(NSSE)
The National
Survey
of Student Engagement was administered during the second semester of
the
2007-2008 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 NSSE results from Houghton College first-year students (N=
190) and seniors (N= 142) from over 100 other Carnegie
Peers such as Barnard, Beloit, Colgate, Franklin & Marshall, Grove
City, Juniata, Russell Sage, Ursinus, etc. (N= FY 26,631 and SR
24,941).
This report also compares
2008 NSSE results from Houghton College with NSSE results from 10
selected peer colleges: Abiline Christian, Allegheny, Bethel (MN),
Elmira, Gettysburg, Grove City, Hamilton, Hope, Judson, and Taylor
(N=FY 2,742 and SR 2,758).
Note: The number
in
( ) after each question indicates the number of possible answers.
Level of Academic
Challenge
|
Question
|
Class
|
Houghton
|
Carnegie
Class |
Houghton -
Carnegie |
Selected Peers | Houghton - Peers |
| Preparing
for
your class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other
activities
related to your academic program) (8) |
First-year
Senior |
4.97
5=16-20 hours per week |
4.46 |
+.14
+.51 |
4.50 |
-.01
+.47 |
| Number of
assigned
textbooks, books or book-length packets of course reading (5) |
First-year
Senior |
3.78 |
3.50 |
-.01
+.28
|
3.49 |
-.01
+.29
|
| Number of
written
papers or reports of 20 pages or more (5) |
First-year
Senior |
1.20
1.65 | 1.26
1.75 |
-.06
-.10 | 1.24
1.70 |
-.04
-.05 |
| Number of
written
papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages (5) |
First-year Senior |
2.86 |
2.82 |
+.04
+.04 |
2.50
2.81 |
+.05
+.05 |
| Number of
written
papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages (5) |
First-year Senior |
3.43 |
3.11 |
+.04
+.32 |
3.33
3.37 |
-.02
+.06 |
| Analyzing
the
basic element of an idea, experience or theory (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.26 |
3.37 |
-.24
-.11 |
3.21
3.28 |
-.08
-.02 |
| Synthesizing
and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more
complex
interpretations and relationships (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.12 |
3.22 |
-.15
-.10 |
3.12 |
-.08
.00 |
| Making
judgments
about the value of information arguments, or methods (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.06 |
3.11 |
-.12
-.05 |
3.02 |
-.01
+.04 |
| Applying
theories
or concepts to practical problems or in new situations (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.11 |
3.11 |
-.15
.00
|
3.21 |
-.23
-.10 |
| Spending
significant
amounts of time studying and on academic work (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.50 |
3.29 |
+.03
+.21 |
3.32 |
-.01
+.18 |
| Worked
harder
than you thought you could to meet an instructor's standards or
expectations
(4) |
First-year Senior |
2.68 |
2.75 |
-.07
-.07 |
2.66 |
-.02
+.02 |
Active and Collaborative
Learning
| Question | Class | Houghton | Carnegie Class |
Houghton -
Carnegie |
Selected Peers | Houghton - Peers |
| Asked
questions
in class or contributed to class discussions (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.12
| 3.04
3.29 |
-.22
-.17 |
3.14 |
-.07
-.02 |
| Made a
class
presentation (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.70
|
2.31
2.83 |
-.22
-.13 |
2.83 |
-.26
-.13 |
| Worked
with
other students on projects during class (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.25
2.22 | 2.37
2.39 |
-.12
-.17 |
2.26 |
-.07
-.04 |
| Worked
with
classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments (4) |
First-year
Senior |
2.58 |
2.70 |
-.17
-.12 |
2.84 |
+.01
-.26 |
| Tutored
or
taught other students (paid or voluntary) (4) |
First-year
Senior |
2.26 |
2.02 |
-.07
+.24 |
2.07 |
+.12
+.19 |
| Participated
in a community-based project as part of a regular course (4) |
First-year
Senior |
1.90 |
1.79 |
+.31
+.11
|
1.90 |
+.06
.00 |
| Discussed
ideas
from your readings or classes with others outside of class (students,
family
members, coworkers, etc. (4) |
Senior |
3.06
|
2.95 |
-.02
+.11
|
2.89 |
+.01
+.17 |
Student Interactions with
Faculty
Members
| Question | Class | Houghton | Carnegie Class |
Houghton -
Carnegie |
Selected Peers | Houghton - Peers |
| Discussed
grades
or assignments with an instructor (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.90
| 2.72
2.86 |
-.16
+.04 |
2.76 |
-.07
+.14 |
| Talked
about
career plans with a faculty member or advisor (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.27
2.83 |
2.65 |
+.04
+.18 |
2.66 |
-.03
+.17 |
| Discussed
ideas
from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class (4) |
First-year Senior |
1.88
2.30 | 2.08
2.33 |
-.20
-.03 |
2.24 |
-.10
+.06 |
| Worked
with
faculty members on activities other than coursework (committees,
orientation,
student life activities, etc. (4) |
First-year
Senior |
2.22 |
2.09 |
+.02
+.13 |
2.13 |
+.03
+.09 |
| Received
prompt
feedback from faculty on your academic performance (written or oral) (4) |
First-year
Senior |
2.74 |
2.97 |
-.17
-.23 |
2.92 |
-.12
-.18 |
| 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 |
.17 |
.29 |
+.01
-.12 |
.28 |
+.02
-.11 |
Enriching Educational
Experiences
| Question | Class | Houghton | Carnegie Class |
Houghton -
Carnegie |
Selected Peers | Houghton - Peers |
| Participating
in co-curricular activities (organizations, campus publications,
student
government, social fraternity/sorority, intercollegiate/intramural
sports,
etc.) (8) |
First-year
Senior |
2.51 |
2.67 |
-.14
-.16 |
2.85 |
-.24
-.34 |
| Plan to
do,
or have done, practicum, internship, field experience, co-op
experience,
or clinical assignment ( 0 = no, 1 = yes) |
First-year
Senior |
.57 |
.64 |
-.06
-.07 |
.70 |
-.04
-.13 |
| Plan to
do,
or have done, community service or volunteer work ( 0 = no, 1 = yes) |
First-year
Senior |
.77 |
.68 |
+.24
+.09 |
.81 |
+.05
-.04 |
| Plan to
take,
or have taken, foreign language coursework ( 0 = no, 1 = yes) |
First-year
Senior |
.79 |
.61 |
+.07
+.18 |
.56 |
+.11
+.23 |
| Plan to
do,
or done, an independent study or declared a self-designated major
( 0 = no, 1 = yes) |
First-year
Senior |
.30 |
.30 |
-.01
.00 |
.23 |
.00
+.07 |
| Plan to
have,
or have had, a culminating senior experience (comprehensive exam, capstone course, thesis, project, etc.) ( 0 = no, 1 = yes) |
First-year
Senior |
.74 |
.52 |
-.01
+.22 |
.54 |
-.01
+.20 |
| Had
serious
conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your
own
(4) |
First-year Senior |
2.31
2.32 | 2.74
2.73 | -.43
-.41 |
2.46 |
-.22
-.14 |
| 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 |
2.38
2.51 |
2.87
2.85 | -.49
-.34 |
2.63 |
-.33
-.12 |
| Used an
electronic
medium (list-serv, chat group, internet, etc.) to discuss or complete
assignment
(4) |
First-year Senior |
2.32
2.67 | 2.56
2.71 | -.24
-.04 |
2.71 |
-.33
-.04 |
| Emphasize:
Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and
racial or ethnic backgrounds (4) |
First-year
Senior |
2.56 |
2.61 |
-.08
-.05 |
2.48 |
+.02
+.08 |
Supportive Campus
Environment
| Question | Class | Houghton | Carnegie Class |
Houghton -
Carnegie |
Selected Peers | Houghton - Peers |
| Emphasize:
Providing the support you need to help you succeed academically (4) |
First-year Senior |
3.17
| 3.26
3.16 |
-.07
+.01 |
3.18 |
-.10
-.01 |
| Emphasize:
Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities (work, family,
etc.) (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.46
| 2.38
2.11 |
+.16
+.35 |
2.18 |
+.10
+.28 |
| Emphasize:
Providing the support you need to thrive socially (4) |
First-year Senior |
2.71
2.42 | 2.50
2.31 |
+.21
+.11 |
2.46 |
.00
-.04 |
| Quality:
Relationships
with other students (7) |
First-year
Senior |
5.90 |
5.64 |
+.35
+.26 |
5.83 |
+.10
+.07 |
| Quality:
Relationships
with faculty members (7) |
First-year
Senior |
6.05 |
5.75 |
+.07
+.30 |
5.83 |
+.01
+.22 |
| Quality:
Relationships
with administrative personnel and offices (7) |
First-year
Senior |
5.03 4.77 |
4.62 |
+.19
+.15 |
4.68 |
+.08
+.09 |