Bringing the Institution into Focus. Annual Results 2014
Author: Indiana University, National Survey of Student Engagement
Date: 2014-00-00
Type: Numerical/Quantitative Data
Subjects: College Freshmen,Learner Engagement,National Surveys,College Seniors,Student Surveys,Educational Quality,Undergraduate Study,Institutional Characteristics,Student Characteristics,Selective Admission,College Faculty,Majors (Students),Academic Advising,Information Literacy,Social Media,Grades (Scholastic),Sleep,Educational Improvement,School Culture,Foreign Countries,Disadvantaged Youth,Teacher Student Relationship,Enrollment,Thinking Skills,Minority Group Students,White Students,College Readiness,Transfer Students,Teaching Methods,Cooperative Learning,Reflection,Integrated Activities,Study Habits,Faculty Development

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development. In this edition, NSSE shifts the focus of their analyses to the institution (a focus that has always existed in the &quot;Using NSSE Data&quot; section highlighting how selected colleges and universities make use of their NSSE results). As shown herein, the average student's experience can vary considerably from one institution to the next, even among institutions of comparable size or selectivity. NSSE's findings challenge the conventional wisdom that certain characteristics of colleges and universities assure a high-quality educational experience. In addition to examining overall differences in engagement between institutions, NSSE documents the existence of outliers--institutions where student populations at risk for lower levels of engagement are in fact as engaged as their more advantaged counterparts. Such &quot;existence proofs&quot; demonstrate that an institution's performance need not be limited by the students it serves. Based on the findings, the key may well be distinctive institutional cultures that focus attention and energy on maximizing the conditions for student success. In addition to the institution-level analysis, this year's report continues NSSE's exploration of results from their new topical modules, including further analyses of academic advising as well as findings from a new module on students' experiences with information literacy. The reporting of survey results concludes with new findings from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) and the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE), offering fresh insights into how effective educational practice and effective teaching and learning can be promoted. The Using NSSE Data section of this year's report provides several real-world examples of how colleges and universities are putting findings from the updated NSSE survey to good use. A list of references and resources is included. [For &quot;A Fresh Look at Student Engagement. Annual Results 2013,&quot; see ED544450.]