Camille Kandiko, Indiana University Bloomington Jon Acker and William Fendley, The University of Alabama Lawrence Redlinger, The University of Texas at Dallas The National Survey of Student Engagement: Promoting Assessment & Accountability in Higher Education

Presentation Overview The National Survey of Student Engagement Institutional Perspectives  The University of Alabama  The University of Texas at Dallas Questions and Discussion

Two Components of Student Engagement What institutions do -- using effective educational practices to induce students to do the right things What students do -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful activities

What is the National Survey of Student Engagement? (pronounced “nessie”)  A college student survey that assesses the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development  A way to refocus conversation about college quality

NSSE Items Student Behaviors in College Institutional Actions & Requirements Student Reactions to College Student Background Information Related to Student Learning & Development Institutional Actions & Requirements

NSSE Survey Administration National Survey of Student Engagement  Third Party Administration  Random Sample of First-year & Senior Students  Spring Semester  Administration Modes: Paper Web-only Web +

FSSE Survey Designed to compliment NSSE undergraduate survey  Faculty perceptions of student engagement  Importance faculty place on various areas of learning and development  Nature and frequency of faculty- student interactions  How faculty members organize class time Catalyst for productive discussions related to teaching and learning Launched in 2004 with over 20,000 faculty from 132 institutions In 2005, approximately 20,000 faculty at 109 colleges and universities completed the survey

BCSSE Survey Based on numerous requests over the years for pre-college controls Measures first-year students’ expectations for college and selected high school experiences Ability to combine with spring NSSE data for pre- and post- look at first-year experience Second pilot in Fall 2005 with an estimated 75 institutions

NSSE Project Scope Half of the participating institutions in self-selected consortia 50 states, D.C., the Virgin Islands & Puerto Rico Canada, Italy, Lebanon, Japan, Macedonia Sent surveys to over 700,000 students annually Project YearColleges & Universities NSSE NSSE NSSE NSSE (in progress)

NSSE Institutional Report Overview Institutional student data Means summary report Frequency distribution First-year students vs. seniors Comparative data for same Carnegie type, peer group or consortium, and national National benchmark data (available in November)

National Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice Level of Academic Challenge Active & Collaborative Learning Enriching Educational Experiences Supportive Campus Environment Student Faculty Interaction NSSE developed five indicators, or benchmarks, to represent the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement at the institutional, sector, and national levels

Using NSSE Data  Institutions share data with a variety of audiences internally in order to extend the conversation about student engagement throughout their campuses.  In 2005, institutions shared their data with presidents, department chairs, academic advisors, faculty, governing boards, and students.

Using NSSE Data  Institutions share data with external audiences in order to refocus the conversation on college quality on state, regional, and national levels.  In 2004, institutions shared data with accreditation agencies, media, prospective students, parents, and alumni.

The University of Alabama For SACS re-affirmation developed a Quality Enhancement Plan that focuses on improving student learning. Used feedback from the NSSE survey and saw that the lowest score (and greatest opportunity for improvement) was in active and collaborative learning among first-year students. UA uses NSSE data during self- assessment to identify areas to focus on improvement to drive the Quality Enhancement Plan.

The University of Alabama UA developed a QEP strategy around using active and collaborative learning to enhance student learning in first-year courses. The initiative focuses on introducing active and collaborative learning methods in large lecture classes. At present, UA is endeavoring to identify which classes employ active and collaborative learning activities and which classes do not.

University of Texas at Dallas Student satisfaction is an outcome measure of the educational experience. Legislation passed in 1999 in the 76th session of the Texas Legislature requires that all state agencies and public universities address customer satisfaction. To help meet this mandate, U. T. System participates in (NSSE).

Use of NSSE in UT System The University of Texas System is committed to providing opportunities for access to and success in high-quality, affordable higher education for students from a wide range of social, ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Evaluation by first-year students of academic advising as “good” or “excellent” increased from 2003 to 2004 at U. T. Austin, U. T. Brownsville/TSC, U. T. Dallas, and U. T. Permian Basin.

Dissemination: Potential NSSE Roadmap Step #1: Survey Data Survey Students Review Results Develop Preliminary List of Strengths and Opportunities for Improvement Step #2: Feedback Share results with Faculty, Administrators & Students Identify Themes & Priorities Design Action Plan Step #2: Feedback Share results with Faculty, Administrators & Students Identify Themes & Priorities Design Action Plan Step #3: Action Plan Finalize Plan Share Plan with Appropriate Groups Link to Strategic Plan Implement Action Step #4: Follow-up Use Results as Benchmarks to Monitor Progress Faculty & Student Focus Groups Step #4: Follow-up Use Results as Benchmarks to Monitor Progress Faculty & Student Focus Groups

How can your campus get involved? NSSE

Questions and Discussion

The National Survey of Student Engagement: Promoting Assessment & Accountability in Higher Education Camille Kandiko, NSSE Project Associate William Fendley, The University of Alabama John Acker, The University of Alabama Lawrence Redlinger, The University of Texas at Dallas