| The
College Student Report asks students to report
the frequency with which they engage in dozens of activities
that represent good educational practice, such as using
the institution's human resources, curricular programs,
and other opportunities for learning and development that
the college provides. Additional items assess the amount
of reading and writing students did during the current
school year, the number of hours per week they devoted
to schoolwork, extracurricular activities, employment,
and family matters, and the nature of their examinations
and coursework. Seniors report whether they participated
in or took advantage of such learning opportunities as
being a part of a learning community, working with a faculty
member on a research project, internships, community service,
and study abroad. First-year students indicate whether
they have done or plan to do these things. Students also
record their perceptions of features of the college environment
that are associated with achievement, satisfaction, and
persistence including the extent to which the institution
offers the support students need to succeed academically
and the quality of relations between various groups on
campus such as faculty and students (Astin, 1993; Pascarella
& Terenzini, 1991; Tinto, 1993). Then, |
students estimate their educational
and personal growth since starting college in the areas
of general knowledge, intellectual skills, written and
oral communication skills, personal, social and ethical
development, and vocational preparation. These estimates
are mindful of a value-added approach to outcomes assessment
whereby students make judgments about the progress or
gains they have made (Pace, 1984). Direct measures of
student satisfaction are obtained from two questions:
"How would you evaluate your entire educational experience
at this institution?" "If you could start over
again, would you go to the same institution you are now
attending?"
Students also provide information about their background,
including age, gender, race or ethnicity, living situation,
educational status, and major field. Finally, up to 20
additional questions can be added to obtain information
specific to an institutional consortium. Schools have
the option of linking their students' responses with their
own institutional data base in order to examine other
aspects of the undergraduate experience or to compare
their student's performance with data from other institutions
on a mutually-determined basis for purposes of benchmarking
and institutional improvement. |
