Institutional Research

• Abstract
• Background and Methodology
• Results :
  Use of Time
  Academic and Intellectual Experiences
  Assignments, Course Preparations, and Examinations
  Mental Activities
  Academic Enrichment Activities
  Educational and Personal Growth
  Opinions about Your School
• Summary and Conclusions
• Reference
• FSSE Item Responses (BGSU only)  

ABSTRACT

This report describes the results of the pilot test of the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) completed by 270 BGSU faculty in the Spring of 2003. The FSSE was designed by national assessment experts to measure faculty expectations for student engagement in educational practices that are known to be empirically linked with high levels of learning and development, along with how faculty use these practices in their work with students. The results of the FSSE, when used in concert with the results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), are intended to be a catalyst for productive discussions related to teaching, learning, and the quality of students' education experience."

BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

The Office of Institutional Research (IR) conducts regular periodic assessment of student engagement in educational practices. One of our principal means of data collection is the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) , a survey of undergraduate students that was developed at the Indiana University Center for Post-Secondary Research & Planning. This year a new instrument has been pilot tested in conjunction with the NSSE on campus. That new tool is the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) .

The FSSE is a project coordinated by NSSE team. It was designed to parallel NSSE's survey of undergraduate students . Rather than examining student engagement, FSSE focuses on: (1) Faculty perceptions of how often their students engage in different activities; (2) The importance that faculty place on various areas of learning and development; (3) The nature and frequency of faculty-student interactions; and (4) How faculty members organize class time and related activities. "FSSE is not meant to be a faculty evaluation. Rather, it provides institutions with an opportunity to compare faculty perceptions and student reports about educational opportunities and practices on their campus." (NSSE, 2003)

More than 16,000 faculty members at 147 colleges and universities participated the 2003 pilot test of the survey. BGSU faculty who subscribed to the faculty listproc were asked to respond the survey online this spring. A total of 270 of the surveys were completed. The response rate is about 25%, which is lower than the estimated average institution response rate of 43%.

There is a high degree of race/ethnicity similarity between survey respondents and the overall faculty population. Females (54% for sample vs. 44% for population) and full-time faculty members (83% for sample vs. 73% for population), however, were over-represented. These limitations and the low response rate require that results from the survey be interpreted with some caution.

Respondents were asked to identify a particular undergraduate course that they teach and use it as the basis for responding to the survey. Of the total 270 BGSU faculty respondents, 122 of them identified themselves as lower division faculty (the students in their identified course sections are mostly first year students and sophomores) and 137 of them identified themselves as upper division faculty (the students in their identified course sections are mostly juniors and seniors). The class size for most of the identified course sections, both at lower division and at upper division, is between 10 and 49 students. The course subjects for most of lower division classes are Arts and Humanities (29.8%), Other (22.3%), Social Science (18.2%), and Physical Science (16.5%). The course subjects for most of upper division classes are Education (19.9%),  Arts and Humanities (19.9%), Other (16.2%), Social Science (14.0%), and Business (12.5%). Roughly 60% of the respondents reported that they have taught the identified course sections four times or more prior to this spring.

FSSE results were analyzed by noting the percentages of participants who provided various responses to the survey items. Percentages may not always sum to 100 due to rounding. Responses were compared with those of two other peer universities*. They were also compared with the 2003 NSSE results

* Two Peer Universities:
George Mason University
Northern Arizona University

USE OF TIME

About how many hours do you spend in a typical week doing each of the following?

Most of the BGSU faculty spent five hours or more per week teaching class, 1-8 hours per week preparing for class, grading papers, giving feedback to students, reflecting on and revising class activities, interacting with students outside of the classroom, and 4 hours or less per week advising undergraduate students, working with undergraduates on research, supervising internships/other field experiences, and working with students on activities other than course work. BGSU lower division faculty were less likely than upper division faculty to engage with undergraduate students in terms of advising as well as supervising internships or other field experiences.

Compared with their counterparts in peer universities, BGSU faculty who taught lower division courses spent fewer hours per week advising undergraduates, and BGSU faculty who taught upper division courses spend fewer hours per week grading papers.

In your selected course, on average, what percent of time is spent on the following:

Like the faculty in peer universities, BGSU faculty were more likely to spend their class time in lecture or class discussion than in other activities listed in the table above. Faculty who taught upper level courses were more likely to spend time in student presentations than did faculty who taught lower level courses. BGSU lower division faculty were more likely than their counterparts in peer universities to spend time in seminar, teacher-student discussion, student presentations, computer mediated activities, and small group activities.

ACADEMIC AND INTELLECTUAL EXPERIENCES

Less than half of the faculty respondents, both at BGSU and in peer universities, reported that 50% or more of students in their selected course sections engaged in the activities listed in the table above.

Compared with upper division faculty, lower division faculty were more likely to report that sometimes 50% or more of their students came to class without completing readings or assignments. They were less likely than upper division faculty to claim that half or more of their students used e-mail to communicate with them, talked about grades or career plans with them, frequently ask questions in class or contributed to class discussions, and worked harder than they usually do to meet an instructor's standards.

Compared with the student respondents at BGSU, BGSU faculty were more likely to say that students often come to class without finishing their homework, but less likely to report that students often or very often engaged in all the other activities listed in the table above.

The vast majority of the BGSU faculty indicated that they often and very often give prompt feedback to students on their academic performance. They were more likely to report that students in their selected course sections often engage in having class discussions or writing assignments that include diverse perspectives, working with other students on projects during class, and using an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment. They were less likely to say that students in their selected course sections often participate in a community-based project as part of their course and have serious conversations in their course with other students who are very different from them in terms of their race, religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values.

Compared with the faculty in peer universities, BGSU faculty were less likely to indicate that students in their classes frequently have serious conversations with students who are very different from them in terms of their race, religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values. While BGSU lower division faculty were more likely than their counterparts in peer universities to report that their students frequently work with others on projects during class, BGSU upper division faculty were less likely than their counterparts in peer universities to indicate that their students often or very often use an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment.

Compared with student respondents, BGSU faculty were more likely to report that they often or very often give prompt feedback to students. They were less likely than students to claim that students in their selected course sections often or very often use an electronic medium to complete an assignment, have class discussions or writing assignments that include diverse perspectives, and have serious conversations with others who are very different from them in terms of their race, religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values.

It is important or very important to the majority of faculty that students work on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources. Upper division faculty, in general, were more likely than lower division faculty to emphasize the importance of all the activates listed in the table above. While 68% or less of the lower division faculty at BGSU thought that it is important or very important for their students to prepare two or more drafts of a paper before tuning it in and to work on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources, 82% or more of the freshmen reported that they often or very often do so. About 60% of the BGSU seniors reported that they often or very often work with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments and discuss ideas from their readings or classes with others outside of class , compared to about 50% or less of upper division faculty who thought it is important or very important to do so.

ASSIGNMENTS, COURSE PREPARATIONS, AND EXAMINATIONS

In your selected course section, about how much reading and writing do you assign students?

Most faculty, both at BGSU and in peer universities, required their students to complete two or fewer homework assignments per week, and read one to three textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings per course section. Upper division faculty were more likely than lower division faculty to ask their students to write papers of five pages or more. They were also more likely to require students to complete the problem sets that take them more than one hour to finish than those that take them less than an hour to finish.

In a typical 7-day week, about how many hours do you expect your students to spend preparing for your class and about how many hours do you think your students actually preparing for your class (studying, reading, writing, rehearsing, and other activities related to your course)?

More than ninety percent of the BGSU faculty expected their students to spend 3 hours or more per week preparing for their classes, and less than half of them thought their students actually did so.

Most faculty and students thought that the examinations they gave/took challenged students/them very much to do their best work.

MENTAL ACTIVITIES

Most of the faculty respondents, both at BGSU and in peer universities, reported that their coursework emphasized four out of five cognitive activities listed on the survey. BGSU upper division faculty were less likely to point out that they placed quite a bit or very much emphasis on analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory in their selected course sections than were their counterparts in peer universities as well as seniors at BGSU. BGSU students were more likely to feel that their coursework emphasized memorizing facts, ideas or methods, but less likely to feel that their coursework emphasized synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships, as well as applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations than were their faculty. BGSU freshmen were also less likely than faculty who taught lower division courses at BGSU to indicate that their courses emphasized analysis skills quite a bit or very much.

ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES

Like the faculty in peer universities, BGSU faculty were more likely to stress the importance for undergraduate students of completing a practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, clinical assignment, or culminating senior experience than the other activities listed in the table above. BGSU faculty, however, were less likely than faculty in peer universities to report that it is important or very important for undergraduates to work on a research project with them outside of course or program requirements. BGSU upper division faculty were also less likely than their counterparts in peer universities to stress the importance for students to participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together.

BGSU students were more likely to report that they have participated or plan to participate in community service or volunteer work than their faculty expected them to do. Freshmen were also more likely to indicate that they plan to do a practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment than their lower division faculty expected them to do. BGSU students, however, were less likely to claim that they have done or plan to do a culminating senior experience, to study abroad, and to take a foreign language coursework than their faculty expected them to do.

EDUCATIONAL AND PERSONAL GROWTH

Fifty percent or more of the BGSU faculty respondents, especially those who taught upper level courses, indicated that they structured their course sections quite a bit or very much so that their students can learn and develop most of the skills and areas of knowledge that are listed in the table above. Like their counterparts in peer universities, BGSU lower division faculty were more likely than upper division faculty to claim that their course sections were structured in a way so that students can acquire a broad general education. BGSU upper division faculty, on the other hand, were more likely than lower division faculty to declare that their course sections were structured in a way that their students can learn the skills or knowledge of speaking and writing clearly, working effectively with others, using computing and information technology, acquiring job-related skills, solving complex real-world problems, and understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Compared with their counterparts in peer universities, BGSU lower division faculty were more likely to report that they emphasized having students work effectively with others in their courses. While BGSU upper division faculty were slightly more likely than their counterparts in peer universities to indicate that they emphasized speaking and computing skills in their courses, they were less likely to report that they structured their courses in a way that their students can learn the skills of solving complex real-world problems.

Gaps exist between faculty responses and student responses in all the educational and personal growth items listed on the survey. While faculty were more likely to report that they structured their courses in a way so that their students could develop the skills of thinking critically and analytically, learning effectively on their own, and solving complex real-world problems, students were more likely to point out that their education and experience at BGSU contributed quite a bit or very much on all the other items listed in the table above. It is important to note that the knowledge, skills, and personal development students obtained at BGSU not only came from their classroom experiences, but also from other experiences they had during their college years.

OPINIONS ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL

To what extent does your institution emphasize each of the following? (Percent "Quite a Bit" or "Very Much")

The majority of respondents, faculty and students, either at BGSU or in the peer universities, feel that their institution encouraged students to use computers in their academic work and provided students "very much" or "quite a bit" of the support they need to help them succeed academically. BGSU lower division faculty and upper division faculty were more likely than their counterparts in the peer universities to report that their institution encouraged students to attend campus events and activities, and provided students "very much" or "quite a bit" of the support they need to thrive socially. They were, however, less likely than their counterparts in the peer universities to claim that their institution emphasized contact among students from different economic, social, and racial background, and provided "very much" or "quite a bit" of the support students need to cope with their non-academic responsibilities.

Differences were also found between BGSU faculty and BGSU students. BGSU faculty, in general, were less likely than students to indicate that BGSU emphasized requiring students to spend significant amounts of time studying and on academic work. BGSU upper division faculty were less likely than seniors to report that BGSU encouraged students to attend campus events and activities quite a bit or very much. While lower division faculty were less likely than freshmen to say that BGSU encouraged contact among students from different economic, social, and racial backgrounds, BGSU upper division faculty were more likely than seniors to say that BGSU did so.

Most faculty, both at BGSU and in peer universities, had positive perceptions about the relationships between students and people in their institution. BGSU faculty were more likely to feel that the relationships between students and administrative personnel and offices were friendly than were the faculties in peer universities. They were, however, less likely than their students to feel that the relationships between students at BGSU were very friendly and supportive.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The majority of BGSU faculty spend most of their time in teaching or teaching related activities (e.g. preparing for class, reflecting on and revising class activities, grading papers, giving feedback to students) in a typical week, and four hours or less each per week in advising undergraduate students, working with undergraduates on research, supervising internships or other field experiences, working with students on activities other than course work, and interacting with students outside of the classroom. Like the faculty in peer universities, they were more likely to spend their class time in lecture and class discussion than in any other activities listed on the survey.

Seventy percent or more of the BGSU faculty usually require students to complete two or fewer homework assignments per week and read one to three textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings per section. Faculty who taught upper division courses were more likely than faculty who taught lower division courses to ask student to write papers of five pages or more. Upper division faculty were also more likely to ask students to complete homework assignments that take them more than one hour to finish than those that take them less than an hour to finish. More than ninety percent of the faculty indicated that they expected their students to spend three hours or more per week preparing for each class, but less than half of them thought that their students actually did so. Most faculty, however, believed that the examinations they gave to their students challenged them to do their best work.

Ninety-one percent of the BGSU faculty reported that they often give their students prompt feedback on their academic performance. About one third or more of them indicated that their students often have class discussions or writing assignments that include diverse perspectives, work with other students on projects during class, and use an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment. They rarely claimed that their students often or very often participate in a community-based project as part of their courses, discuss ideas from readings or classes with them outside of class, and have serious conversations in their courses with other students of a different race or ethnicity than their own. Like the faculty in peer universities, BGSU lower division faculty were more likely than upper division faculty to report that sometimes 50% or more of their students came to class without completing homework. They were less likely than upper division faculty to claim that half or more of their students at least occasionally used e-mail to communicate with them, frequently asked questions in class or contributed to class discussions, talked about grades or career plans with them, and worked harder than they usually do to meet an instructor's standards.

More than 60% of the BGSU faculty declared that their courses emphasized cognitive activities, such as analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory, synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships, making judgments about the value of information, arguments, or methods, and applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations. Fifty percent or more of the faculty reported that they structured their courses quite a bit or very much so that their students will not only be able to acquire a broad general education, but also to learn job/work related knowledge, as well as to develop the skills of writing clearly, thinking critically, learning effectively on their own, understanding themselves, working effectively with others, and solving complex real-world problems.

I t is important or very important to most of BGSU faculty that their students work on a paper or project that requires integrating ideas or information from various sources, put together ideas or concepts from different courses when completing assignments or during class discussions, discuss ideas from their readings or classes with others outsides of class, do an independent study, write a thesis or take a comprehensive exam/capstone course, and complete a practicum, internship, field experience, co-op experience, or clinical assignment. While BGSU lower division faculty were more likely to feel that it is important or very important for students to participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together, BGSU upper division faculty were more likely to feel that it is important or very important for students to prepare two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in and to work with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments.

Most of faculty had positive perceptions about the relationships between students and people at BGSU. They were more likely to indicate that BGSU emphasized encouraging students to use computers in their academic work and provided students quite a bit or very much of the support they need to help them succeed academically than to say that BGSU emphasized helping students to cope with their non-academic responsibilities, provided students quite a bit or very much support they need to help them  thrive socially, and encouraged contact among students from different economic, social, and racial or ethnic backgrounds.

Differences are found in the survey results across groups. Of particular concern may be the differences between BGSU faculty and faculty in peer universities, as well as between BGSU faculty and their students.

1. Differences between BGSU faculty and faculty in peer universities:

Compared with faculty(both lower division and upper division) in peer universities , BGSU faculty were

• more likely to feel that the relationships between students and administrative personnel and offices were friendly;
• more likely to report that their institution encouraged students to attend campus events, and provided students the support they need to thrive socially;
• less likely to indicate that students in their selected course sections frequently have serious conversations with other students who are very different from them in terms of their race, religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values;
• less likely to report that it is important or very important for undergraduate students to work on a research project with them outside of course or program requirements;
• less likely to point out that their institution emphasized contact among students from different economic, social, and racial background, and provided quite a bit or very much of the support students need to cope with their non-academic responsibilities.

Compared with the lower division faculty in peer universities , BGSU lower division faculty

• were more likely to spend class time in student presentations, computer mediated and small group activities, and activities requiring teacher-student responsibility (seminar, discussion, etc.);
• were more likely to indicate that students frequently work with others on projects during class time;
• were more likely to report that they structured their courses quite a bit or very much so that students can learn how to work effectively with others;
• spent fewer hours per week advising undergraduates.

Compared with the upper division faculty in peer universities , BGSU upper division faculty

• were slightly more likely to report that they structured their courses in a way so that students will develop the skills of using computers as well as speaking clearly and effectively;
• spent fewer hours per week grading papers;
• were less likely to indicate that students in their selected course sections often or very often use an electronic medium to discuss or complete an assignment.
• were less likely to report that they placed quite a bit or very much emphasis in analysis skills as well as the skills of solving complex real-world problems in their selected course sections;
• were less likely to feel that it is important or very important for students to participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together;

2. Differences between BGSU faculty and BGSU students:

Gaps exist between faculty responses and student responses in all the items related to educational and personal growth listed on the survey. While faculty were more likely to report that they structured their courses in a way so that their students could develop the skills of thinking critically and analytically, learning effectively on their own, and solving complex real-world problems, BGSU students were more likely to indicate that their experience at BGSU contributed quite a bit or very much in speaking and writing clearly, analyzing quantitative problems, using computing and information technology, working effectively with others, understanding themselves as well as people of other racial backgrounds, acquiring a broad general education as well as job/work-related knowledge/skills. It is important to note that the knowledge, skills, and personal development students obtained at BGSU not only came from their classroom experiences, but also from other experiences they had during their college years.

Undergraduate students at BGSU were more likely have done or plan to do community service or volunteer work, but less likely have done or plan to do a culminating senior experience, to study abroad, and to take a foreign language coursework than faculty expected them to do.

Compared with students, faculty were also more likely to report that

• they often or very often give prompt feedback to students on their academic performance;
• students often come to class without finishing readings or assignments; and
• their coursework emphasized synthesizing and organizing ideas, information, or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships, as well as applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations.

Faculty, however, were less likely than students to indicate that

• students often ask questions in class or contribute to class discussions, use e-mail to communicate with them, discuss grades/assignments and career plans with them, discuss ideas from readings or classes with them outside of class, and work harder than they usually do to meet an instructor's standards;
• students often use an electronic medium to complete an assignment, have class discussions or writing assignments that include diverse perspective, and have serious conversations in their courses with other students who are very different from them in terms of their race, religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values;
• their coursework emphasized memorizing skills;
• BGSU emphasized quite a bit or very much requiring students to spend significant amounts of time studying and on academic work;
• the relationships between students at BGSU were very friendly and supportive.

Caution must be taken when interpreting the results since (1) this report is based upon the first national administration of the survey; (2) the response rate was low ( 25%) ; and (3) female as well as full-time faculty were over represented in the survey.

The Academic Assessment Office at Southwest Texas University has provided a number of resources to assist FSSE users in considering implications of their results. An annotated bibliography relates peer reviewed research studies to each of the survey items. A list of potential actions that faculty and institutions can use to enhance student engagement is also provided.

The Office of Institutional Research welcomes feedback concerning this and other studies and how they can continue to be improved.

REFERENCE

NSSE (2003). Institutional Report. National Survey of Student Engagement, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research & Planning .