Engagement insights: Survey findings on the quality of undergraduate education--Annual results 2018
National Survey of Student Engagement
This year‘s Annual Results examines how colleges and universities are preparing students for work and careers. Our analyses investigated the importance of educational context—with special attention to major—in shaping students‘ development of workplace-relevant skills such as working with others and solving real-world problems, as well as basic skills valued by employers such as critical thinking and effective writing and speaking. We also asked a subset of respondents a set of targeted questions about their career goals and their use of career planning resources and related activities. Finally, we used results from NSSE‘s Topical Module on First-Year Experiences and Senior Transitions to study seniors planning to take less-traveled paths after college.
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How writing contributes to learning: New findings from a national study and their local application
Anderson, P., Anson, C. M., Fish, T., Gonyea, R. M., Marshall, M., Menefee-Libey, W., Paine, C., Palucki Blake, L., & Weaver, S.
This article summarizes findings from NSSE Consortium for the Study of Writing in College by which three writing constructs were derived – Interactive Writing Processes, Meaning-Making Writing Tasks, and Clear Writing Expectations. Authors describe how to use the constructs to create better writing assignments, and provide examples from three institutions in their application.
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Assessment in student affairs (2nd ed.)
Schuh, J. H., Biddix, P., Dean, L. A., & Kinzie, J.

The contributions of writing to learning and development: Results from a large-scale multi-institutional study
Anderson, P., Anson, C. M., Gonyea, R. M., & Paine, C.
Conducted through a collaboration between the Council of Writing Program Administrators(CWPA) and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), this study identified and tested new variables for examining writing‘s relationship to learning and development. Eighty CWPA members helped to establish a consensus model of 27 effective writing practices. Eighty US baccalaureate institutions appended questions to the NSSE instrument based on these 27 practices, yielding responses from 29,634 first-year students and 41,802 seniors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) identified three constructs: Interactive Writing Processes, Meaning-Making Writing Tasks, and Clear Writing Expectations. Regression analyses indicated that the constructs were positively associated with two sets of established constructs in the regular NSSE instrument--Deep Approaches to Learning (Higher-Order Learning, Integrative Learning, and Reflective Learning)and Perceived Gains in Learning and Development as defined by the institution‘s contributions to growth in Practical Competence, Personal and Social Development, and General Education Learning--with effect sizes that were consistently greater than those for the number of pages written. These were net results after controlling for institutional and student characteristics, as well as other factors that might contribute to enhanced learning. The study adds three empirically established constructs to research on writing and learning. It extends the positive impact of writing beyond learning course material to include Personal and Social Development. Although correlational, it can provide guidance to instructors, institutions, accreditors, and other stakeholders because of the nature of the questions associated with the effective writing constructs.
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Using National Survey of Student Engagement data and methods to assess teaching in first-year composition and writing across the curriculum
Paine, C., Anson, C., Gonyea, R. M., & Anderson, P.

Lessons from the field—Volume 2: Moving from data to action
National Survey of Student Engagement
In this publication we highlight approaches different types of institutions have taken to improve the undergraduate experience. Because NSSE focuses on student behavior and effective educational practice, colleges and universities have found many productive ways to use survey results: accreditation self-studies, benchmarking, curricular reform, faculty and staff development, grant writing, institutional research, retention, and state system comparisons. The stories about data use illustrate various ways that assessment can be a worthwhile undertaking when meaningful data are generated and discussed with a wide campus audience, and results are used to inform efforts to improve educational effectiveness. Understanding how colleges and universities use results and achieve improvements in undergraduate education is important. to advancing systemic improvement in higher education. The examples in this volume provide ample inspiration for encouraging institutions to move from collecting data to taking action.
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STEM/non-STEM differences in engagement at U.S. institutions
Nelson Laird, T. F., McCormick, A. C., Sullivan, D. F., & Zimmerman, C. K.

Developing transferable skills for the public good
Kirnbauer, T.; BrckaLorenz, A.
Transferable skills are crucial for undergraduates to be prepared to enter the workforce after college. Previous research has shown how effective educational approaches enhance student learning. There is, however, limited research that understands how the emphasis on transferable skills relates to the value of deep approaches to student learning. This paper analyzes how faculty emphasis of transferable skills, through analytical writing and problem-solving, is related to deep approaches to learning in higher education. Data come from a large-scale, multi-institutional study that surveys faculty at four-year institutions. Findings indicate that the intentional development of transferable skills has a positive relationship with emphases on deep approaches to learning. The study reinforces the importance of collaboration between multiple stakeholders to foster student learning.

Institutional satisfaction and the development of transferable skills
Miller, A., & Fosnacht, K.
Transferable skills, such as problem solving and analytical writing, play an important role in students‘ appeal to prospective employers. This study explores whether senior students‘ development of these transferable skills were related to their perceptions of satisfaction with their higher education institutions. Using data from the NSSE 2012 administration, regression analyses suggest that problem solving skills were a significant positive predictor of institutional satisfaction, even when controlling for other demographic and institutional characteristics. Analytical writing skills were also a significant positive predictor of institutional satisfaction.

Complex Identities: Writing and Using Identity Demographic Questions
BrckaLorenz, Allison
Examining educational quality and student or staff experiences within an institution means we must look at subgroups in the data we collect. Some defining characteristics of the respondent experience can be relatively easy to capture in a survey question, but others, particularly questions about identity, can be a challenge. Often the goals of good survey practice contrast with the variable and complex nature of identity. This session will first focus on how to balance the competing needs of creating clear, concise, and easily answerable questions on aspects of identity that are sensitive, complex, and not easily defined. We will also examine strategies for using and sharing the data and results gathered from complex identity questions. We will look at a variety of examples and scenarios, and participants should prepare to share and discuss their specific population challenges as well as any advice for working with complex identity demographics.

Complex Identities: Writing and Using Identity Demographic Questions
BrckaLorenz, Allison
Examining educational quality and student or staff experiences within an institution means we must look at subgroups in the data we collect. Some defining characteristics of the respondent experience can be relatively easy to capture in a survey question, but others, particularly questions about identity, can be a challenge. Often the goals of good survey practice contrast with the variable and complex nature of identity. This session will first focus on how to balance the competing needs of creating clear, concise, and easily answerable questions on aspects of identity that are sensitive, complex, and not easily defined. We will also examine strategies for using and sharing the data and results gathered from complex identity questions. We will look at a variety of examples and scenarios, and participants should prepare to share and discuss their specific population challenges as well as any advice for working with complex identity demographics.

Assessing small populations: Recognizing everyone counts in your counts
BrckaLorenz, A., & Hurtado, S.
Quantitative and survey research depends heavily on large sample sizes, but a focus on the “average student” in quantitative analyses often hides diverse voices. Participants in this session will discuss common issues and solutions associated with giving voice to small populations of college students (e.g., gender variant, multiracial, LGBQ+). Participants will discuss administration issues related to small populations such as increasing response rates, identifying special subpopulations, and writing more inclusive survey questions. Tips for disaggregating, responsibly aggregating, and choosing inclusive comparative information will be provided. Additionally, participants will discuss strategies for analyzing and communicating about the results from small populations as well as approaches for communicating about the validity and data quality from small sample sizes.

Gender identity and sexual orientation: Survey challenges and lessons learned
BrckaLorenz, A., Clark, J., & Hurtado, S.
Research shows there are differences in the college experience for students from underrepresented backgrounds, including non-heterosexual and gender variant students. This is due in part to experiences of discrimination and negative campus climate for these students. Participants in this session will learn about and discuss the assessment of and conversations about gender identity and sexual orientation on other campuses, and the challenges and potential solutions for writing more inclusive survey questions about complex identities. Challenges and potential strategies for surveying, disseminating results, and talking about difficult or sensitive topics on college campuses will also be discussed. Finally, participants will learn about the engagement, perceptions of campus support, and satisfaction, of students with varying gender identities and sexual orientations from a longitudinal, large-scale, multi-institution survey of students at four-year colleges and universities.

College students' experiences with writing: What do we know, and how are institutions applying local findings?
Kinzie, J., Gonyea, R. M., McCormick, A., Paine, C., & Blake, L. P.
AAC&U‘s Essential Learning Outcomes and the Degree Qualifications Profile identify writing as a key outcome. Virtually all colleges and universities aim to develop proficient writers. Recent evidence suggests that experiences critical to developing writing competence correspond to broader benefits in student learning. And “Writing Across the Curriculum” initiatives make clear that the responsibility to develop this important competency is shared across departments. Consistent with AAC&U‘s emphasis on enhancing institutional structures and practices to support student success, many institutions monitor students‘ exposure to and participation in effective educational practices through the use of student surveys such as the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). To enable deeper examination of specific practices and experiences, in 2013 NSSE began offering a menu of topical modules to complement the core survey‘s breadth of focus. Results from topical modules provide a fresh opportunity to “drill down” on educational quality and make targeted improvements in teaching and learning. One of the new modules investigates students‘ experiences with writing. Whereas the core survey focuses on the number of assigned papers of various lengths, the writing module probes a range of activities and experiences promoted by those who teach composition—interactive writing processes, meaning-making tasks, and clarity of instructor expectations for writing assignments. This research-informed panel presentation session (1) highlights recent findings from NSSE‘s Experiences with Writing module, including how these experiences vary across subpopulations and major fields, and (2) provides examples of how institutions are making productive use of their results. NSSE researchers report on large-scale findings, and two panelists share what they have learned and how they are using results to guide improvement.

Are our writing assignments effective?
Cogswell, C.A., Howe, E.C., & Gonyea, R.M.
As evidenced by their steadily growing investment in writing-across-the-curriculum programs, institutions recognize how writing can increase student engagement and learning. This session explores how faculty members use writing assignments in their teaching and how this compares across academic disciplines and by faculty characteristics. Special sets of questions appended to the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) point to ways faculty members can design effective writing tasks. Participants will discuss how interactive writing processes, meaning-constructing writing tasks, and clear expectations increase students‘ likelihood to engage in deep approach to learn. Implications for faculty and academic leaders will be presented.

Faculty use of writing assignments: Exploring classroom teaching practices
Cole, E. R., Gonyea, R. M., & Ahonen, C.
As evidenced by their steadily growing investment in writing-across-the-curriculum programs, institutions recognize how writing can increase student engagement and learning. This session explores how faculty members use writing assignments in their teaching and how this compares across academic disciplines and institutional characteristics. Special sets of questions appended to both the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) and the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) point to ways faculty members can design effective writing tasks. Participants will discuss how interactive writing processes, meaning-constructing writing tasks, and clear expectations improve students‘ success in learning. Implications for faculty developers are also presented.

Key Individual Questions Related to Academic Challenge
In A fresh look at student engagement—Annual results 2013
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Higher-Order Learning
In A fresh look at student engagement—Annual results 2013
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Reflective & Integrative Learning
In A fresh look at student engagement—Annual results 2013
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STEM Students and Teaching and Learning Technologies
In Assessment for improvement: Tracking student engagement over time—Annual results 2009
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Promising Findings
In Promoting engagement for all students: The imperative to look within—2008 results
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Student Writing
In Promoting engagement for all students: The imperative to look within—2008 results
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Promising/Disappointing Findings
In Experiences that matter: Enhancing student learning and success—Annual report 2007
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Level of Academic Challenge
In Improving the college experience: National benchmarks of effective educational practice—NSSE 2001 report
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Using results from the Consortium for the Study of Writing in College
Jillian Kinzie and Bob Gonyea
Recording