Leaders’ Forum NSSE and The Student Voice: Understanding ‘Student Experience’, ‘Student Engagement’ and How These are Measured April 26, 2007

Leaders’ Forum CONTEXT Paul Davenport, President and Vice-Chancellor

Leaders’ Forum Introducing NSSE Dr. Jerry White, Advisor to the Provost

Leaders’ Forum What is the NSSE? Measures student participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development first Pilot was 1999 and first full survey with 276 colleges and Universities items in NSSE represent empirically confirmed "good practices" in undergraduate education

Leaders’ Forum What is it supposed to tell us? a proxy for learning, understanding, and postgraduation commitments that we cannot measure very well directly a diagnostic tool for institutional improvement and accountability NSSE does not support using results for ranking schools student engagement data should lead to improved approaches to accountability

Leaders’ Forum How did we get involved? Western one of the first to join into the NSSE survey in Canada In 2004, Western and several Canadian universities participated for the first time Western has taken a leadership role in making data public

Leaders’ Forum The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Dr. Debra Dawson Director, Teaching and Learning Services

Leaders’ Forum Outline What is student engagement? NSSE benchmarks What were some of the key results? What can we do to enhance student success?

Leaders’ Forum What is student engagement? Students’ sustained involvement, intense effort and concentration in learning activities Students’ use of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies that lead to deep learning Institutions’ learning opportunities and services that induce students to take part in such activities –Mighty ( 2006)

Leaders’ Forum Designed to obtain information about student participation in programs and activities that foster deep learning In 2006 Western and all Ontario universities participated. National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Leaders’ Forum NSSE Benchmarks of Effective Practice Level of academic challenge Active and collaborative learning Students interactions with academic staff Enriching educational experiences Supportive campus environments

Leaders’ Forum Benchmark Supportive Campus Environment Students perform better and are more satisfied at institutions that are: -committed to their success -cultivate positive working and social relationship among different groups on campus

Leaders’ Forum Supportive Campus Environment Benchmark Comparisons First-Year Students Senior Students

Leaders’ Forum To what extent does your institution emphasize…providing the support you need to help you succeed academically? (% responded “quite a bit” or “very much”) First-Year Students Senior Students Supportive Campus Environment

Leaders’ Forum Mark the box that best represents the quality of your relationship with other students (% rated 6 or 7 on scale) First-Year StudentsSenior Students Unfriendly, Unsupportive, Sense of Alienation Friendly, Supportive, Sense of Belonging Supportive Campus Environment

Leaders’ Forum Mark the box that best represents the quality of your relationship with faculty members (% rated 6 or 7 on scale) Unavailable, Unhelpful, Unsympathetic Available, Helpful, Sympathetic First-Year StudentsSenior Students Supportive Campus Environment

Leaders’ Forum Benchmark Enriching Educational Experiences Opportunity to integrate and apply knowledge –Experience diversity –Participate in internships, field placements, & undergraduate research projects –Senior capstone experience

Leaders’ Forum Enriching Educational Experiences Benchmark Comparisons First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum Which of the following have you done or plan to do at your institution? % Study Abroad First-Year StudentsSenior Students Enriching Educational Experiences

Leaders’ Forum Development of International Curriculum Fund (ICF) – focus on internationalization and in particular study abroad Study Abroad Enriching Educational Experiences

Leaders’ Forum Which of the following have you done or plan to do at your institution? % Practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment First-Year StudentsSenior Students Enriching Educational Experiences

Leaders’ Forum Benchmark Student-Faculty Interaction Students learn how experts think about and solve practical problems by interacting with faculty members inside and outside the classroom. Faculty are role models, mentors and guides for continuous, life-long learning.

Leaders’ Forum Student-Faculty Interaction Benchmark Comparisons First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you discussed grades or assignments with an instructor (% responded “Often” or “Very Often”) First-Year Students Senior Students Student-Faculty Interaction

Leaders’ Forum In your experiences at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class? (% responded “NEVER”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students Student-Faculty Interaction

Leaders’ Forum Benchmark Active and Collaborative Learning Active –where students learn by doing, by hands-on experimentation or where they get the opportunity to think through to a realization Collaborative –where students work in teams or groups towards a common goal

Leaders’ Forum Active and Collaborative Learning Benchmark Comparisons First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum In your experience at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you asked questions in class or contributed to class discussion (% responded “Often” or “Very Often”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students Active and Collaborative Learning

Leaders’ Forum In your experiences at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you made a class presentation? (% responded “NEVER”) First-Year Students Senior Students Active and Collaborative Learning

Leaders’ Forum Community Service-Learning Form of experiential learning Designed to foster civic responsibility, address community needs, and enhance student learning Reflection following community service relates classroom content to S-L experience Active and Collaborative Learning

Leaders’ Forum In your experiences at your institution during the current school year, about how often have you participated in a community-based project (e.g. service-learning) as part of a regular course? (% responding “Sometimes,” “Often” or “Very Often”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students Active and Collaborative Learning

Leaders’ Forum Service-Learning Initiatives Alternative Spring Break Western Heads East Curricular Service- Learning Active and Collaborative Learning

Leaders’ Forum Benchmark Level of Academic Challenge Challenging intellectual and creative work High expectations for student performance

Leaders’ Forum Level of Academic Challenge Benchmark Comparisons First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum During the current school year, about how often have you worked harder than you thought you could to meet a meet an instructor’s standards or expectations? (% responded “Often” or “Very Often”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students Level of Academic Challenge

Leaders’ Forum Total number of papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages written during the current school year First-Year StudentsSenior Students Level of Academic Challenge

Two Key Questions

Leaders’ Forum How would you evaluate your entire educational experience at your institution? (% rated “good” or “excellent”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum If you could start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending? (% responded “probably yes” or “definitely yes”) First-Year StudentsSenior Students

Leaders’ Forum Promoting Student Success What Can Campus Leaders Do? –Student success is everybody’s business –Students thrive when an institution enacts a holistic philosophy of talent development and provides support from multiple sources –We need to seek effective ways of putting vision into practice

Leaders’ Forum References Boyer, E.L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Learning. Chickering, A. W. & Gamson, Z. F.(1987). “Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education”, American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, pp Kuh, G. (2003). What we’re learning about student engagement from NSSE. Change March/ April, Mighty, J.(2006).From admission to graduation:opportunities and strategies for student engagement. Paper presented at Fall Perspectives on Learning, UWO, London, Canada National Study on Student Engagement(NSSE). Last retrieved on March 4, Steffes, J.S.( 2004). Creating powerful learning environments beyond the classroom. Change, 36(3), Promoting Student Success: NSSE Deep Practice Briefs Last retrieved on Apr. 18,

Leaders’ Forum Q & A? What questions about NSSE, or Western’s results do you have for Deb or Jerry or others?

Leaders’ Forum Next Steps Use your “Meeting in a Bag” to share today’s information with your staff Check Leaders’ Digest for notes and summary from today Next seasons’ Leaders’ Forum dates will be ed to you

Leaders’ Forum Thank You to Our Student Guests!

Leaders’ Forum Thank You to Our Facilitators Carol Abraham Jenn Ashenden Ross Beatty Becca Carroll Krys Chelchowski Donna Chute-Dolan Rod Crichton Debra Dawson Frank DeGurse Sharon Farnell Andrew Fuller Chantal Gloor Paula Greenwood Stephanie Hayne Ruth Heard Ruta Lawrence Scott May Donna Moore Nancy Patrick Terry Rice Peggy Roffey Malcolm Ruddock Nancy Stewart Glen Tigert Peggy Wakabayashi Penny Westmacott Carolyn Young

Leaders’ Forum Have a Great Summer!