NSSE data confirm high level of student engagement at IC
According to recent research, ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ students are more widely engaged in hands-on, high-impact learning activities — including student-faculty research, internships and service-learning — than their counterparts at other colleges.
Earlier this month, data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), conducted by Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research, were released. The story behind the data, for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½faculty and staff, is that strategic initiatives meant to increase student engagement are working.
These results provide compelling evidence that ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ is actively engaging students in learning that prepares them for success in 21st-century careers. NSSE data show our students are having transformative learning experiences starting in their first year and continuing through graduation. ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½students are being empowered to apply classroom knowledge to professional situations and they have the guidance and support of faculty-mentors each step of the way. These are crucial elements of learning and student success.
Active learning experiences are proven by decades of research to have a strong connection to student learning and retention, and in cultivating the traits that today’s employers value: the abilities to read, write and speak effectively and the power to apply these skills in a professional setting.
First-year students at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ report high levels of learning engagement overall: 80 percent report participating in at least one instance of active learning, compared to 61 percent of students who report having these experiences at other private colleges in the Midwest.
Twenty-two percent more of IC’s first-year students participate in community-based projects in classes and 19 percent more report working closely with faculty-mentors as compared to first-year students at comparison group institutions.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ seniors describe an even higher level of engagement over their college careers, with 100 percent participating in at least one high-impact learning activity. This result is better than those for the Midwest comparison group (at 90 percent) and higher than results of a comparison group comprised of arts- and science-focused colleges throughout the nation (at 96 percent).
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½seniors also describe a 35 percent higher rate of participation in a life-defining educational experience in their senior year than students in the Midwest group and 26 percent more, comparatively, report participating in classes with a service-learning or volunteer component.
Seniors at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½also say they are experiencing greater faculty mentorship sustained throughout their college career, compared to students at other colleges, with 17 percent more students at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½reporting working with faculty outside of the classroom to plan their future careers.
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ seniors rated their perceived gains in knowledge, skills and personal development as higher than their peers at other colleges in several categories, including: the abilities to speak and write clearly and effectively and the capacity to understand and work with people of different backgrounds.
NSSE surveys are a nationally respected standard used to measure student engagement at colleges and universities throughout the country. The independent survey is conducted at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½every three years and serves as a widely trusted source of information for incoming students making their college decision. Results are also useful internally for colleges in evaluating their effectiveness.The powerful educational experiences measured by NSSE require a considerable commitment of time and effort by both faculty and students, often working collaboratively in diverse groups.
The Midwest data comparison group is comprised of surveyed private colleges similar to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½throughout Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. In 2017, 382,530 first-year and senior respondents from 636 institutions participated in the NSSE survey nationwide.