The National
Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE)
Updated November, 2001
The National Survey
of Student Engagement was administered during the second semester of the
2000-2001 academic year to randomly picked freshmen and seniors.
The questions asked students
how and where they spent their time, the nature and quality of their interactions
with faculty members and peers, and what they gained from their classes.
The following report compares
data from Houghton College freshmen (N=230) and seniors (N=126) with freshmen
(N=6.903) and seniors (N=6,527) from sixty-three other Baccalaureate I colleges
(such as Beloit, Bucknell, Colgate, Franklin & Marshall, Gordon, Juniata,
St. Lawrence Ursinus, etc.).
Note: The number in
( ) after each question indicates the number of possible answers.
* difference => 20
is considered meaningful
Level of Academic Challenge
| Question |
Class |
Houghton |
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference |
| Preparing for
your class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other activities
related to your academic program) (8) |
Freshman
Senior
|
5.05
5.40
4=16-20 hours
per week
|
4.68
4.64
|
|
| Number of assigned
testbooks, books, or book-length packets of course reading (5) |
Freshman
Senior
|
3.55
3.62
|
3.87
3.71
|
|
| Number of written
papers or reports of 20 pages or more (5) |
Freshman
Senior
|
1.11
1.54
|
1.20
1.78
|
|
Active and Collaborative Learning
| Question |
Class |
Houghton |
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference |
| Made a class
presentation (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.04
2.70
|
2.22
2.83
|
|
| Worked with
other students on projects during class (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.29
2.26
|
2.33
2.38
|
|
| Tutored or
taught other students (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
1.69
2.21
|
1.70
1.97
|
|
| Participated
in a community-based project as a part of a regular course (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
1.23
1.38
|
1.43
1.62
|
|
Student Interactions with Faculty
Members
| Question |
Class |
Houghton |
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference |
| Discussed grades
or assignments with an instructor (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.36
2.72
|
2.69
2.92
|
|
| Talked about
career plans with a faculty member or advisor (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.03
2.79
|
2.19
2.70
|
|
| Received prompt
feedback from faculty on your academic performance (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.58
2.64
|
2.82
2.98
|
|
| Wrked with
faculty members on activities other than coursework(committees, orietation,
student life activities, etc) (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
1.22
1.54
|
1.26
1.53
|
|
Enriching Educational Experiences
| Question |
Class |
Houghton |
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference |
| Participating
in co-curricular activities (organizations, publications, student government,
sports, etc.) (8) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.27
2.62
|
2.71
2.64
|
|
| Had serious
conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own
(4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.55
2.62
|
2.81
2.74
|
|
| Campus environment
encourages contact among students from different economic, social, and racial
or ethnic backgrounds (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.61
2.44
|
2.65
2.41
|
|
| Used an electronic
medium (e-mail, list-serve, chat group, etc.) to discuss or complete an
assignment (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.72
2.76
|
2.62
2.71
|
|
Supportive Campus Environment
| Question |
Class |
Houghton |
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference |
| Campus environment
emphasizes providing the support you need to help you succeed academically
(4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
3.19
3.04
|
3.20
3.11
|
|
| Campus environment
emphasizes helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work,
family, etc.) (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.36
2.30
|
2.22
2.05
|
|
| Campus environment
emphasizes providing the support you need to thrive socially (4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
2.59
2.50
|
2.45
2.25
|
|
| Quality of
relationships with other students (7) |
Freshman
Senior
|
6.04
6.24
|
5.79
5.79
|
|
| Quality of
relationships with faculty members (7) |
Freshman
Senior
|
5.66
5.99
|
5.76
5.92
|
|
| Quality of
relationships with administrative personnel and offices (7) |
Freshman
Senior
|
5.20
4.83
|
5.14
4.80
|
|
| If you could
start over again, would you go to the same institution you are now attending
(4) |
Freshman
Senior
|
3.50
3.52
|
3.25
3.25
|
|