NSSE is pleased to announce that the NSSE Major Field Report 2023—an interactive Tableau-based display—is now available to participating institutions through the Institution Interface. Look for the "NSSE Major Field Report (Tableau)" link in the Data & Reports table.
A video tutorial on the new tool is linked from the Start page.
The Major Field Report (MFR) affords nuanced examination of NSSE results by up to 10 customizable groups of related majors. Student engagement varies more within institutions than between them, and the academic major is an important lens through which to examine results.
As in the past, the MFR provides two approaches to examining institutional results in the context of major-field groups: within-institution, wherein results for user-defined groups of related majors can be examined side-by-side; and between-institution, wherein results for students in each group can be examined relative to those same majors at a customizable group of comparison institutions.
Until 2020, this report was formatted in Microsoft Excel. The transition to Tableau offers a few valuable new capabilities (many of which were previously only available through fee-based custom analyses with associated wait times):
- The composition of up to 10 major-field groups can be modified as often as desired, with immediate turnaround.
- Results can be filtered by student background variables, affording nuanced investigation of the experience of subpopulations within major-field groups.
- In addition to Engagement Indicators and participation in High-Impact Practices, the MFR includes results for Sense of Belonging, Perceived Gains, academic challenge items, and estimates of time spent on selected activities. It also includes a summary page that displays all NSSE items and scales.
The transition to Tableau also means we had to forgo certain features:
- Comparison groups are formed by filtering on institutional characteristics, not by selecting or excluding specific institutions.
- While the new tool provides comparative information, it does not provide detailed statistical comparisons (significance and effect sizes).
The MFR also includes a facility to share the tool with others at institutions. Just select the share icon (an arrow extending out from a box) next to the Major Field Report link on the Interface.
For more information and a chance to ask questions about the report, please join NSSE director of research and analysis Bob Gonyea for a free webinar on Wednesday, April 17, at 2:00 p.m. Register at this link.