1. Pam Arroway Allison BrckaLorenz Kevin Guidry
National Survey of Student Engagement Technology Initiatives Community Update
Program presented at the 2011 EDUCAUSE Annual Conference
October 2011
Pam Arroway
Allison BrckaLorenz
Kevin Guidry

2. Agenda What is NSSE? Writing survey questions
What would you like to ask?
Our draft of questions
Discussion of questions

3. NSSE
A snapshot of student experiences inside and outside of the classroom at four-year colleges and universities
Focus on behaviors (and some perceptions)
Survey items represent good practices related to desirable college outcomes
Focuses on indirect, process measure of student learning and development

4. NSSE 2.0 Time for an update! First pilot administration complete
New content areas
Revised items
New reports
First pilot administration complete
First potential modules piloting in 2012
New version debuts in 2013

5. NSSE Timeline August - October 2011: EDUCAUSE and NSSE draft questions
March - May 2012: NSSE pilots new technology questions, analyzes data
June 2012: Technology questions finalized
Spring 2013: Technology module available with NSSE 2.0

6. Good Survey Questions Students are able to respond
Recent experience, answer is known
Meaning is clear, unambiguous, and singular
Short, easy to read, easy to answer
Simple, basic language, commonly understood terms
Response options provide all possible options
Even “not applicable”

7. Good Survey Questions Students are willing to respond
Not threatening or embarrassing
Relevant or interesting to their personal experiences—they care
No desire to provide socially desirable answers

8. Typical NSSE Questions
NSSE questions typically emphasize
Engagement, behaviors, experiences
Ratings of supportiveness of the campus
Self-reported gains
Extra item sets are usually twenty items or less and are structured similarly to regular NSSE items

9. What would you like to ask?
If you could ask all first-year and senior students at your institution and about others technology-related topics, what would you ask?

10. Current Draft Current draft covers several domains:
Contribution to learning
Use in learning
Communication
Preferences
Proficiency

11. Contribution to learning
To what extent do the use of innovative technology by instructors help you learn?
To what extent does your instructors’ effective use of technology impact your academic success?
To what extent is technology seamlessly integrated into your courses?
Very much, Quite a bit, Some, Very little

12. Contribution to learning
How much have your studies improved your understanding and use of technology?
How much has your use of technology improved your understanding of your studies?
Very much, Quite a bit, Some, Very little

13. Use in Learning
How often did you use advanced technology to demonstrate your understanding of ideas and information (animation, simulation, visualization, etc.)?
Very often, Often, Sometimes, Never
How much of the technology you use in your studies is directly provided and supported by your institution?
All, Most, Some, None

14. Use in Learning
To what extent did you use technology to learn, study, or complete coursework on your own?
To what extent did you use technology to learn, study, or complete coursework with other students?
To what extent did your instructors require extensive use of technology for coursework?
Very much, Quite a bit, Some, Very little

15. Communication
How well did you use technology to connect and communicate with your instructors?
How well did you use technology to connect and communicate with non-instructional staff at your institution?
How well did you use technology to connect and communicate with your fellow students?
Very well, Well, Somewhat well, Poorly

16. Communication
How well did your instructors use technology to connect and communicate with you?
How well did non-instructional staff at your institution use technology to connect and communicate with you?
How well did your fellow students use technology to connect and communicate with you?
Very well, Well, Somewhat well, Poorly

17. To what extent do your instructors use technology frequently enough?
Preferences
How important  to you is it that your instructors use innovative technology?
Very important, Quite important, Somewhat important, Unimportant
To what extent do your instructors use technology frequently enough?
Very much, Quite a bit, Some, Very little

18. How proficient are you with technology used in your studies?
Proficiency
How proficient are you with technology used in your studies?
How proficient are your instructors with technology used in your studies?
Very proficient, Proficient, Somewhat Proficient, Unproficient

19. Questions and Comments
Allison BrckaLorenz – Kevin Guidry – For a copy of this presentation, go to: