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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Institutional Research; Data Collection; Institutional Mission; Learner Engagement; Classification; Student Behavior; Educational Quality

Abstract:
Data mining provides both systematic and systemic ways to detect patterns of student engagement among students at hundreds of institutions. Using traditional statistical techniques alone, the task would be significantly difficult--if not impossible--considering the size and complexity in both data and analytical approaches necessary for this task. This study presents a step-by-step review on how the data mining technique is utilized to develop an institutional typology based on student behavioral data. The result provides a fresh angle to understand similarities and differences among four-year undergraduate colleges and universities, shifting away from previous institutional typologies, such as those based on institutional mission, resources, or reputation. The institutional engagement typology is derived through student behavioral data, and therefore, is advantageous in that it retains one of the most important components in understanding higher education--student behaviors. This data mining-based study broke new conceptual and methodological ground, and its resulting institutional learning engagement typology offers new perspectives on peer institution comparison, congruence between students and their institutions, as well as policy development regarding educational quality. (Contains 8 footnotes, 3 figures and 6 tables.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Postsecondary Education; Academic Achievement; Minority Groups; College Students; Disproportionate Representation; Educational Strategies

Abstract:
This report is an abridged version of work performed for the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative to synthesize the relevant literature and emerging findings related to student success, broadly defined (Kuh and others, 2006). The author's purpose is to provide an informed perspective on policies, programs, and practices that can make a difference to satisfactory student performance in postsecondary education. The monograph is divided into seven sections with an extensive bibliography. The authors take a cumulative, longitudinal view of what matters to student success, recognizing that students do not come to postsecondary education as tabulae rasae. Rather, they are the products of many years of complex interactions with their family of origin and cultural, social, political, and educational environments. Thus, some students more than others are better prepared academically and have greater confidence in their ability to succeed. At the same time, what they do during college--the activities in which they engage and the company they keep--can be the margin of difference as to whether they persist and realize their educational goals. The following questions guided this review: (1) What are the major studies that represent the best work in the area?; (2) What are the major conclusions from these studies?; (3) What key questions remain unanswered?; (4) What are the most promising interventions before college (such as middle school, high school, bridge programs) and during college (for example, safety nets, early warning systems, intrusive advising, required courses, effective pedagogical approaches)?; and (5) Where is more research needed and about which groups of students do practitioners especially need to know more? The authors use a "weight of the evidence" approach, emphasizing findings from high-quality inquiries and conceptual analyses, favoring national or multi-institutional studies over single-institution or state reports. (Contains 1 table, 8 figures,4 exhibits, and 2 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Expenditures; Higher Education; Outcomes of Education; Sampling; Colleges; Institutional Characteristics; Universities

Abstract:
The few studies focusing on the relationships between higher education expenditures and student outcomes have produced contradictory results. This study hypothesized that the lack of consistent relationships is a function of the fact that the effects of expenditures on outcomes are mediated by student engagement. Furthermore, it is expected that the relationships between expenditures and outcomes are contingent on the characteristics of the students and institutions being studied. The present research examined the relationships between higher education expenditures and students' engagement in educationally purposeful activities, after controlling for a variety of student and institutional characteristics. Using data from a nationally representative sample of colleges and universities, the findings indicated that the relationships between expenditures and student engagement are very complex. Relationships differed by institutional control, students' year in school, and the type of engagement measure included in the analysis. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
College Instruction; Selective Admission; Undergraduate Study; Educational Quality; College Choice; Educational Practices; Correlation; Research Methodology; Data Analysis; Predictor Variables; Aptitude Tests; Statistical Significance

Abstract:
Academic selectivity plays a dominant role in the public's understanding of what constitutes institutional excellence or quality in undergraduate education. In this study, we analyzed two independent data sets to estimate the net effect of three measures of college selectivity on dimensions of documented good practices in undergraduate education. With statistical controls in place for important confounding influences, an institution's median student SAT/ACT score, a nearly identical proxy for that score, and the Barron's Selectivity Score explained from less than 0.1% to 20% of the between-institution variance and from less than 0.1% to 2.7% of the total variance in good practices. The implications of these findings for what constitutes quality in undergraduate education, college choice decisions, and the validity of national college rankings are discussed. (Contains 5 tables and 1 endnote.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Higher Education; Institutional Characteristics; Expenditures; Educational Finance; Student Participation; College Freshmen; College Seniors; Private Colleges; Public Colleges; Educational Environment

Abstract:
Studies of the relationships between higher education expenditures and student outcomes are relatively rare. The present research examined the relationships between higher education expenditures and students' engagement in educationally purposeful activities. Findings indicate that the relationships between expenditures and student engagement are contingent on both students' year in school and institutional characteristics. (Contains 7 tables and 1 endnote.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Public Policy; College Admission; Family Characteristics; Equal Education; Student Financial Aid; College Choice; Postsecondary Education; College Bound Students; Student Recruitment; Educational Legislation; Educational History; Accountability

Abstract:
The college-choice process is complex and affects many high school students, family members and public policy-makers, as well as institutions of higher education. This report provides an overview of the college-choice process for traditional-age students and examines how it has evolved during the last half of the 20th century. Material from the College Board and the National Association of College Admissions Counselors and popular literature were all data sources for this review. This report analyzes how student and family characteristics, institutional admissions policies and practices, and public policies have influenced the manner and timing of students' college-choice decisions. Specifically, the report examines the following three topics: (1) Shifts in public policy regarding postsecondary access, equity and financial aid; (2) Changes in recruitment, marketing, admissions practices and financial aid; and (3) Other institutional practices that have shaped the college-choice process. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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 ERIC Full Text (676K)

Descriptors:
College Freshmen; Student Participation; Evaluation Methods; Student School Relationship; Interaction; Teacher Student Relationship; Peer Relationship; Educational Research; Educational Quality; Questionnaires; Student Surveys; Sampling; Benchmarking

Abstract:
While most institutions know how many of their faculty members have terminal degrees and the number of books in the library, too few have reliable information about the frequency with which first-year students discuss ideas with faculty members outside class, how much time they spend on academic activities, or how often they interact with students who are different from themselves. These and other educationally purposeful activities are important because they contribute to a variety of desirable outcomes of college. Indeed, this is one of the unequivocal conclusions from the last half century of research on the impact of college on students: what matters more to success in the first year is what students actually do, not what institutions have in terms of resources, such as facilities and faculty credentials. In this article, the authors offer five principles to guide assessment efforts that promise to yield a deeper, more meaningful understanding of what students and institutions do that contributes to a high-quality first-year experience. Although the examples are drawn from the use of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the principles apply to the use of other data sources, such as the College Student Experiences Questionnaire, the Your First College Year survey, and locally administered surveys. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Gender Differences; Student Participation; African American Students; Undergraduate Students; Black Colleges; National Surveys; Racial Factors

Abstract:
Differences in student engagement between women and men at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are examined in this study. Data were collected from 1,167 African American undergraduate students at 12 four-year HBCUs that participated in the National Survey of Student Engagement. Controlling for several factors that might obscure gender differences, the results counter previous research regarding gender gaps on HBCU campuses by illustrating that African American women enjoy an equally engaging experience as their same-race male counterparts. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
College Students; Comparative Analysis; Higher Education; Intermode Differences; Printed Materials; Student Surveys; World Wide Web

Abstract:
Examined the responses of 58,288 college students to 8 scales involving 53 items from the National Survey of Student Engagement to gauge whether individuals respond differently to surveys administered via the Web and paper. Found that mode effects were generally small; however, students who completed the Web-based survey responded more favorably on all 8 scales. (EV)

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Descriptors:
Educational Assessment; Educational Quality; Undergraduate Study

Abstract:
Discusses how the National Survey of Student Engagement reveals a different way to evaluate the quality of undergraduate education--not based on institutional resources and public reputation. (EV)

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