National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

About the NSSE

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) assesses classroom engagement, involvement in high-impact practices (HIPs), student perception of support, and time management, among other things. Each year, the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research uses the survey to collect data from numerous universities and colleges across the United States. NSSE provides benchmark information from the entire NSSE sample and by Carnegie classification. By offering a detailed insight into student engagement, the survey helps educational institutions make informed decisions on how to best support students.

Lindenwood University has been participating in the survey since 2008. The survey is administered in the spring semester to both freshmen and senior students. Lindenwood University employs this survey to enhance various aspects of the undergraduate experience, both inside and outside of the classroom.

NSSE Data Collection at Lindenwood

In Spring 2021, Lindenwood seniors and freshmen had the opportunity to take the NSSE survey through email, and the response rate was 27%.

Engagement Indicators

Questions on the NSSE are organized into 10 engagement indicators. Engagement indicator scores are scaled from 0 to 60 with higher scores indicating greater perceived student engagement. Engagement indicators are organized into four main themes: Academic Challenge, Learning with Peers, Experiences with Faculty, Campus Environment.

Academic Challenge Theme

Engagement Indicators	2021 LU Freshmen vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Freshman Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)	2021 LU Seniors vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Senior Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)
Higher-Order Learning	-0.19 ↑	-0.14 ↑
Reflective & Integrative Learning	-0.14 ↑	-0.23 ↓
Learning Strategies	-0.23 ↑	-0.15 ↑
Quantitative Reasoning	-0.14 ↑	-0.19 ↓

Takeaway: Compared to 2018 freshmen, 2021 freshmen had smaller gaps on all academic challenge items. Seniors had comparable gaps between the two time periods (with slight decreases for Reflective and Integrative Learning and Quantitative Reasoning).

Learning with Peers Theme

Engagement Indicators	2021 LU Freshmen vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Freshman Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)	2021 LU Seniors vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Senior Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)
Collaborative Learning	-0.35 ↓	-0.05 ↓
Discussions with Diverse Others	-0.08 ↓	-0.11 ↓

Takeaway: Compared to 2018 students, 2021 students had poorer outcomes for the Collaborative Learning indicator. There was little difference between cohorts for the Discussions with Diverse Others indicator. Freshman collaborative learning appears to remain an area for improvement. However, the possible impact of COVID might be taken into consideration when interpreting these data. Indeed, Lindenwood may face greater COVID challenges than our comparison institutions.

Experiences with Faculty Theme

Engagement Indicators	2021 LU Freshmen vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Freshman Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)	2021 LU Seniors vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Senior Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)
Student-Faculty Interaction	-0.13 ↓	0.06 ↓
Effective Teaching Practices	-0.17 ↑	-0.05 ↑

Takeaway: Compared to 2018 students, 2021 students had smaller gaps for the Effective Teaching Practices indicator. Seniors in 2021 had a slightly poorer comparison for the Student-Faculty Interaction indicator, however. There was little difference between cohorts for freshmen.

Campus Environment Theme

Engagement Indicators	2021 LU Freshmen vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Freshman Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)	2021 LU Seniors vs. Plains Private Comparison Effect Size (Number) Change in Senior Effect Size 2018 to 2021 (Arrow)
Quality of Interactions	-0.36 ↓	-0.26 -
Supportive Environment	-0.25 ↓	0.04 ↑

Takeaway: Compared to 2018 freshman students, 2021 freshmen had larger gaps for both indicators. There was little difference between cohorts for seniors. Quality of Interactions and Supportive Environment appear to be ongoing areas for improvement, with the possible exception of Supportive Environment for seniors. However, COVID may have come into play here as well.

High Impact Practices

Other questions on the NSSE assess students’ participation in individual high impact practices (HIPs). HIPs are active learning practices that promote learning by promoting student engagement. HIPS have been shown to increase student engagement, retention, and persistence to graduation.

HIPS Measurements

The HIPS measured by the NSSE include:

Service Learning,
Study Abroad,
Internship or Field Experience,
Research with Faculty,
Leadership Experience,
Learning Community, and
Culminating Senior Experience.

HIPS for St. Charles Freshman

High Impact Practice (HIP) Participation	NSSE 2021 LU % answering “done” or “in progress”	Plains Private Gap (2021)
Internship or Field Experience	NA	NA
Leadership Experience	9%	0%
Learning Community	7%	0%
Study Abroad	NA	NA
Research with Faculty	5%	2%
Capstone	NA	NA
Service Learning	49%	5%

Takeaway: Compared to 2018 freshmen, 2021 freshmen generally showed improvements on HIPS. Service learning appears to be a strength.

HIPS for St. Charles Senior

High Impact Practice (HIP) Participation	NSSE 2021 LU % answering “done” or “in progress”	Plains Private Gap (2021)
Internship or Field Experience	36%	-6%
Leadership Experience	27%	-8%
Learning Community	16%	-7%
Study Abroad	6%	-10%
Research with Faculty	15%	-8%
Capstone	46%	-4%
Service Learning	55%	-12%

Takeaway: The opposite was true for seniors, however. Gaps have generally increased, and Study Abroad and Service Learning are areas for improvement. Once again, COVID should be considered in this case. Lindenwood appears to have been relatively strongly affected by the pandemic.

Senior Testimonial

“I truly have loved my time at Lindenwood. As a transfer, I fit in a lot in my three years here, and never felt like it was hard to get involved with anything! Lindenwood has the feeling of a bigger school without BEING a big school. Ultimately, I am very happy to be graduating from a degree from this institution, and I developed great relationships with faculty who I will be staying in touch with post-grad for sure.” - (Senior, 2021)

Freshman Testimonial

“My professors have been kind, attentive, and very knowledgeable about what they are teaching.” – (Freshman, 2021)

NSSE Results

2021 Results

For the 2021 NSSE, a total of 440 responses were collected, with a 27% response rate overall. The NSSE results are broken down by student classification.