Reassessing disparities in online learner student engagement in higher education
Paulsen, J., & McCormick, A. C.

Independent colleges and student engagement: Descriptive analysis by institutional type
Gonyea, R. M., & Kinzie, J.
Critics of traditional, residential, liberal arts colleges and universities contend that this form of higher education is outmoded, too costly, and no longer educationally relevant for 21st century students. Economies of scale, large classes taught by contingent faculty members and graduate students, and increasing reliance on technology and online learning, so the argument goes, are the only cost-effective means of meeting the educational challenges of the future. This report, prepared for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), draws on the most current NSSE data, from 2013 and 2014, that include more than 540,000 first-year and senior students enrolled at more than 900 four-year colleges and universities. Findings are presented with comparisons across four institutional types: (1) baccalaureate and master‘s level private institutions (CIC‘s predominant membership profile), (2) baccalaureate and master‘s level public institutions, (3) doctoral private institutions, and (4) doctoral public institutions. Included in the analysis are measures from the updated NSSE that includes ten new Engagement Indicators, six High-Impact Practices, the Perceived Gains scale, and a Satisfaction scale. Findings from this study affirm the effectiveness of independent colleges and universities for undergraduate student learning. Students at private institutions are more likely to be engaged in educationally effective experiences than their peers at public institutions. Areas of distinction in the private institution undergraduate experience include a more academically challenging education, better relations with faculty members, more substantial interactions with others on campus, and the consistent perception that students have learned and grown more, in comparison with public institutions.
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Faculty Use of Collaborative Learning and Approaches to Learning: Examining Social Aspects of Online Learning
Hiller, Stephen; Nelson Laird, Thomas
This large-scale study expands knowledge of online teaching by comparing faculty practices around collaborative learning and deep approaches to learning in online and in-person courses. Findings indicate that online faculty emphasize deep approaches more than in-person, but use collaborative learning less. Implications for faculty and researchers are discussed.

High School Disrupted: First-Year Expectations of 2020 High School Graduates
Cole, J. S., & Kinzie, J.
The COVID pandemic left no part of education untouched. Spring 2020 was clearly a dramatic shift for high schools, teachers, and students. With little online learning experience, this is the first entering class with increased responsibility for directing their own learning. This session highlights survey findings from thousands of 2020 high school graduates entering college. The study examines their high school learning experiences, college expectations and preparedness, as well as their feeling prepared to taking future online courses. The presenters will facilitate discussion among the participants about what we have collectively learned and how this can inform future plans.

Measuring quality in online education: A NSSE–QM collaboration
Sarraf, S., Kinzie, J., & Burch, B.
The purpose of this discussion is to explore the extent to which the actual experiences of learners in online courses align with standards for quality online courses as reflected in the Quality Matters Rubric. QM has a dearth of cross-institutional data. NSSE helped! The question set was administered via the standard NSSE administration in spring 2018 to about 6,000 first-year and senior undergraduate students from 21 four-year colleges and universities (non-profit, publics and privates, some QM members) who responded about their online learning experiences in “entirely online courses” for that term.

Highlighting NSSE 2021: New Offerings in a Year Like No Other
Alexander C. McCormick, Jillian Kinzie and Jennifer Brooks
Recording