Measuring student engagement in college used to seem like a vague and impossible task, until the National Survey of Student Engagement came along. Nowadays, the survey has become hugely popular and one of the premier sources for understanding how undergraduates fare in college through a handful of key indicators.
Data from the survey can be greatly important to educators, institutions and even students. But what exactly is the survey and what are its key components? We take a look at these questions and more below.
Understanding the National Survey of Student Engagement
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is an annual survey measuring each year how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending college. The NSSE survey is administered to first-year and senior students in hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of participating institutions across the United States and Canada.
The survey collects data on students’ experiences with their coursework, interaction with faculty and peers, and the quality of academic and co-curricular programs.
This data is particularly valuable for institutions in search of valuable information to assess and improve the quality of their educational programs.
Brief history of NSSE
First administered in 2000, the NSSE by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, the NSSE was improved a few years later and, since then, has become the most widely used survey for assessing student engagement in higher education institutions in the United States and Canada.
One of the most impressive aspects of the survey is its continual revisions over the years to improve its validity and reliability. Today, the NSSE survey is considered a valuable tool by pretty much everyone affected, including institutions and educators looking to continually improve the quality of their educational programs.
Additionally, by making use of the NSSE survey data, institutions can allocate resources more effectively, and develop strategies to enhance the learning experiences of their students from first year to the last.
Importance of NSSE in higher education
The NSSE survey is an essential tool for higher education institutions. Below are some of its most important contributions overs the years:
Evaluation - Before an institution can aim to improve the quality of what they over, they must first identify where they stand. This is one of the areas where the NSSE comes in handy.
It helps colleges evaluate and improve their educational programs, on a continual basis. It identifies areas where they need to focus their resources and attention to improve the quality of their educational programs.
Comparative Data - The NSSE survey also provides institutions with comparative data to benchmark their performance against their peers. Not just that, they can also benchmark their performances against previous years to confirm that they are indeed making progress.
By using the NSSE survey data, institutions can make targeted data-driven decisions instead of deciding purely based on hunches.
Student Assessment - Lastly, the NSSE survey also offers immense value to the students. How? Well, seeing as student engagement is a critical factor in student success and retention, understanding where an institution falls short in this regard can lead to improvement, which can subsequently lead to a higher student retention and success rate.
Among other things, the survey measures how much time students spend on coursework and how engaged they are with their academic programs. Improving these numbers can provide huge benefits to society as a whole.
Guide for Policy Makers - Apart from its use by institutions to identify areas where they can improve data obtained from the National Survey of Student Engagement is also used by researchers and policy makers to understand trends in student engagement.
What they learn from the data will then go a long way in shaping and informing policies that support student success all over the country.
About the Survey
The NSSE consists of a series of questions designed to measure student engagement in their educational process. The survey questions are divided into a handful categories, which include:
Academic Challenge: used for measuring the extent to which students are challenged academically through coursework and assignments.
Learning with Peers: used for measuring the extent to which students engage in collaborative learning activities with their peers.
Experiences with Faculty: used for measuring the extent to which students interact with and learn from faculty members.
Campus Environment: used for measuring the extent to which students feel connected to their campus community and resources.
Civic Engagement: used for measuring the extent to which students engage in activities that contribute to their communities and society.
Diversity and Global Learning: used for measuring the extent to which students are exposed to diverse perspectives and engage in activities that promote global awareness.
Educational and Personal Growth: used for measuring the extent to which students develop skills and competencies that prepare them for success in their future careers.
Advisor Relationships: used for measuring the extent to which students receive guidance and support from their academic advisors.
Student Support: used for measuring the extent to which students take advantage of support services such as tutoring and counseling.
Technology Use: used for measuring the extent to which students use technology to enhance their learning experience.
Target Population
The NSSE survey is administered to undergraduate students at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. The survey is designed in a way that makes it easy to capture data from a representative sample of students at each institution.
The results are then used to identify areas where institutions can improve student engagement and academic success.
NSSE Findings and Trends
NSSE findings in recent years have shed light on a number of important trends and issues in higher education. Below is an outline of some of the most important:
Experiential Learning
One of the major trends identified by NSSE is the increasing emphasis on experiential learning, that is learning activities wherein students aren’t just taking in blocks of information passively without putting them to use.
Students show that students who engage in experiential learning programs such as internships, study abroad programs, and community service are more likely to report higher levels of engagement and satisfaction with their college experience.
Active & Collaborative Learning
Another trend identified by NSSE is the importance of effective teaching practices, such as active and collaborative learning, and the use of feedback and reflection to enhance student learning.
NSSE data has shown that students who report engaging in these types of practices are more likely to report higher levels of academic success and overall satisfaction with their college experience.
Student-Faculty Interactions
NSSE data has also shed light on the importance of student-faculty interactions, such as discussing course topics outside of class and seeking academic advice from faculty members. NSSE findings have consistently shown that students who report having positive and frequent interactions with faculty members are more likely to report higher levels of engagement, satisfaction, and academic success.
Others
Other important information obtained from the survey in recent years include the increasing importance of diversity and inclusion on college campuses, the need for colleges to provide effective support for student mental health, and the importance of student engagement in co-curricular activities and campus events.
Conclusion
In a few decades of existence, the National Survey of Student Engagement has proven itself to be a valuable tool for colleges and institutions looking to improve their student engagement levels and identify areas for improvement. Despite some limitations, the survey has consistently shown that student engagement is critical for academic success and persistence to graduation.
Thanks to its obvious value, more and more institutions are getting to realize how important it is for them to participate in the NSSE and use its data to improve their educational experience.
By leveraging this information, and prioritizing student engagement activities and practices, institutions can ensure that their students are receiving a high-quality education that prepares them for success in their careers and beyond.
