The National
Survey of Student Engagement
(NSSE)
Updated August, 2006
The National
Survey of Student Engagement was administered during the second semester
of the 2004-2005 academic year to Houghton College first-year students
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 first-year students (N=168) and seniors
(N=137) with first-year students (N=16,296) and seniors (N=13,467) from 105 other Baccalaureate I colleges
such as Barnard, Beloit, Colgate, Franklin & Marshall, Grove City,
Juniata, Russell Sage, Ursinus, etc. (N= FY 18,384 and SR 14,816).
Note: The number in
( ) after each question indicates the number of possible answers.
* difference is considered
statistically 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)
|
First-year
Senior
|
4.84
4.20
4=16-20 hours
per week
|
4.54
4.54
|
|
Number of assigned
textbooks, books or book-length packets of course reading (5)
|
First-year
Senior
|
3.57
3.42
|
3.73
3.63
|
-.16
*-.21
|
Number of written
papers or reports of 20 pages or more (5)
|
First-year
Senior
|
1.15
1.68
| 1.24
1.76
|
|
Number of written
papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages (5)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.67
2.84
|
2.60
2.94
|
.07
-.10
|
Number of written
papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages (5)
|
First-year
Senior
|
3.21
3.25
|
3.36
3.22
|
|
Analyzing the
basic element of an idea, experience or theory (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
3.14
3.24
|
3.24
3.39
|
-.10
-.15
|
Synthesizing
and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more
complex interpretations and relationships (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.93
3.04
|
3.02
3.23
|
|
Making judgments
about the value of information arguments, or methods (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.82
2.86
|
2.95
3.08
|
-.13
*-.22
|
Applying theories
or concepts to practical problems or in new situations (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.92
3.18
|
3.09
3.27
|
-.17
-.09
|
Spending significant
amounts of time studying and on academic work (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
3.50
3.40
|
3.28
3.31
|
*.22
.09
|
Worked harder
than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or
expectations (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.59
2.48
|
2.63
2.74
|
-.04
* -.26
|
Active and Collaborative Learning
| Question
|
Class
|
Houghton
|
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference
|
Asked questions
in class or contributed to class discussions (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.76
3.18
| 3.02
3.30
|
|
Made a class
presentation (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.12
2.77
|
2.28
2.88
|
-.16
-.11
|
Worked with
other students on projects during class (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.16
2.12
| 2.28
2.34
|
|
Worked with
classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.70
2.77
|
2.58
2.82
|
.12
-.05
|
Tutored or
taught other students (paid or voluntary) (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
1.74
2.15
|
1.74
2.12
|
|
Participated
in a community-based project as part of a regular course (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
1.90
1.85
|
1.58
1.81
|
*.32
.03
|
Discussed ideas
from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students,
family members, coworkers, etc. (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.89
3.14
|
2.84
3.00
|
|
Student Interactions with Faculty
Members
| Question
|
Class
|
Houghton
|
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference
|
Discussed grades
or assignments with an instructor (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.47
2.85
| 2.66
2.90
|
|
Talked about
career plans with a faculty member or advisor (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.16
2.76
| 2.18
2.77
|
-.02
-.01
|
Discussed ideas
from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class
(4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
1.78
2.31
| 2.00
2.39
|
|
Worked with
faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees,
orientation, student life activities, etc. (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
1.61
2.24
|
1.72
2.22
|
-.11
.02
|
Received prompt
feedback from faculty on your academic performance (written or
oral) (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.58
2.72
|
2.78
2.98
|
|
Worked or planned
to work with a faculty member on a research project outside of course
or program requirements ( 0 = no, 1 = yes
|
First-year
Senior
|
.02
.24
|
.04
.33
|
|
Enriching Educational Experiences
| Question
|
Class
|
Houghton
|
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference
|
Participating
in co-curricular activities (organizations, campus publications,
student government, social fraternity/sorority, intercollegiate/intramural
sports, etc.) (8)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.33
2.54
|
2.80
2.92
|
*-.47
*-.38
|
Plan to do,
or have done, practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience,
or clinical assignment
( 0 = no, 1 = yes)
|
First-year
Senior
|
.04
.66
|
.07
.70
|
-.03
-.04
|
Plan to do,
or have done, community service or volunteer work
( 0 = no, 1
= yes)
|
First-year
Senior
|
.62
.85
|
.45
.77
|
.17
.08
|
Plan to take,
or have taken, foreign language coursework
( 0 = no, 1
= yes)
|
First-year
Senior
|
.43
.85
|
.42
.70
|
.01
.15
|
Plan to do,
or done, an independent study or declared a self-designated major
( 0 = no, 1
= yes)
|
First-year
Senior
|
.00
.36
|
.02
.34
|
-.02
.02
|
Plan to have,
or have had, a culminating senior experience
(comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis, project, etc.)
( 0 = no, 1
= yes)
|
First-year
Senior
|
.00
.69
|
.01
.59
|
|
Had serious
conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than
your own (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.35
2.50
| 2.65
2.69
|
|
Had serious
conversations with students who are very different from you in
terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal
values (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.66
2.66
|
2.85
2.89
|
-.19
*-.23
|
Used an electronic
medium (list-serv, chat group, internet, etc.) to discuss or complete
assignment (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.52
2.93
| 2.62
2.79
|
|
Emphasize:
Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial
or ethnic backgrounds (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.61
2.27
|
2.72
2.51
|
|
Supportive Campus Environment
| Question
|
Class
|
Houghton
|
Baccalaureate
I |
Difference
|
Emphasize:
Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
3.20
3.03
| 3.24
3.20
|
|
Emphasize:
Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family, etc.)
(4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.45
2.07
| 2.28
2.08
|
.17
-.01
|
Emphasize:
Providing the support you need to thrive socially (4)
|
First-year
Senior
|
2.53
2.36
| 2.51
2.34
|
|
Quality: Relationships
with other students (7)
|
First-year
Senior
|
6.02
5.74
|
5.69
5.78
|
.33
-.04
|
Quality: Relationships
with faculty members (7)
|
First-year
Senior
|
5.45
6.01
|
5.61
5.87
|
-.16
.14
|
Quality: Relationships
with administrative personnel and offices (7)
|
First-year
Senior
|
4.84
4.13
|
|
|