

● Coursework emphasizes: Synthesis and organizing of ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships

● Coursework emphasizes: Making of judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods

● Coursework emphasizes: Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations

● Working harder than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations

● Campus environment emphasizes: Spending significant amount of time studying and on academic work

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Level of Academic Challenge

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Areas of Distinction: Academic Challenge FLC freshmen report significantly more (p < .01) written

papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages.

FLC Freshmen report significantly fewer (p <.01) written papers that are less than 5 pages.

FLC Seniors report significantly less (p <.01) time memorizing facts, compared to other NSSE respondents.

FLC Seniors report modestly more (p < .05) time spent synthesizing and organizing ideas; or making judgments about the value of information.

FLC students report significantly (p<.001) less time studying and doing academic work.

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Active & Collaborative Learning

● 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

● Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary)

● Participated in a community-based project (e.g., service learning) as part of a regular course

● Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.)

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Active & Collaborative Learning

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Areas of Distinction: Academic & Collaborative Learning FLC seniors seem more likely to say they asked questions in class (p

< .05)

FLC Seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to say they have made a class presentation.

FLC Freshmen and Seniors are both much more likely (p<.001) to say they worked with other students on projects during class.

FLC Freshmen are much less likely (p<.001) to report working with classmates outside of class.

FLC Seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to report participating in a community-based project as part of a course.

FLC Seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to report tutoring or teaching other students.

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Student-Faculty Interaction

● 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 written or oral feedback from faculty on your academic performance

● Worked on a research project with a faculty member outside of course or program requirements

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Areas of Distinction: Student-Faculty Interaction

FLC Seniors are more likely (p<.01) to say they talked about career plans with a faculty member or advisor.

FLC Seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to say they discussed ideas from readings/classes with faculty members outside of class.

FLC seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to say they received prompt written or oral feedback from faculty on their academic performance

FLC seniors are more likely (p<.01) to say they worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework.

Trivia note: Our students rate their relationship with faculty higher than they rate their relationship with other students.

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● Hours spent participating in co-curricular activities (organizations, campus publications, student gov., social fraternity or sorority, 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 (capstone course, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, etc.)● Serious conversations with students of different religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values● Serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own

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Enriching Education Experiences

Enriching Education Experiences - cont

● Using electronic medium (e.g., listserv, chat group, Internet, instant messaging, etc.) 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

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Enriching Educational Experiences

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Areas of Distinction: Enriching Education Experiences

FLC Seniors are less likely (p<.01) to have used an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment.

FLC seniors are more likely (p<.01) to say they had conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity.

FLC Seniors are more likely (p<.05) to report serious conversations with students with different religious, political, or personal values.

FLC Freshmen are much less likely (p<.001) to have reported community service or volunteer work.

All FLC students are much less likely (p<.001) to have taken foreign language coursework.

FLC seniors are slightly more likely (p<.05) to have studied abroad

FLC seniors are much more likely (p<.001) to say that FLC encourages contact among students from different economic, social, and racial/ethnic backgrounds. (curiously, not the case with freshmen) 24

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● 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

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Supportive Campus Environment

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Supportive Campus Environment

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Areas of Distinction: Supportive Campus Environment

FLC Freshmen report lower quality of relationship with other students (p<.01)

FLC Seniors report much higher quality (p<.001) relationships with other students.

FLC Freshmen report slightly (p<.05) better relationships with faculty.

FLC Seniors report much higher (p<.001) relationships with faculty.

FLC Seniors reports much higher (p<.001) levels of academic support.

FLC seniors report higher (p<.01) levels of support with non-academic responsibilities.

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So What? Some Observations Freshmen at FLC are consistently less

engaged than Seniors (expected). However, they are also less engaged than their peers (concerning)

The level of engagement at FLC has been very stable for nearly a decade. The College may wish to target some specific items where FLC will be distinguished, and work toward ensuring these areas become visible in subsequent administrations of NSSE.

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Affirmations?

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Surprises?

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