National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) at Grinnell College

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), developed with support from Pew Charitable Trusts, was created to assess students’ level of engagement in various aspects of college life. The survey aims to provide information for a better understanding of how students spend their time, what they gain from their college experiences, and how programs and activities (both inside and outside the classroom) shape learning and development.

The NSSE survey is built around five key clusters of activities that research studies show are linked to successful college outcomes:

1. Level of academic challenge
2. Active and collaborative learning
3. Student-faculty interaction
4. Enriching educational experiences
5. Supportive campus environment

In the spring of 2008, Grinnell College administered the NSSE survey to first-year and senior students. Grinnell was one of 769 four-year colleges and institutions that participated in the survey. Fifty-nine percent of Grinnell students responded to the survey. The NSSE organization processed the data and created five institution-level indicators or benchmarks. Each benchmark is expressed on a 100-point scale and is a composite indicator that reflects sets of questions that ask about behaviors, interactions, and time spent on tasks (like studying, meeting with faculty, activities, etc.) that are associated with effective educational practices.

The spring 2008 NSSE Administration marks the second time Grinnell has participated in NSSE. Grinnell previously administered NSSE in spring 2005.

In 2008, Grinnell College students' responses placed the Level of Academic Challenge benchmark (averge score) above the average student score at institutions in the top 10% nationally. For first-year students, Grinnell's mean scores were higher than the average score for students attending schools that scored in the top 10% nationally for the Enriching Educational Experiences and Supportive Campus Environment benchmarks.

In 2005, Grinnell College students' responses placed the Level of Academic Challenge benchmark (averge score) above the average student score at institutions in the top 10% nationally. For first-year students, Grinnell College scored above the top 50% comparison for Enriching Educational Experiences and Supportive Campus Environment. For senior students, Grinnell College scored above the top 50% comparison for Student-Faculty Interaction and Enriching Educational Experiences.

As compared to students at other liberal arts institutions, Grinnell students reported that they more frequently read books for enjoyment or academic enrichment; attended music, art, and theater events; tried to better understand someone else’s view; learned something that changed the way they understood concepts; and examined the strengths and weaknesses of their own views. First-year students reported spending significantly less time memorizing facts than peers at other institutions and spending more time analyzing and making judgments about arguments and information. These findings emphasize key aspects of a Grinnell education.

Below is an image that recaps Grinnell's scores, expressing the benchmark scores as a percent of the national mean and providing a statistical comparison to the national results.

Context

Readers should keep in mind several important points about the nature of this information. First, the NSSE results are not direct measures of learning. The measures concern elements of effective educational practice, which are associated with learning but are indirect, proxy indicators. Readers will want to be cautious about over-interpreting small numerical differences. These data may not be precise enough to make fine, meaningful distinctions. Bear in mind that this is a survey. At Grinnell, we had a wonderful student response rate -- 59% in 2008 and 71% in 2005. Nationally the average response rate for all institutions is around 35%. Depending on the situation, low response rates may curtail a school’s ability generalize the results.

In the spring of 2005, Grinnell College was a partner with NSSE in a project called Connecting the Dots. NSSE researchers visited Grinnell College to conduct cognitive interviews and focus groups. Part of this research was aimed at understanding how students interpret questions on the NSSE survey. NSSE is a very good, highly-researched survey instrument -- but it is not without a few caveats.

For example, some of the survey terminology was less familiar to Grinnell students. Survey phrases like “service learning” are more frequently framed in terms of “social justice” at Grinnell and students did not as readily identify with the NSSE wording. “Learning community” is a less familiar term to Grinnell students. There was some confusion about how Grinnell’s Mentored Advanced Project (MAP) program fit with NSSE’s questions about student research projects.

NSSE’s Connecting the Dots and psychometric reports provide additional detail for interested readers. Grinnell is finding value in the NSSE survey, but we keep these limitations in mind.

Uses

Grinnell College uses NSSE results to help monitor our strategic planning process. NSSE benchmark scores are among the indicators used to help track our progress on the plan. For example, the Expanding Knowledge Initiative was one result of our recent Strategic Plan. The EKI called for more interdisciplinary course offerings, a second-year student retreat, the appointment of Interdisciplinary Fellows from among the College faculty, and several new faculty positions. While maintaining Grinnell's strong performance on the Level of Academic Challenge dimension of NSSE, we might also expect to see even stronger results in parts of the survey that address Active & Collaborative Learning and Enriching Educational Experiences.

NSSE results have also been incorporated into faculty development workshops. For example, a 2007 summer workshop, International Students and Global Understanding, resulted in specific proposals for enhancing global understanding through in-class and out-of-class interactions among international and domestic students.

The College has planned a three-year survey cycle for NSSE. We will gather input from first-year students and will follow-up with them when they are seniors. Grinnell first administered NSSE in the spring of 2005, and we administered it again in the spring of 2008. Our next NSSE administration will be in the spring of 2011.

Grinnell administered the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement in the spring of 2008. FSSE is aligned with the NSSE survey. In this way, we can compare student perceptions with faculty perceptions and provide better opportunities to integrate the dialogues. Grinnell also piloted the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) in the fall of 2007.

For additional information please contact Carlie VanWilligen, Associate Director of Institutional Research, 641-269-4307, vanwilli @ grinnell.edu.

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Look at what Grinnell students are saying about their Grinnell Experience.