ERIC Number: EJ796306
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1086-4822
EISSN: N/A
Assessment Matters: The Why and How of Cracking Open and Using Assessment Results
Ahren, Chad; Ryan, Helen Grace; Massa-McKinley, Ryan
About Campus, v13 n2 p29-32 May-Jun 2008
The authors interviewed two dozen educators at several institutions who were responsible for administration of the survey on their campus to better understand how data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) were (or were not) being used. The project managers they interviewed had successfully used strategies to make sense of NSSE data (although all believed they could have done even more with sufficient time). All shared a strong interest in using NSSE data to develop a richer understanding of how their institution could better serve students. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to using NSSE data most effectively, the authors believe that their findings offer a reasonable starting place for campuses interested in acting on their results. The five most transferable themes from the interviews are: (1) collaborating and communicating about results; (2) using additional data for triangulation; (3) using data to learn more about students; (4) using data to demonstrate goal achievement; and (5) enhancing the first-year experience. (Contains 3 notes.)
Descriptors: Higher Education, Data Analysis, Cooperation, National Surveys, Student Personnel Workers
Jossey Bass. Available from John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774. Tel: 800-825-7550; Tel: 201-748-6645; Fax: 201-748-6021; e-mail: subinfo@wiley.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2824/browse/?type=JOURNAL
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: National Survey of Student Engagement
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A