This study examined the contingent relationships between learning community participation and student engagement in educational activities inside and outside the classroom using data from the 2004 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Results indicated that learning community participation was positively and…

Calls for accountability in higher education are prompted in part by questions concerning whether colleges and universities use their resources effectively to promote student learning. Unfortunately, too little is known about whether money matters to desired outcomes of college. Using students' responses to the 2004 administration of the National…

This study compares the explanatory power of the 2000 edition of Carnegie Classification, the 2005 revision of the classification, and selected variables underlying Carnegie's expanded 2005 classification system using data from the National Survey of Student Engagement's spring 2004 administration. Results indicate that the 2000 and 2005…

Scrutiny of intercollegiate athletics has intensified in recent years. This study compares student-athletes with those of non-athletes in terms of their engagement in effective educational practices. Contrary to many reports in the popular media, the findings from this study indicate that, on balance, student-athletes across a large number of…

Colleges and universities have made considerable effort to get students to use information technology productively. This study uses data from the 2003 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) to investigate the relationships between student uses of information technology and other forms of student engagement. There…

The research on college students published between 1969 and 1983 in 11 periodicals was used to examine the substantive topics and research methods preferred by male and female authors. Gender differences persisted over the 15 year period and became sharper after 1975. (Author/MLW)

A study of faculty contact with college freshmen and sophomores and the students' grade point averages (GPA) found little reciprocity. GPA was most strongly affected by high school performance and academic integration, and faculty contact was most influenced by advisor contact, talking in class, and campus organization membership. (MSE)

A study investigated indicators of student academic performance in six samples (n=911 each) of men and women students from 19 baccalaureate, 27 master's, and 29 doctoral granting institutions. Measures of achievement gains associated with three good educational practices (faculty-student contact, cooperation among students, active learning) were…

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…

Analyzed self-reported experiences of undergraduates to identify characteristics associated with student engagement. Parental education and student academic preparation were positively associated with higher levels of engagement. Whites were generally less engaged, and men were more likely to be disengaged or highly engaged. Students at public and…

Five research principles are proposed to increase the utility of studies of college student culture: attempting to discover how group membership mediates member behavior and contributes to valued outcomes of college; using best practices of qualitative research; using flexible cognitive frameworks when collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data;…

This study focused on how the design of a national student survey instrument was informed and improved through the combined use of student focus groups, cognitive interviews, and expert survey design advice. We were specifically interested in determining (a) how students interpret the items and response options, (b) the frequency of behaviors or…