The National Survey of Student Engagement
Loyola University New Orleans Results
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) project involved 276 participating four-year colleges and universities comprising 151,910 first-year and senior students who were randomly selected from electronic data files provided by the participating institutions. Sampling procedures called for an equal number of first-year and senior students with standard sample size (n=223 for the majority of colleges and universities) determined by the number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution. The NSSE Survey included over 60 student background, engagement, and satisfaction questions. The premise underlying the results suggests that those institutions that more fully engage their students in a variety of activities that contribute to valued outcomes of college experiences can claim to be of higher quality in comparison with similar types of colleges and universities. The project was co-sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum for Undergraduate Learning and supported by a grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The research was conducted by Indiana University Center for Post Secondary Research and Planning.
The information displayed on the following pages highlights only Loyola’s statistically significant results from the Spring 2000 administration of the NSSE. All of the items selected indicate a significant difference (*p<0.001) between Loyola’s student response means for either freshmen or seniors or both as compared to students across the nation. Overall, this list of items represents very positive educational experiences of Loyola Students as compared to students at other institutions across the nation.
Interpretation of Results:
In interpreting the results please refer to the fourth item and the last item on the list. The fourth item reads as follows: "Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class." Loyola’s first-year students indicated that they had such discussions with faculty significantly more often (p<0.001 with an effect size of .36) than their counterparts at Masters I & II Institutions. Seniors, however, reported having such discussions significantly more often than their counterparts when compared with the results of both Masters I & II Institutions and the entire NSSE Sample (p<0.001 with effect sizes of .44 and .40, respectively).
The last item is a measurement of overall satisfaction. The degree of overall satisfaction expressed by Loyola Seniors in their response to the question, "If you could start over again would you go to the same institution" was significantly stronger when compared to both comparison groups (p<0.001 with effect sizes of .43 and .38, respectively).
With the exception of two items, which identify areas deserving discussion or future study (i.e., "made a class presentation" and "came to class unprepared"), the remaining items all suggest relatively positive educational experiences of Loyola Students as compared to students at other institutions across the nation. Student responses to the other items in the survey (not shown here) are not significantly differentiated from their counterparts at other institutions. A full set of results is available upon request from the Office of Institutional Research.
Results of the NSSE
|
Academic, Intellectual, and Social Experiences: (1 = Never, 2 = Occasionally, 3 = Often, 4 = Very Often) |
Loyola University New Orleans Mean |
Master’s I & II Universities Mean |
All NSSE Institutions Mean |
|
Used e-mail to communicate with an instructor or other students 1st Year Senior |
2.91 3.08 |
2.60 2.67*(.41) |
2.75 2.83 |
|
Made a class presentation 1st Year Senior |
1.90 2.78 |
2.19*(-.36) 2.81 |
2.14 2.76 |
|
Came to class unprepared 1st Year Senior |
1.84 2.08 |
1.66 1.77*(.48) |
1.72 1.84*(.38) |
|
Discussed ideas from your readings or classes with faculty members outside of class 1st Year Senior |
1.97 2.31 |
1.69*(.36) 1.95*(.44) |
1.71 1.98*(.40) |
|
Had serious conversations with other students whose religious beliefs, political opinions or personal values were very different from yours 1st Year Senior |
2.80 2.92 |
2.40*(.40) 2.39*(.56) |
2.51 2.49*(.45) |
|
Had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity than your own 1st Year Senior |
2.90 2.95 |
2.45*(.44) 2.47*(.49) |
2.53*(.37) 2.52*(.44) |
|
Knowledge, Skills and Personal Development: (1 = Very little, 2 = Some, 3 = Quite a bit, 4 = Very much) |
|
|
|
|
Acquiring a broad general education 1st Year Senior |
3.24 3.59 |
3.10*(.40) 3.34 |
3.11*(.39) 3.33 |
|
Thinking critically and analytically 1st Year Senior |
3.20 3.59 |
3.02 3.29*(.38) |
3.05 3.32 |
*P<0.001 (effect size)
|
Opinions About Your School: (1 = Very little, 2 = Some, 3 = Quite a bit, 4 = Very much) |
Loyola University New Orleans Mean |
Master’s I & II Universities Mean
|
All NSSE Institutions Mean
|
|
Providing the support you need to help you succeed 1st Year Senior |
3.07 3.24 |
2.96 2.82*(.47) |
2.99 2.82*(.47) |
|
Encouraging contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds 1st Year Senior |
2.75 2.72 |
2.46 2.29*(.42) |
2.49 2.28*(.44) |
|
Helping you cope with your non-academic responsibilities 1st Year Senior |
2.12 2.23 |
2.09 1.87*(.38) |
2.09 1.87*(.39) |
|
Satisfaction: (1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Good, 4 = Excellent) |
|
|
|
|
How would you evaluate your entire educational experience 1st Year Senior |
3.34 3.45 |
3.10 3.17*(.39) |
3.17 3.21 |
|
Satisfaction: (1 = Definitely no, 2 = Probably no, = Probably yes, 4 = Definitely yes) |
|
|
|
|
If you could start over again would you go to the same institution you are now attending 1st Year Senior |
3.34 3.43 |
3.11 3.07*(.43) |
3.18 3.11*(.38) |
*P<0.001 (effect size)