Serendipity35

Cathy Kelley at FDU was one of a number of bloggers that recently wrote about an article in the Nov. 14 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education that discusses the results of this year’s National Survey Student Engagement. This is the first time that NSSE has distinguished between online and face-to-face programs.

One finding was that online students are considerably more engaged in their learning than are students in traditional face-to-face programs. What does this "engagement" mean? Online students are more likely to report that they “Participated in discussions about important topics in (their) major field or discipline” or “Participated in course activities that challenged (them) intellectually.” Cathy found that online students were more likely to report that they “Participated in discussions that enhanced (their) understanding of different cultures” to be especially relevant to FDU because of its "global education" program.

Those of you who have taught or taken classes online might not be surprised by some of these engagement findings. Others may wonder why being "at a distance" would make students more engaged. The article gives some possibilities. Online instructors may be making a special effort to engage online learners. It may that online students tend to be more motivated and self-directed.

The report is not all about eLearning, but the five benchmarks (as reported in USA Today) for engaged learning are the same either way.

1. Level of academic challenge: Challenging intellectual and creative work is central to student learning. Students are asked, for example, how much time they spent preparing for class, number of written papers or reports they write, and whether the coursework emphasizes things like synthesizing ideas or applying theories to practical problems.
2. Active and collaborative learning: Students learn more when they are intensely involved in their education. Students are asked, for example, how often they participated in class discussions, made a class presentation, worked with classmates outside of class to prepare assignments, or discussed ideas from readings outside of class.
3. Student-faculty interaction: Contact with professors offers students an opportunity to see how experts think about and solve practical problems. Students are asked, for example, whether they have worked with faculty members on activities outside of coursework, received prompt written and oral feedback, or worked with a faculty member on a research project.
4. Enriching educational experiences: Activities that complement the classroom experience can make learning more meaningful. Students are asked, for example, whether they have had serious conversations with students who have different beliefs or values, or with students of a different race/ethnicity. They're also asked whether they have studied abroad and participated in student clubs, learning communities, internships and culminating senior experiences.
5. Supportive campus environment: Students perform better when their college is committed to their success and cultivates positive social relationships among different groups of people. Students are asked, for example, whether the campus provides "the support you need" to succeed academically and thrive socially and to assess, for example, the quality of their relationships with other students, faculty and the administration.