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 EngagementImportant?

Student Engagement inEffective Educational Practices

Learning Personal

Development Student Satisfaction Persistence Graduation

Why is Student EngagementImportant?

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 EngagementImportant?

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

55 5353 57

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

1st Year Seniors

NEIU Selected Peers

Level of Academic Challenge:

Item Analysis

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Number of written papers or reports < 5 pages 65% 54% 54% 53%

Coursework emphasizes: Making of judgments 76% 71% 63% 75%

Coursework emphasizes: Applying theories 79% 71% 69% 81%

Working hard to meet an instructor’s expectations 52% 63% 59% 70%

Spending significant amounts of time studying 82% 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

45 4343

54

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

1st Year Seniors

NEIU Selected Peers

Active and Collaborative Learning: Item Analysis

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Made a class presentation 45% 36% 57% 68%

Worked with classmates outside of class to prepare assignments

37% 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 course

18% 12% 5% 22%

Discussed ideas from classes outside of class 61% 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

363335

42

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

1st Year Seniors

NEIU Selected Peers

Student-Faculty Interaction: Item Analysis

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Discussed grades or assignments with an instructor 50% 52% 49% 62%

Talked about career plans with a faculty member 31% 35% 26% 46%

Discussed ideas from classes with faculty outside of class 25% 25% 19% 31%

Received prompt feedback from faculty 62% 52% 61% 63%

Worked on research project with faculty w/out being required 47% 41% 19% 35%

Worked with faculty on activities other than coursework 24% 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

25 25

3530

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

1st Year Seniors

NEIU Selected Peers

Enriching Educational Experiences: Item Analysis

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Co-curricular activities 24% 35% 25% 41%

Community service / Volunteer 69% 78% 56% 75%

Foreign language courses 74% 62% 33% 50%

Conversations with student of differing racial/ethnic 53% 44% 63% 49%

Using electronic medium to discuss or complete assignments

52% 52% 53% 65%

Learning community 52% 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

5463

6861

15

25

35

45

55

65

75

85

1st Year Seniors

NEIU Selected Peers

Supportive Campus Environment: Item Analysis

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Provides the support you need to succeed academically 85% 75% 62% 72%

Provides support you need to strive socially 61% 51% 27% 41%

Helps cope with non-academic responsibilities 50% 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-EastRichmond, 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 CollegeDanville, 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 UniversityDes Moines, IAHere 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

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Writing clearly and effectively 89% 77% 68% 80%

Speaking clearly and effectively 85% 73% 72% 77%

Thinking critically and analytically 89% 83% 80% 88%

Working effectively with others 79% 77% 77% 82%

Inquiry, analysis and evaluationCritical and creative thinkingWritten and oral communication proficiencyOriginal design and artistic performanceQuantitative literacyInformation literacy and research methodsTechnological competenceTeamwork and problem solving

DRAFT

DRAFT

Baccalaureate Goal 2:Immersion in Disciplines/Fields of Study

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources

74% 79% 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% 69% 71% 76%

Solving complex real-world problems 76% 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

DRAFT

Baccalaureate Goal 3:Learning within the Resources of Community and Diversity at NEIU

1st Yr Senior

NEIU Peers NEIU Peers

Practicum, internship, field experience, or co-op experience 74% 74% 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 required 47% 41% 19% 35%

Participated in a community-based project as part of a regular course

18% 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

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

55

62 61 62

68

20

40

60

80

100

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

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 (2003-2009)

Senior 128 125 98 111 82 87 117

1st Year 103 77 52 76 53 48 46

41%

32%

24%26%

24%

14%

37%33%

24% 25%30%

20% 17% 15%

0%

20%

40%

60%

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Senior 1st Year