2017 Drexel University Conference on Teaching and Learning Assessment Presentation

September 5, 2017

Join NSSE Associate Director Jillian Kinzie at Drexel University's Conference on Teaching and Learning Assessment for a discussion on NSSE data use in assessment processes at over fifty colleges and universities. Read the abstract, below, and add this session to your conference schedule here. Thursday, September 14; 11:15-12:15 p.m.  "Acting on Data: Lessons about the Use of Student Engagement Results to Improve Student Learning" The […]

Students Are Learning to Write, But Are They Writing to Learn?

Samantha Silberstein
September 5, 2017

For the first post in our series of interviews with Center for Postsecondary Research (CPR) leaders, CPR graduate assistant Samantha Silberstein tracks down the origins of the NSSE Experiences with Writing Topical Module in her conversation with Bob Gonyea and Chuck Paine.

You Are Invited to Join a Special NSSE Research Study: How Do Living Environments Impact Engagement and Persistence? Help Us Find Out.

Bob Gonyea
August 28, 2017

NSSE has been awarded the inaugural sponsored research grant from the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) to support a three-year study evaluating how students' living environments, on- and off-campus, influence their engagement and persistence. The study will combine data from NSSE, the nation's largest survey of undergraduate experiences, the ACUHO-I Campus Housing Index, and the National Student Clearinghouse, to create a comprehensive […]

Evolving Identities: Survey Changes over Time

Allison BrckaLorenz and Jana Clark
August 21, 2017

In a recent session at the Association of Institutional Research (AIR), research analyst Allison BrckaLorenz and project associate Jana Clark presented on the evolution of survey items about two aspects of students' identities: sexual orientation and gender identity. After discussing the many complications that can arise in writing such questions (e.g., cultural differences, changing terminology), they discussed the idea of "best practices" for writing identity […]

Score: Student-Athlete Experiences with Quantitative Reasoning

Amy Ribera, Lydia Bell, and Bob Gonyea
August 14, 2017

Student-athletes interact with numbers on a daily basis as a way to track their athletic development, preparation for competition, and overall performance. Yet, does this real-life experience with quantitative information translate to the other parts of their academic life? Findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement suggest that it just might. In 2016, we collected survey […]

Using Demographic Data to Look Within

Allison BrckaLorenz, Bridget Yuhas, and Sarah Hurtado
August 7, 2017

Recently, Allison BrckaLorenz, FSSE Project Manager and Research Analyst; Bridget Yuhas, FSSE Project Associate; and Sarah Hurtado, NSSE Institute Project Associate, presented a webinar on how FSSE demographic data can be used in campus-level research. It first discussed the importance of looking within user institutions to research faculty practices and examine faculty perceptions of the student experience. Next, it provided an overview of the FSSE […]

Differences in Biracial Student Engagement: Update

Allison BrckaLorenz and Jessica Harris
July 31, 2017

Very little is known about the engagement of students from mixed racial heritage (students whose parents are of two or more different races or ethnic backgrounds). Previous research indicates that mixed-race students experience their race differently than their monoracial peers and that race has a significant impact on college student experiences. Therefore, in a recently-published article in the Journal […]

We Belong Together: HIPs and First-Year Students

Angie Miller
July 24, 2017

A recently published study used NSSE data to explore how first-year student participation in high-impact practices (HIPs) contributes to sense of belonging. Data from a subsample of students at 44 institutions suggested two distinct facets of sense of belonging: peer belonging and institutional acceptance. While analyses showed some gaps in belonging for traditionally disadvantaged populations, overall results indicated positive associations between sense […]

Three Ways to Analyze Write-in Responses to Update Survey Items

Bridget Yuhas, Allison BrckaLorenz, and John Zilvinskis
July 10, 2017

At the most recent Association for Institutional Researchers (AIR) conference in Washington, D.C., Center for Postsecondary Research analyst Allison BrckaLorenz and project associates Bridget Yuhas and John Zilvinskis presented a program on analyzing write-in survey responses to improve response options. In a session targeted towards IR professionals seeking guidance on how to approach write-in analysis, the team examined […]

Are Faculty Surveys Biased?

Angie Miller and Amber Dumford
July 3, 2017

A recently presented paper at the American Educational Research Association used Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) data to investigate the impact of social desirability bias on faculty survey responses.  Social desirability bias, or the tendency for survey respondents to provide answers that cast them in a favorable manner, has long been a concern for surveys of sensitive or […]