Student Engagement at Northeastern Illinois Analysis and Use of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2009

Background Administered by Indiana University Began in 2000; NEIU has always participated In 2009, 640 institutions participated Only survey freshmen and seniors Measures extent to which students engage in effective educational practices

Measuring Student Engagement Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practices Level of Academic Challenge (LAC) Active and Collaborative Learning (ACL) Student-Faculty Interaction (SFI) Enriching Educational Experiences (EEE) Supportive Campus Environment (SCE)

Why is Student Engagement Important? Student Engagement in Effective Educational Practices Learning Personal Development Student Satisfaction Persistence Graduation

Why is Student Engagement Important? Factors positively associated with student success Student – Student Interaction Student – Faculty Interaction Hours Studying Discussing diversity issues with other students Tutoring other students Socializing with diverse students Institutional emphasis on diversity

Why is Student Engagement Important? Conditions associates with for Student Success Frequent contact with students, faculty, and staff “Time on Task” spent in educationally purposeful activities Learning experiences that are shared and discussed with other students and connected with other points of learning on the campus Membership and integration into the university community

Urban Peer Set New Jersey City University-NJ Purdue University-Calumet Campus-IN California State University-Dominguez Hills-CA Chicago State University-IL Auburn University-Montgomery-AL California State University-Stanislaus-CA CUNY Lehman College-NY The University of Texas-Pan American-TX The University of Texas at Brownsville-TX Texas A & M University Corpus Christi Indiana University-Northwest-IN

Level of Academic Challenge Preparing for class: Studying, reading, writing, lab work Number of assigned textbooks/books/book-length packs Number of written papers or reports Coursework emphasizes: Analysis of basic elements of an idea Coursework emphasizes: Synthesis and organizing of ideas Coursework emphasizes: Making of judgments Coursework emphasizes: Applying theories to practical problems Working hard to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations Spending significant amount of time studying

Level of Academic Challenge: Item Analysis 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Number of written papers or reports < 5 pages65%54% 53% Coursework emphasizes: Making of judgments76%71%63%75% Coursework emphasizes: Applying theories79%71%69%81% Working hard to meet an instructor’s expectations52%63%59%70% Spending significant amounts of time studying82%77%62%72%

Active and 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 as part of a course Discussed ideas from classes outside of class

Active and Collaborative Learning: Item Analysis 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Made a class presentation45%36%57%68% Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare assignments37%45%31%62% Tutored or taught other students (paid or voluntary)17%15%12%23% Participated in a community-based project as part of a course18%12%5%22% Discussed ideas from classes outside of class61%59%52%69%

Student- Faculty Interaction Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor Talked about career plans with a faculty member Discussed ideas from classes with faculty outside of class Worked with faculty on activities other than coursework Received prompt feedback from faculty Worked on research project with faculty without being required

Student-Faculty Interaction: Item Analysis 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor50%52%49%62% Talked about career plans with a faculty member31%35%26%46% Discussed ideas from classes with faculty outside of class25% 19%31% Received prompt feedback from faculty62%52%61%63% Worked on research project with faculty w/out being required47%41%19%35% Worked with faculty on activities other than coursework24%18%9%22%

Enriching Educational Experiences Co-curricular activities Practicum/Internship / Field Experience Community service / Volunteer Foreign language courses / Study abroad Independent study or self-designed major Culminating senior experience Conversations with students of differing religion, politics, and values Conversations with student of differing racial/ethnic backgrounds Using electronic medium to discuss or complete assignments Campus environment encouraging contact with diverse student body Learning community or program where groups of students take multiple classes together

Enriching Educational Experiences: Item Analysis 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Co-curricular activities24%35%25%41% Community service / Volunteer69%78%56%75% Foreign language courses74%62%33%50% Conversations with student of differing racial/ethnic53%44%63%49% Using electronic medium to discuss or complete assignments52% 53%65% Learning community52%51%29%43%

Supportive Campus Environment Campus environment provides the support you need to succeed academically Campus environment helps you cope with non-academic responsibilities Campus environment provides social support Quality of relationships with other students Quality of relationships with faculty members Quality of relationships with administrative personnel and offices

Supportive Campus Environment: Item Analysis 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Provides the support you need to succeed academically85%75%62%72% Provides support you need to strive socially61%51%27%41% Helps cope with non-academic responsibilities50%45%21%35%

Summary Results: Benchmarks Freshmen are slowing improving over time (see posters) Seniors are not improving (see posters) No significant differences in 2009 between our freshmen and those of our peers on each benchmark In 2009 our seniors are significantly lower than those of our peers on all benchmarks

Summary Results: Item Analysis for Freshmen Strengths for freshmen are in collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, and supportive campus environment Making a class presentation Receiving prompt feedback from faculty Receiving support needed to succeed academically and thrive socially

Summary Results: Item Analysis for Freshmen Weaknesses for freshman are in academic challenge, collaborative learning, and enriching educational experiences Less hard work to meet instructor’s expectations Less working with students outside of class to prepare assignments Less co-curricular activities Less community service/volunteer work

Summary Results: Item Analysis for Seniors Weaknesses for seniors span all benchmarks Less coursework emphasis on applying theories Less participation in community project as part of course Less work with faculty on activities other than coursework Less community service/volunteer work Less help coping with non-academic responsibilities

How Do We Use NSSE? Guide Planning Develop goals in a strategic plan Develop outcomes in an annual work plan Evaluate progress Measure progress in strategic goals Measure progress in annual work plan Are we meeting goals for baccalaureate degree?

Indiana University-East Richmond, IN IU East identified the Enriching Educational Experiences benchmark as a priority. The category surveys diversity experiences, internships, community service, and senior capstone courses. IU East is committed to broadening student experiences both within and outside of the classroom.

Centre College Danville, KY “We have determined that we may need to strengthen our offering of active and collaborative learning, and have elected to make this a part of our strategic planning process…our students tell us this, and we have elected to take a hard look at how we are doing in this highly effective approach to teaching.”

Grand View University Des Moines, IA Here are some examples of activities we’ve undertaken to improve student engagement: Provided resources and training for faculty members to incorporate more active and collaborative learning strategies into the classroom. Provided additional gathering places for students to study together, meet with faculty members in more casual settings, and converse with friends. Established a funding program to encourage faculty members to engage with their students outside the classroom

Baccalaureate Goal 1: Intellectual and Practical Skills 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Writing clearly and effectively89%77%68%80% Speaking clearly and effectively85%73%72%77% Thinking critically and analytically89%83%80%88% Working effectively with others79%77% 82% Inquiry, analysis and evaluation Critical and creative thinking Written and oral communication proficiency Original design and artistic performance Quantitative literacy Information literacy and research methods Technological competence Teamwork and problem solving DRAFT

Baccalaureate Goal 2: Immersion in Disciplines/Fields of Study 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources 74%79% 87% Put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments or during class discussions 65%54%57%68% Coursework emphasizes synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences 69% 71%76% Solving complex real-world problems76%62%59%64% Knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world Mastery of different modes of knowing and integrative learning in a student’s major, with a broad awareness of other areas of study Ability to synthesize general and specialized studies both within and across disciplines Use of classroom knowledge to identify and engage big questions, as well as the practical issues of everyday life DRAFT

Baccalaureate Goal 3: Learning within the Resources of Community and Diversity at NEIU 1 st YrSenior NEIUPeersNEIUPeers Practicum, internship, field experience, or co-op experience74% 69%75% Learning community where groups of students take two or more classes together 52%51%29%43% Worked on a research project with a faculty w/out being required47%41%19%35% Participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course18%12%5%22% Tried to better understand someone else’s views by imagining how an issue looks to them 55%61%53%63% Integration of knowledge through internships, volunteerism, service learning, student teaching, applied research and writing, creative work and performance, etc. Engagement at the personal and community level Application of local and global civic knowledge Appreciation of the complexities of individual identities Intercultural knowledge and competence DRAFT

Measuring Institutional Change Measure: Supportive Campus Environment (G1/G4) General Definition: Cultivating a positive working and social environment. Frame of Reference: Urban peers had mean of 63; top 10% of NSSE09 had mean of 69 Benchmark: 70

College of Business and Management Oversampled seniors Increased sample size allowed for comparison to NEIU and peers Used data in retreat Will use data as baseline to measure change Helped prepare for accreditation Will oversample again in 2012

Wrap Up Our participation in NSSE is for the students NSSE allows us to use student voices to guide improvements With it we can: Measure factors that contribute to student success, Look at processes that might lead to increased student engagement, thereby, Promote effective educational practices

Response Rate ( ) Senior st Year