George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh1616thth ISL Symposium ISL SymposiumDurham, EnglandDurham, England
September 2, 2008September 2, 2008
High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities
What They Are, What They Are, Why They Work, Why They Work,
Who BenefitsWho Benefits
Javier Javier
Sarah Sarah
NicoleNicole
We all want the same thing--an We all want the same thing--an undergraduate experience that undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning results in high levels of learning and personal development for and personal development for all students.all students.
Student Success in CollegeStudent Success in College
Academic achievement, engagement Academic achievement, engagement in educationally purposeful activities, in educationally purposeful activities, satisfaction, acquisition of desired satisfaction, acquisition of desired knowledge, skills and competencies, knowledge, skills and competencies, persistence, attainment of educational persistence, attainment of educational objectives, and post-college objectives, and post-college performanceperformance
OverviewOverview
The U.S. context What the world needs now Student engagement High impact practices: what
they are, why they matter and who benefits
Advance OrganizersAdvance Organizers
To what extent do your students To what extent do your students engage in productive learning engage in productive learning activities, inside activities, inside andand outside the outside the classroom? classroom?
How do you know? How do you know? What could we do differently -- or What could we do differently -- or
better -- to enhance student better -- to enhance student success? success?
The U.S. ContextThe U.S. Context
Unprecedented numbers of Unprecedented numbers of increasingly diverse students increasingly diverse students matriculatingmatriculating
Many underprepared studentsMany underprepared students Rising college costsRising college costs Continuing shift of cost from Continuing shift of cost from
states to studentsstates to students Increasing numbers of part-time Increasing numbers of part-time
instructorsinstructors Worries about collegiate quality, Worries about collegiate quality,
global competitivenessglobal competitiveness
The U.S. ContextThe U.S. Context
National Commission on Future of National Commission on Future of Higher EducationHigher Education
Voluntary System of AccountabilityVoluntary System of Accountability (NASULGC & AASCU)
Voluntary System of AccountabilityVoluntary System of Accountability
College PortraitConsumer informationConsumer informationStudent experiences and Student experiences and
perceptionsperceptionsStudent learning outcomesStudent learning outcomes
TransparencyTransparency
ImprovementImprovement
AccountabilityAccountability
Assessment PurposesAssessment Purposes
Association of American Colleges and Universities
Narrow Learning is Not EnoughNarrow Learning is Not Enough——The Essential Learning OutcomesThe Essential Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of Human Cultures Knowledge of Human Cultures and the and the Physical & Natural WorldPhysical & Natural World
Intellectual and Practical SkillsIntellectual and Practical Skills
Personal and Social ResponsibilityPersonal and Social Responsibility
““Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning
Most Important Skills Employers Look For In New Hires
Teamwork skills
Critical thinking/ reasoning
Oral/written communication
Ability to assemble/organize information
Innovative/thinking creatively
Able to work with numbers/statisticsForeign language
proficiency 3%
9%
20%
21%
30%
33%
44%
RecentGrads*
38%
37%
37%
10%
21%
4%
6%* Skills/abilities recent graduates think are the two most important to employers
Employers On Accountability Challenge – December 2007 – Hart Research forEmployers On Accountability Challenge – December 2007 – Hart Research for
7%
33%
35%
46%
69%
Supervised internship/community-based projectSupervised internship/community-based project83%83%
79%79%
60%60%
56%56%
32%32%
Senior project (e.g., thesis, project)Senior project (e.g., thesis, project)
Essay testsEssay tests
Electronic portfolio & faculty assessmentsElectronic portfolio & faculty assessments
Multiple-choice testsMultiple-choice tests
Evidence of College Graduates Skills/Knowledge
Very effectiveVery effective Fairly effectiveFairly effective
What Really Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement
Because iBecause individual effort and ndividual effort and involvement are the critical involvement are the critical determinants of college impact, determinants of college impact, institutions should focus on the institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to extracurricular offerings to encourage encourage student engagementstudent engagement. .
Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602
Foundations of Student EngagementFoundations of Student Engagement
Time on task Time on task (Tyler, 1930s)(Tyler, 1930s)
Quality of effort Quality of effort (Pace, 1960-70s)(Pace, 1960-70s)
Student involvement Student involvement (Astin, 1984)(Astin, 1984)
Social, academic integration Social, academic integration (Tinto,1987, 1993)(Tinto,1987, 1993)
Good practices in Good practices in undergraduate education undergraduate education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)
College impact College impact (Pascarella, 1985)(Pascarella, 1985)
Student engagement Student engagement (Kuh, 1991, (Kuh, 1991, 2005)2005)
Student Engagement TrinityStudent Engagement Trinity
What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities
What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings
Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities
Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education
(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)
Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students
National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)
Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)
College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development
NSSE Project ScopeNSSE Project Scope
2,000,000+ students from 1,334 2,000,000+ students from 1,334 different schools different schools
80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate 80+% of 4-yr U.S. undergraduate FTE FTE
50 states, Puerto Rico50 states, Puerto Rico
59 Canadian IHEs59 Canadian IHEs
100+ consortia100+ consortia
NSSE Use Over Time
140
276321
367
437473
529557
609
772
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Nu
mb
er
of
Sch
oo
ls
Year
AUSSIE
Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) is administered by ACER. It is intended to yield generalisable information about university education sensitive to institutional diversity that will allow institutions to monitor and enhance the quality of education.
NSSE QuestionnaireNSSE Questionnaire
Student Behaviors
Institutional Actions & Requirements
Reactions to College
Student BackgroundInformation
Student Learning &
Development
Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices
Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge
Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative
LearningLearning
EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences
SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus
EnvironmentEnvironment
Student-Student-Faculty Faculty
InteractionInteraction
Key findingsKey findings
Grades, persistence, student Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, and engagement satisfaction, and engagement go hand in handgo hand in hand
Student engagement varies Student engagement varies more more withinwithin than between than between institutions.institutions.
Student-Faculty Interaction: First-Year Students at Liberal Arts Institutions
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Liberal Arts Institutions
Percentile 10
Percentile 50
Percentile 90
Supportive Campus Environment: Seniors at Master's Institutions
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Master's Institutions
Percentile 10
Percentile 50
Percentile 90
It’s more complicated than this…It’s more complicated than this…
Many of the effects of college Many of the effects of college are “conditional”are “conditional”
Some are compensatorySome are compensatory
Narrow Learning is Not EnoughNarrow Learning is Not Enough——The Essential Learning OutcomesThe Essential Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of Human Cultures Knowledge of Human Cultures and the and the Physical & Natural WorldPhysical & Natural World
Intellectual and Practical SkillsIntellectual and Practical Skills
Personal and Social ResponsibilityPersonal and Social Responsibility
““Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning
“ “Deep”/Integrative LearningDeep”/Integrative Learning
Attend to the underlying meaning of Attend to the underlying meaning of information as well as contentinformation as well as content
Integrate and synthesize different Integrate and synthesize different ideas, sources of informationideas, sources of information
Discern patterns in evidence or Discern patterns in evidence or phenomenaphenomena
Apply knowledge in different Apply knowledge in different situationssituations
View issues from multiple View issues from multiple perspectivesperspectives
““Deep learningDeep learning is learning that is learning that takes root in our apparatus of takes root in our apparatus of understanding, in the embedded understanding, in the embedded meanings that define us and that meanings that define us and that we use to define the world.”we use to define the world.” J. Tagg (2003). J. Tagg (2003). The learning paradigm college (p. The learning paradigm college (p. 70).70). Bolton, MA: Anker Bolton, MA: Anker
Integrating ideas or information from various sources
Included diverse perspectives in class discussions/writing
Put together ideas from different courses
Discussed ideas with faculty members outside of class
Discussed ideas with others outside of class
Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory
Essential Learning Outcome: NSSE Deep/Integrative Learning
Synthesizing & organizing ideas, info., or experiences
Making judgments about the value of information
Applying theories to practical problems or in new situations
Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views
Tried to better understand someone else's views
Learned something that changed how you understand an issue
National Survey of Student Engagement
Writing and Deep Learning
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Number of Pages WrittenNumber of Pages Written
Avera
ge D
eep
Learn
ing
Seniors
First-Year Students
National Survey of Student Engagement
Feedback and Deep LearningFeedback and Deep Learning
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
Never Sometimes Often Very often
Frequency of Prompt Feedback from FacultyFrequency of Prompt Feedback from Faculty
Avera
ge D
eep
Learn
ing Seniors
First-Year Students
High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities
First-Year Seminars and Experiences First-Year Seminars and Experiences Common Intellectual ExperiencesCommon Intellectual Experiences Learning CommunitiesLearning Communities Writing-Intensive CoursesWriting-Intensive Courses Collaborative Assignments and ProjectsCollaborative Assignments and Projects “ “Science as Science Is Done”; Science as Science Is Done”;
Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research Diversity/Global LearningDiversity/Global Learning Service Learning, Community-Based Service Learning, Community-Based
Learning Learning InternshipsInternships Capstone Courses and ProjectsCapstone Courses and Projects
Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices on Deep/Integrative Learning and Gainson Deep/Integrative Learning and Gains
Deep
Learning Gains
General Gains
Personal Gains
Practical
First-Year
Learning Communities +++ ++ ++ ++ Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++
Senior
Study Abroad ++ + ++ Student-Faculty Research +++ ++ ++ ++ Internship ++ ++ ++ ++
Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++ Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ ++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30
Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices Effects of Participating in High-Impact Practices on Student Engagementon Student Engagement
Level of Academic Challenge
Active and Collab.
Learning
Student-Faculty
Interaction
Supportive Campus
Env.
First-Year Learning Communities ++ +++ +++ ++ Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++
Senior Study Abroad ++ ++ ++ + Student-Faculty Research +++ +++ +++ ++ Internship ++ +++ +++ ++
Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++ Senior Culminating Experience ++ ++ +++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30
Learning Communities
• Formal program where groups of students (FY) take two or more classes together
• LC programs that integrate material across courses are associated with better student engagement and learning
Service Learning
• Community-based project as part of a regular course
• 36% of FY students and 46% of seniors participate in SL
• More likely to be present at smaller and private institutions
• Positively associated with deep learning and personal development
Research with a Faculty Member
• Outside of course/program requirements• More likely in the sciences; less likely in
business• Majority utilized existing info (libraries,
WWW), and almost half worked in laboratory and fieldwork settings
• Reviewing literature and interpreting findings most closely related to deep learning
• Data collection had the weakest relationship
Contributions to Aspects of the Research Project
Average Weekly Research Hours
12.0
7.36.7 6.6
2.5 2.4 2.6 2.7
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
Doctoral Univ Master's Bac-Div Bac-Arts
Research and scholarly activities
Working with undergraduates on research
Percentage of Students Participating in Research with Faculty by Faculty Time Spent on UG
Research
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1 2 3 4 5 6
Hours per week
Percentage of Students Participating in Research with Faculty by Importance Placed on UG
Research
0%5%
10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%
2 2.5 3 3.5 4
Somewhatimportant
Important Veryimportant
Study Abroad
• 14% of seniors studied abroad• A life changing experience• Positively related to engagement and
learning outcomes upon return to home campus
• Living with host nationals related to more integrative and reflective learning, and personal and social gains
• The length of time spent abroad did not make a difference
Participation in Study Abroad by Parents’ Education
811 14 17
22 2430
37
0
25
50
75
100
0 or
les s
2 4 6 8 11 14 20
P arents ' Hig her E duc ation (S um of Years )
Culminating Senior Activities
• Capstone course, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, field placement
• A third (32%) of seniors reported having completed such an experience
• Another 29% said they planned to do so before graduating
58%
46%
36%
29%
25%
6%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Major paper, project, or thesis
Capstone course in my major
Formal presentation or demonstration
Comprehensive exam
Field placement or experience
Capstone course unrelated to major
Participation in Selected Culminating Activities
Culminating Senior Activities
• Half of students worked alone; 40% worked with others
• Field placements related to greatest number of gains,
• Other productive activities:– Projects that required the greatest
investment of time – Working in groups – Meeting often with supervising faculty
member – Receiving clear expectations for the
activity
High Impact ActivitiesHigh Impact Activities Increase Odds Students Will:Increase Odds Students Will:
Invest time and effort Invest time and effort Interact with faculty and peers Interact with faculty and peers
about substantive mattersabout substantive matters Experience diversityExperience diversity Get more frequent feedbackGet more frequent feedback Reflect & integrate learningReflect & integrate learning Discover relevance of learning Discover relevance of learning
through real-world applicationsthrough real-world applications
Engaging Classroom ActivitiesEngaging Classroom Activities
1.1. One minute papers (variations)One minute papers (variations)2.2. Case studiesCase studies3.3. DebatesDebates4.4. Small group problem sets…Small group problem sets…5.5. OthersOthers
If We Could Do One Thing…If We Could Do One Thing…
Make it possible for Make it possible for every student every student to do at least one “high-impact” to do at least one “high-impact” experience in the first year and experience in the first year and another later linked to the major another later linked to the major
Faculty Survey of Faculty Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement
(pronounced “fessie”)
FSSE measures faculty FSSE measures faculty expectations and expectations and activities related to activities related to student engagement in student engagement in effective educational effective educational practicespractices
Percentage of Faculty Indicating Activity is Important
49% 53%44%
81%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Learningcommunity
Research withfaculty
Study abroad Culminatingsenior
experience
National Survey of Student Engagement
Learning Community ParticipationLearning Community Participation
3%
29%
55%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Somewhat Important Important Very Important
Average Importance Faculty Place on Learning Communities
Perc
en
tag
e o
f Fir
st-
Year
Stu
den
ts W
ho P
art
icip
ate
d
National Survey of Student Engagement
Senior Participation in High Impact Senior Participation in High Impact ActivitiesActivities
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Somewhat Important Important Very Important
Average Importance Faculty Placed on the Experience
Perc
en
tag
e o
f S
en
iors
Wh
o
Did
th
e E
xp
eri
en
ce Culminating Senior Experience
Research with a Faculty Member
Study Abroad
Faculty Priorities and Faculty Priorities and Student EngagementStudent Engagement
AVGAVG STUDENTSTUDENT
AVGAVG FACULTYFACULTY AcadAcad emicemic cchallhallengeenge
ActActiveive --ccollabollab
Diversity Diversity eexperiencesxperiences
StuStudentdent --ffacacultyulty
AAccadademicemic challchall engeenge emphemphasisasis
ActActiveive --collabcollab practicespractices
EmphEmph asisasis on diversityon diversity experiencesexperiences
EmphEmph asisasis on on hhigherigher orderorder thinkingthinking
ImpImportanceortance enrichingenriching ededucuc eexpxp erienceseriences
What to Make of This?
1. When faculty members emphasize certain educational practices, students engage in them to a greater extent than their peers elsewhere.
2. Good things go together3. Teacher-scholars matter
Last WordLast Word
We cannot change the lineage of our students.
Campus cultures do not change easily or willingly.
We can counter both by using promising policies and practices more consistently throughout the institution to increase the odds that students will succeed.
Do we have the will to do so?
Questions & Questions & DiscussionDiscussion