Measuring Student Engagement

Posted on by zakrzewskit

Academic student engagement is often cited as one of the most influential factors in student achievement. Measured by a set of observable behaviors, student engagement is a complex multilevel concept that is poorly defined and even less understood. Credit hour policy and time on task are often used to assess student engagement in individual courses but do not fully represent either depth or breadth of the issue. (Arum & Roksa, 2011; Flynn, 2014)

measuring

So, how can we accurately assess and improve student engagement?

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a more comprehensive tool commonly used by higher education institutions to assess student engagement. (Price & baker, 2012) And, while it does include considerations for time spent on tasks, the tool is organized around 4 themes – Academic Challenge, Learning with Peers, Experiences with Faculty and Campus Environment. (http://nsse.indiana.edu) Each of the themes includes a number of Engagement Indicators, such as:

  • Higher-Order Learning
  • Reflective & Integrative Learning
  • Learning Strategies
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Discussions with Diverse Others
  • Student-Faculty Interaction
  • Effective Teaching Practices
  • Quality of Interactions
  • Supportive Environment

For more information on NSSE, visit http://nsse.indiana.edu/html/about.cfm

For more information on how to incorporate NSSE Engagement Indicators into teaching practices at Wentworth, please contact us at LIT@WIT.EDU

References:

Arum, R., & Roksa, J. (2011). Limited learning on college campuses. Society, 48(3), 203-207.

Flynn, D. (2014). Baccalaureate Attainment of College Students at 4-Year Institutions as a Function of Student Engagement Behaviors: Social and Academic Student Engagement Behaviors Matter. Research in Higher Education, 55(5), 467-493.

Price, K., & Baker, S. N. (2012). Measuring Students’ Engagement on College Campuses: Is the NSSE an Appropriate Measure of Adult Students’ Engagement?. The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 60(1), 20-32.

Snyder, T, & Dillow S., (2011). Digest of education statistics 2010 (NCES 2011-015). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Educational Sciences, US Department of Education.