1. The Heart of Student Success
Student Engagement:
The Heart of Student Success
Anne Marie Karlberg
Trish Onion
Kim Struiksma
April 6, 2011
Board of Trustees Meeting

2. Why is student engagement important?
National research demonstrates that actively engaged students are more likely to…
learn
persist
attain academic goals
National Issues

3. How can we measure student engagement?
National Issues
How can we measure student engagement?
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
Important metric for…
assessing the quality of educational practices
identifying ways to help more students succeed

4. Why is student success important?
College completion – national agenda:
Shift from emphasis on access.
Open door = revolving door.
Completion must also represent real learning:
developing thinking and reasoning abilities
increasing content knowledge
developing high level skills needed for citizenship and work
National Issues

5. What are the core challenges that community colleges face in preparing students for success?
Community colleges often function as “emergency rooms” for entering students.
Faculty
are trained in their disciplines
few are prepared for the reality of today’s students (the ways they learn and the cognitive and affective challenges they bring with them through the open door)
National Issues

6. What are the characteristics of community college students?
National Issues
What are the characteristics of community college students?
widely differing goals
range of academic preparation
limited time
Students have widely differing goals and a range of academic preparation.
Most community college students share one attribute – limited time.

7. What is the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)?
National Issues
CCSSE
What is the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)?
established in 2001
defines student engagement as the amount of time and energy students invest in meaningful educational practices
used by colleges across the US and Canada to promote institutional improvements centered on student learning and persistence
The Community College Survey of Student Engagement or CCSSE was established in 2001 by the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin.
It defines student engagement as the amount of time and energy students invest in meaningful educational practices.
CCSSE is used by community colleges in North America to promote improvement focused on student learning and persistence.

8. Assessment National Issues CCSSE Level Type of data College Program
Course
Direct indicators (learning outcomes)
Core learning abilities
Program learning outcomes
Course learning outcomes
Indirect indicators (surveys)
CCSSE
Exit surveys
Course evaluations
Institutional data (numbers and rates)
Enrollment data (HC, FTE)
Graduation rates
Course completion rates
We are going to step back for just a minute.
Some of you might recognize this grid from the assessment website.
There are 3 types of data that are used to evaluate student learning…
1. Direct indicators of student learning require students to demonstrate their learning through, for example, essays, capstone projects, demonstrations, and presentations.
2. Indirect indicators ask students to reflect on their learning thru for example surveys, focus groups, and interviews (so these are students perceptions of their learning).
3. Institutional data such as retention and graduation rates, do not necessarily indicate student learning but do reflect the overall condition and effectiveness of the college.
Colleges need to collect this data at the college, program, and course levels in order to have a complete assessment and institutional research program.
CCSSE is an indirect indicator at the college level.

9. Who participates in CCSSE?
National Issues
CCSSE
Who participates in CCSSE?
In the cohort year, 658 community colleges participated – including 20 in Washington State.
WCC conducted CCSSE in winter 2010 in 39 credit courses.
658 community colleges – including 20 from WA state – participated in CCSSE from
Whatcom conducted CCSSE in winter 2010 in 39 credit courses.

10. What are benchmarks? based on sound educational research
National Issues
CCSSE
What are benchmarks?
based on sound educational research
group conceptually related survey items that address key areas of student engagement
computed and standardized across all participating colleges – thus producing comparative data.
CCSSE has identified 5 benchmarks, based on sound educational research, that group related items addressing key areas of student engagement.
Benchmark scores are computed and standardized across all participating colleges– thus producing comparative data.

11. What do benchmarks measure? Active and collaborative learning
National Issues
CCSSE
What do benchmarks measure?
Active and collaborative learning
2. Student effort
Academic challenge
Student-faculty interaction
Support for learners
The 5 benchmarks measure…
1. Active and collaborative learning
2. Student effort
3. Academic challenge
4. Student-faculty interaction
5. Support for learners

12. How does WCC compare to other colleges in the 5 benchmarks?
National Issues
CCSSE

13. 1. Active and Collaborative Learning
National Issues
CCSSE
1. Active and Collaborative Learning
…assesses how often students are given the opportunity to participate in collaborative problem solving.
Findings
no significant differences
WCC’s overall benchmark score is higher than 60% of all institutions.
Survey questions for this area focused on how often students were asked to give class presentations, discuss readings, or participate in community-based projects.
As measured by statistical significance
Who participated in the CCSSE between 2008 and 2010

14. National Issues
CCSSE
2. Student Effort
…assesses the college’s ability to foster and encourage student effort or self-motivation.
Findings
WCC students spend more time…
working on research papers
reading for personal enjoyment
preparing for class
WCC students spend less time using college skill labs (writing, math, etc.)
WCC’s overall benchmark score for this area is higher than 70% of all institutions.
Survey questions for this area focused on student perceptions of their own effort (e.g., how many hours per week did they spend reading on their own or preparing for class, how often did they seek tutoring assistance, etc.).
* Spend = statistically significant
* Than students at other community colleges who participated in the CCSSE between 2008 and 2010.

15. National Issues
CCSSE
3. Academic Challenge
…assesses the college’s ability to provide challenging, intellectual, and creative learning opportunities for students.
Findings
WCC students spend more time…
analyzing basic elements of ideas and experiences
writing papers and reports
WCC’s overall benchmark score for this area is higher than 80% of all institutions.
Ten survey items address the nature and amount of assigned academic work, the complexity of cognitive tasks presented to students, and the standards faculty members use to evaluate student performance
* This was our highest benchmark area

16. 4. Student Faculty Interaction
National Issues
CCSSE
4. Student Faculty Interaction
…assesses the frequency and quality of student-faculty interactions.
Findings
WCC students more frequently receive prompt feedback from their instructors.
WCC’s overall benchmark score for this area is higher than 70% of all institutions.
Survey questions include such topics as how often students , discuss grades or assignments, talk about career plans, or discuss readings or class assignments with their instructors.

17. National Issues
CCSSE
5. Support for Learners
…assesses the extent to which the college provides services and programs that cultivates student success.
Findings
WCC students spend more time utilizing academic advising services.
WCC students have less career and job placement support.
WCC’s overall benchmark score for this area is higher than 50% of total institutions.
Focus: Providing positive working and social relationships between different student groups.
Questions include how much does the college provide the support that students need to succeed, encourage contact among different student groups, help students cope with non-academic responsibilities, and provide financial support.
* This was our lowest benchmark area

18. What are WCC’s strengths?
National Issues
CCSSE
What are WCC’s strengths?
providing intellectually challenging learning opportunities
cultivating high quality faculty interactions that foster academic excellence
providing academic advising and transfer planning assistance
providing an overall high quality educational experience
NOTE: not all questions are factored into benchmark scores.
Intellectual challenge: working on papers and projects that require integration of multiple sources, analyzing the basic elements of ideas and experiences
Last question: overall – q 27 on the survey reads, “How would you evaluate your entire educational experience at this college?”

19. What can WCC do to promote student success and engagement?
Implement strategies and processes that effectively foster student success in the classroom:
raise expectations
promote active, engaged learning
emphasize deep learning
build and encourage relationships
ensure that students know where they stand
National Issues
CCSSE
Strategies

20. Develop a culture of evidence to define what we know about students:
Integrate student support into learning experiences and encourage students to use…
Learning Center
Career Center and Student Life
Develop a culture of evidence to define what we know about students:
understand their needs
help them address barriers to their success
build relationships that help them stay in college and succeed.
Expand professional development opportunities for faculty and staff that is focused on engaging students.
National Issues
CCSSE
Strategies

21. ?
National Issues
CCSSE
Strategies
Questions