Frequently Asked Questions: Parents
How can I get information about schools that I or my child is interested in attending?
How can prospective college students and their parents use the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in the college search process?
What's different about NSSE versus other traditional resource or reputation rankings?
What types of questions about the undergraduate experience should we be asking admissions personnel and other representatives from the colleges and universities we're considering?
How can I get information about schools that I or my child is interested in attending?
Individual schools may provide their NSSE results if asked. In fact, many institutions have posted key findings from their students' responses to the survey on their institutional Web sites. To learn more about a specific institution's NSSE results, we encourage you to visit their Web site or to contact the admissions office of the school directly.
Please note that our agreements with schools that participate in NSSE prevent us from reporting the results for individual colleges and universities, but we hope that broader NSSE findings can help you consider what research shows about the characteristics of a quality undergraduate education, so that you can approach schools of interest with questions that will better prepare students and parents to make a decision.
How can prospective college students and their parents use the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) in the college search process?
The National
Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) can be helpful in several
ways. For example, in the fall of each year NSSE prepares
a National Report. This document summarizes the major findings
from student surveys about their experiences and the factors
that are important to high levels of engagement, which is
a good predictor of learning. Reviewing the National Reports
can give one a better understanding of the activities that
should be a part of the undergraduate experience.
You can
interpret the results of the survey as standards for comparing
how effectively colleges are contributing to learning. Five
benchmarks are measured: 1) level of academic challenge; 2)
active and collaborative learning; 3) student-faculty interaction;
4) enriching educational experiences; and 5) supportive campus
environment.
What's different about NSSE versus other traditional resource or reputation rankings?
"BestCollege" rankings are typically based almost exclusively on
an institution's resources and reputation. Unfortunately,
the rankings say little about the student experience. NSSE
data focus on what is far more important to student learning
- how students actually use institutional resources for learning
and how they feel about the quality of their educational experience.
This is a much different and more accurate way to think about
what to expect from a college than what rankings represent.
In fact, the NSSE project has determined that a school's academic
reputation, as judged by others, says very little about the
extent that active learning, student-faculty interaction,
and a supportive environment characterize a campus.
What types of questions about the undergraduate experience should we be asking admissions personnel and other representatives from the colleges and universities we're considering?
According to Russ Edgerton, a national leader in education and the director
of the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, "Students and parents
should be asking colleges the kinds of questions NSSE asks.
How much do students study and how rigorous are their assignments?
How much writing is expected? How often do students interact
with their teachers in meaningful ways?"
Following
Edgerton's recommendation, you would do well to ask questions
about the extent to which students typically engage in the
educational practices reflected by the five NSSE benchmarks.
We've listed a few questions below as illustrations.
1.
Level of academic challenge
Challenging
intellectual and creative work is central to student learning
and collegiate quality. Components of academic challenge
include the nature and amount of assigned academic work,
complexity of cognitive tasks presented to students, and
standards faculty members use to evaluate student performance.
Sample
Questions:
How
much reading and writing do students do?
In
the first year?
In required general education courses?
In the major field in which you are interested?
What
is the nature of assignments in various courses and majors?
Is
memorization emphasized? Or higher order, complex cognitive
skills?
How
much time do students spend preparing for class?
In
the first year?
In the major field in which you are interested?
What
does the campus do to encourage students to spend significant
amounts of time studying and on academic work?
What do faculty
and staff do to challenge and support students so they work
to their potential?
2.
Active and collaborative learning
Students
learn more when they are intensely involved in their education
and have opportunities to think about and apply what they
are learning in different settings. And, when students collaborate
with others in solving problems or mastering difficult material
they acquire valuable skills that prepare them to deal with
the messy, unscripted problems they will encounter daily during
and after college.
Sample
Questions:
In
what percentage of courses do students work in teams to complete
assignments, solve problems, or apply course content?
How
many courses require students to engage in service learning
or take part in community-based projects?
In
the first year or in general education courses?
In the major field in which you are interested?
How do students work with other students on projects during
class?
Is an internship
required to graduate? What about for the major field in which
you're interested? 3.
Student-faculty interaction
In general,
the more contact students have with their teachers the better.
Working with a professor on a research project or serving
with faculty members on a college committee or community organization
lets students see first-hand how experts identify and solve
practical problems. Through such interactions teachers become
role models, mentors, and guides for continuous, life-long
learning.
Sample
Questions:
How
often do students meet with faculty members outside of class?
To
work on committees?
To meet in faculty homes or offices?
What
does the institution do to promote such contacts?
Do
campus committees require a certain number of students participate?
How many students collaborate on research with faculty members?
In
the first year?
In the senior year?
In the major field in which you are interested?
4.
Enriching educational experiences
Educationally
effective colleges and universities offer a variety of learning
opportunities inside and outside the classroom that compliment
the goals of the academic program. One of the most important
is exposure to diversity, from which students learn valuable
things about themselves and gain an appreciation for other
cultures. Technology is increasingly being used to facilitate
the learning process and -- when done appropriately -- can
increase collaboration between peers and instructors, which
actively engages students in their learning. Other valuable
educational experiences include internships, community service,
and senior capstone courses that provide students with opportunities
to synthesize, integrate, and apply their knowledge. As a
result, learning is deeper, more meaningful, and ultimately
more useful because what students know becomes a part of who
they are.
Sample
Questions:
What
percentage of students participate in internships, study abroad,
and community service?
In
the first year?
The senior year?
In your major field
What
programs and activities does the institution provide to insure
that students from different backgrounds meet and work together?
In
the first year?
In the senior year?
In your major?
5.
Supportive campus environment
Students
perform better and are more satisfied at colleges that are
committed to their success and cultivate positive working
and social relations among different groups on campus.
Sample
Questions:
What
does this institution do to assure that students get the academic
and social support they need to succeed and thrive?
What is
the nature of student relations with administrative personnel
and offices?
Is
it cooperative?
Or do students complain about the bureaucratic "runaround"
when they have problems to solve?
Student
engagement is an understandable, meaningful way of thinking
and talking about collegiate quality. We hope that this information
about NSSE is helpful to you in your college search process.
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