Student Engagement and Cultures of Self-Discovery Dr. Debra Dawson The University of Western Ontario London, Ontario Canada
Outline What is student engagement? NSSE benchmarks What were some of the key results? Setting direction with the strategic plan Teaching methods that support engagement Challenges to implementation
What is student engagement? Students sustained involvement, intense effort and concentration in learning activities Students use of of cognitive and meta- cognitive strategies that lead to deep learning Institutions learning opportunities and services that induce students to take part in such activities Mighty ( 2006)
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) Designed to obtain information about student participation in programs and activities that foster deep learning In 2004 Western and several other Canadian universities participated in NSSE for the first time. http://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm
NSSE Benchmarks of Effective Practice Level of academic challenge Active and collaborative learning Students interactions with academic staff Enriching educational experiences Supportive campus environments
Level of Academic Challenge Challenging intellectual and creative work High expectations for student performance
100 Level of Academic Challenge Western Compared to Consortiums 80 First-Year Students Senior Students 60 40 20 50.6 52.6 52.1 53.6 53.5 55.6 55.5 57.6 0 Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S. Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S.
Active and Collaborative Learning Active where students learn by doing, by hands-on experimentation or where they get the opportunity to think through to a realization Collaborative Where students work in teams or groups towards a common goal
100 Active and Collaborative Learning Western Compared to Consortiums 80 First-Year Students Senior Students 60 40 20 32.5 34.3 38.9 42.3 40.3 40.6 47.4 51.4 0 Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S. Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S.
Enriching Educational Experiences Opportunity to integrate and apply knowledge Experience diversity Participate in internships, field placements, undergraduate research projects, servicelearning Senior capstone experience
Enriching Educational Experiences Western Compared to Consortiums 100 First-Year Students Senior Students 80 60 40 20 24.8 25.7 26.6 26.7 32.1 35.1 39.3 40.9 0 Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S. Western G10 Doc-Ext All U.S.
Have you, or do you plan to, participated in a practicum, internship, field experience, or clinical assignment 100% First-Year Students (% responding done ) Senior Students 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 31% 2% 16% 6% Humanities Sciences Humanities Sciences
Have you, or do you plan to, study abroad (% responding done ) 100% First-Year Students Senior Students 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2% 3% 10% 5% Humanities Sciences Humanities Sciences
Why might our students be weak in these areas?
Barriers to Engagement Focus on teacher-centered learning particularly the lecture Students NOT attending 40% of the time Large increase in undergraduate students has lead to increase in large class teaching
Setting Direction with the Strategic Plan MISSION: Enhancing the best student experience among Canada s research intensive universities through a culture of selfdiscovery and student engagement that acknowledges the learning process within and beyond the classroom. Enriching the Graduate Student Experience Building the Research University
Enhancing the Undergraduate Student Experience Student engagement in the learning process Ongoing program review: innovative learning strategies Undergraduate involvement with research
A Planning Process Designed to Promote Change Setting priorities and acting on them Fostering interdisciplinary opportunities Resources reflect academic priorities: funding, space Accountability through outcome measures
Where do we go from here? Learning is based on discovery guided by mentoring rather than the transmission of information.» John Dewey
Inquiry-based Learning A self-directed, question-driven search for understanding
Research Results Positive links to retention, and student overall academic standing Improved scholastic engagement (increased engagement with faculty) Stronger interest in collaborative learning Students learn NB library skills http://www.mcmaster.ca/cll/inquiry/wha ts.unique.about.inquiry.htm
Undergraduate Research Projects Inquiry-based learning often lead to students performing research both inside and outside the university Focus in inquiry-based learning on interdisciplinary approaches and teamwork leads to student engagement Example: Trent Centre for Community-Based Education (http://www.trentu.ca/academic/tccbe/)
Community Service-Learning Form of experiential learning Designed to foster civic responsibility, address community needs, and enhance student learning Reflection following community service relates classroom content to S-L experience
Service-Learning Initiatives Alternative Spring Break Western Heads East Curricular Service-Learning www.servicelearning.uwo.ca
Internationalization Student exchanges and study-abroad Academic staff exchanges and international post graduate students Development of International curriculum and research http://international.uwo.ca/
Drawing it all together The Capstone Course Major project that uses the research and communication skills learned in the previous courses Boyer Commission on Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for America s Research Universities
Challenges Focus in research-intensive universities is not always on teaching how do we make sure these changes to student engagement occur? How do we manage change in pedagogies from teacher-centered to student-centered?
References Boyer, E.L. (1990). Scholarship reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. Princeton, NJ: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Learning. Chickering, A. W. & Gamson, Z. F.(1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education, American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, pp. 3-7. Kuh, G. (2003). What we re learning about student engagement from NSSE. Change March/ April, 24-32 Mighty, J.(2006).From admission to graduation:opportunities and strategies for student engagement. Paper presented at Fall Perspectives on Learning, UWO, London, Canada National Study on Student Engagement(NSSE). http://nsse.iub.edu/index.cfm. Last retrieved on March 4, 2007. Steffes, J.S.( 2004). Creating powerful learning environments beyond the classroom. Change, 36(3), 46-50.