Student Engagement and Student Learning: Examining the Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Revised National Survey of Student Engagement

The present study examined the relationships between student engagement, represented by two versions of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and self-reported gains in learning. The study drew on institutional-level data from participating institutions in 2011 and 2013. The objective of the research was to compare evidence of convergence and discrimination for the two versions of NSSE using canonical correlation analysis. Results indicated that both versions of NSSE provided clear evidence of convergence in that student engagement measures were significantly and positively related to perceived gains in learning. However, only the most recent version of NSSE provided strong evidence of discrimination (i.e., differential relationships between engagement measures and self-reported learning outcomes). Thus, the revised NSSE appears to offer substantial advantages for institutions interested in more nuanced understandings of the relationships between student engagement and perceived learning outcomes. Implications for educators, with goals of enhancing student learning, and for researchers, who often compare complex sets of data, are included.     

Centralized college admissions and student composition

Education markets are increasingly switching to centralized admission systems. However, empirical evidence of the effects of these transitions is scarce. We examine the consequences of introducing centralized admissions in the higher education market in Brazil. Using detailed administrative data, we exploit the staggered adoption of a centralized clearinghouse across institutions to investigate the impacts on student composition. Consistent with lower application frictions and higher competition, we find that centralization is associated with a decline in the share of female students and an increase in the average age of students. We also document that institutions under the centralized assignment attract students from other locations and with higher test scores. We present suggestive evidence that centralization increases stratification of institutions by quality, widening the gap between low and high quality institutions.     

Gender difference added? Institutional variations in the gender gap in first class degree awards in mathematical sciences

This article shows how multilevel modelling can be used to study institutional variations in the gender differences in achievement. The results presented are from analyses of the degree classifications of 22,433 individuals who graduated in mathematical sciences, from universities in the UK, between 1994/95 and 1999/2000. The analyses were designed to measure gender differences in the achievement of first class honours in mathematical science degrees as a whole and within individual institutions. After allowing for students' entry qualifications, age, type of course and institution attended, no systematic gender difference was detected in the achievement of first class honours in mathematical sciences at any level of entry qualifications. However, there were statistically significant variations between universities in ‘gender difference added’. This variation between institutions in gender difference added was explained by the significant gender differences in the first class degree awards made by Oxford and Cambridge universities, with no significant evidence of gender differences in the first class degree awards made by other institutions.     

Real GPA and Real SET: two antidotes to greed,sloth and cowardice in the college classroom

Recently published evidence of limited learning among American college students confirms the damage done when students, faculty and institutions pursue interests that conflict with the educational process. The ‘disengagement compact’ in which faculty tacitly trade lenient workloads and grading for higher student evaluation of teaching (SET) scores and fewer complaints from students does damage wherever it operates. The work of Johnson confirms the link between SET and grade inflation. We propose a modification of an earlier grade index, the Real Grade Point Average (GPA), and propose as well an index for SET scores, the Real SET, to make inflated grades and inflated SET scores more visible. Used by institutions, parts of institutions or individual faculty, Real GPA and Real SET would encourage and protect faculty and students who offer or seek out educational experiences that have not been deflected by greed, sloth or cowardice.     

Formula-based research incentive plans at colleges and universities

Financial problems at colleges and universities have led many institutions to initiate extra efforts to obtain extramural funds. One such effort has been the establishment of formula-based research incentive plans. These plans generally utilize the recovery of indirect costs as the basis for allocating additional incentive funds to various areas as an encouragement to obtain additional extramural funds. Data from surveys conducted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City and Ohio University were combined with National Science Foundation reports to provide information about this relatively recent phenomena. The increasing popularity of these plans was shown in that a majority of institutions had such plans in effect during FY 1979. Analyses of the effectiveness of these plans showed no statistically significant differences between institutions with incentive plans and those without such plans, although mean federal research expenditures were approximately 20% greater at those institutions without these incentive plans. The evidence presented indicates that the receipt of federal research funds is not associated with the use of a formula-based research incentive plan.     

Bidding for students in Britain — why the UFC auction ‘failed’

The economic theory of auctions is used to show that the systems recently introduced in the UK, whereby institutions bid for students, are likely to produce similar bid prices by all institutions. This prediction of theory compares well with the empirical evidence - the first run of the bidding process for universities collapsed when most institutions submitted identical bids.     

Discourses of widening participation in the prospectus documents and websites of six English higher education institutions

This article provides a comparative analysis of the discourses of widening participation used in the prospectus documents and websites of six English higher education institutions (HEIs). Taking 2007 and 2011 as snapshots, the article considers the nature of the messages being communicated to prospective students by the different HEIs in the context of the changing policy landscape. Critical discourse analysis is used to interpret the ways in which the case-study HEIs discursively positioned themselves and their prospective students – and the potential implications of this for widening participation practice. In 2007, the findings suggested sharp demarcations between the discourses chosen by the elite pre-1992 and the more accessible post-1992 institutions. By 2011, however, statements of commitment to widening participation were less overt in the post-1992 institutions, whilst there was some evidence of a shift towards a more inclusive tone by the elite universities.     

美国教师教育中的证据:现状、问题与改进

美国教师教育领域强调提供证据证明绩效和回应问责,并提供改进依据。相关机构和研究已经提供了大量证据,但仍存在证据有效性与教师教育复杂性的矛盾以及证据本身无法决定政策与实践的局限。复杂的教师教育系统要求收集和使用多样、有效的证据,建立全国性框架和共享数据库,重视证据背后的价值问题。     

A beautiful house built on sand. what makes e-communication Projects Succeed – and why are they still so rare?

Abstract

Case studies of email and video conferencing projects between partners in educational institutions in England and France are presented as a means of identifying the key issues that lead to the success of such activities. The writers, all of whom have a long history of being involved in such projects with schoolchildren and teachers, then consider the continuing failure of most educational institutions to make appropriate use of such technologies and practices despite the growing evidence for their efficacy. They suggest that key issues to be addressed include access to technology, support for teachers, understanding of pedagogical potential and the structuring of projects.     

The Origins, Forms and Effects of Modularisation and Semesterisation in Ten UK-Based Business Schools

This paper examines the introduction of modularisation and semesterisation at ten UK-based business schools. Using this case study evidence, it is argued that the main reasons for the introduction of these schemes were the personal ambitions of senior managers, pressure from external regulatory agencies and a desire to emulate initiatives undertaken by competitor institutions. In addition, it is suggested that the form of these schemes varied between institutions as a consequence of the negotiations which accompanied the introduction of these new arrangements, and constraints imposed by the legacy of earlier degree structures, regulations from external agencies, institutional geography, limits on financial resources and the organization of internal management systems. The paper concludes by arguing that these constraints have meant that modularity has had limited effects on the experiences of staff and students, but that semesterisation has significantly increased costs without any accompanying benefits.     

Academic Integration of Chinese Students in Finland and Germany: A Comparative Perspective

It has been recognized that international students studying in non-Anglophone countries face more challenges in integrating into local higher education institutions for a number of reasons, such as the local language barrier and cultural differences. This study aims to understand the challenges and coping strategies of academic integration in non-Anglophone countries from the students’ perceptive, taking Chinese students as an example and using a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with 58 Chinese students in Germany and Finland. It shows that, despite learning environment differences between Finland and Germany, Chinese students face similar challenges, including individual ones, such as the mismatch between their academic background and learning requirements, or contextual ones, such as a lack of consideration for international students in the pedagogical approach and curriculum design adopted by the host higher education institutions. The results challenge the existing stereotype of Chinese students and present evidence of students’ resourcefulness in generating novel approaches to develop their learning capabilities. It also shows that traditional learning techniques may be used as pathways to achieving deep learning and understanding.     

Ethnic Minority Experience in Higher Education

It appears that institutions of higher education in Britain are far behind the schools and colleges of further education in assessing the experience and success of ethnic minorities, and in developing and monitoring equal opportunity policies. The article starts with a review' of currently available evidence from the literature on the participation rate of various ethnic groups in higher education. This is followed by a brief discussion of some key factors influencing their entry into higher education institutions. The information available to date indicates an uneven distribution of ethnic minorities between these institutions and the subjects they offer. The article contains the preliminary findings, from a research project, on the performance of students f om ethnic minority groups at Bradford & Ilkley Community College and four other institutions of higher education in the North of England. There is a brief discussion of some important issues, including racial discrimination and racial harassment, acting as barriers to the success of ethnic minorities in higher education. It is suggested that further research in this area is urgently needed to ensure that students from ethnic minority communities benefit equally from the higher education provision in Britain.     

Market and higher education in Japan

Today, a rationale for the existence of universities and colleges is likely to be sought in terms of their economic relationships, with a focus on accountability and relevance. Moreover, while the importance of academic institutions for social and economic development through the expansion of educational opportunity and knowledge has been increasingly emphasized, the institutions themselves, exhibiting little evidence of economic efficiency and rationalization, appear to be on the road to failure. At the same time, clashes between academic freedom and accountability are becoming stronger as well as conflicts between equality and excellence. It is quite apparent that these are difficult times between universities and society in many countries. This includes some advanced countries which have achieved massification or even the post-massification stage of higher education (Arimoto, 1996; Kerr, 1994). In consideration of these and related issues, specific discussion needs to be focused on the development of market principles and mechanisms in the higher education system of Japan.     

Diversification? Trends and explanations of the shape and size of higher education

Debates and policies in Europe as regards the diversity of higher education institutions and programmes have changed substantially over the years. When expansion of the rate of new entry students was expected to grow beyond 10%, diversification between types of higher education institutions became the most popular option, whereas no consensus emerged as far as the extent of diversity and the most desirable classifications are concerned. In the 1980s, attention shifted gradually towards “vertical” differences among institutions of formally the same type. Since the 1990s, more extreme modes of vertical diversity were more frequently advocated as options to embark into world-wide competition for “world-class university”. The concurrent popular debates are criticized as blaming moderate vertical inter-institutional diversity, emphasis on intra-institutional diversity, efforts to put prime emphasis on a variety of profiles of any model other than extreme vertical diversity as counteracting “quality”, although evidence for the superiority of the model praised is feeble.     

Pre-service primary teachers’ attitudes towards inclusive education

Research has demonstrated that an important factor in the success of inclusive education is dependent upon teachers’ attitudes. Based on this evidence, the present study investigated the impact of a range of teacher variables in association with training on primary pre-service teachers’ attitudes by examining total inclusion scores, positive affect, training and perceived competence, and negative affect. Three-hundred and forty-two participants from a metropolitan Australian University studying primary school education completed the Teacher Attitudes to Inclusion Scale (adapted). Comparisons were made between participants who had received training on special education, compared with those who had not. The analyses revealed that overall, studying an elective unit on inclusive education had a positive influence over pre-service teachers’ attitudes. It was found that teaching experience had a significantly negative impact on pre-service teachers’ attitudes. The present study demonstrates the vital role that training institutions play in developing appropriate attitudes to inclusive education with significant issues around teacher training being examined. The research has important implications for training institutions, with future research being discussed.     

New evidence on outcomes from South Asian distance education tertiary institutions: some implications for future policy

To policy planners in developing countries open and distance learning (ODL), because of its cost and delivery characteristics, is and has been a very attractive option for delivering tertiary education. Yet we have very little evidence on outcomes and the system's effectiveness. Providing some of this evidence is the main contribution of this article. South Asian institutions are some of the oldest of this type and enrol a large number of students. New data from a number of ODL tertiary institutions in South Asia, gathered though a UK DFID funded project, are presented here. This data is some of the most comprehensive material gathered on the ODL experience and offers new comparative data with conventional tertiary programmes and, data on completion rates and pass rates. All this provides the basis to reach new conclusions and reaffirm old ones on where ODL tertiary institutions are most effectively able to deliver.     

中美STEM教育研究的文献计量学分析

本文基于文献计量学理论,对中美STEM教育研究的文献进行了分析,分别得出了两国在该领域的高影响期刊、文献年度分布、前十位高产学者以及高产学术机构等结果.研究表明,美国STEM教育研究人员和机构数量庞大,而国内文献总量较少,增速缓慢,各学术机构间产量悬殊,高产学者和资源分布比较集中;美国STEM教育研究注重基础性和实证性,国内综述性研究居多,缺少支撑STEM教育实践的实证性研究;美国STEM教育研究涵盖所有学段,研究主题涉及众多方面,国内研究主要针对基础教育和创客教育,对高等教育等研究不足.未来我国STEM教育研究应在教师专业发展、STEM课程融合和学习科学等方面开展广泛的本土化研究.     

Strategic decision making in higher education

One of the main objects of the recently developed policy for Dutch higher education regards the creation of a more diversified higher education system with flexible and adaptive institutions. The nature of the proposed system should, among other things, reveal itself in meaningful and discriminating institutional profiles, based on strategic institutional choices. This article reflects on the degree to which these objects are realized. After the introduction of the new planning system in Dutch higher education, the article deals with the possibility of strategic planning in higher education institutions in general. Three different, but not necessary independent, models are distinguished: the linear strategy model, the adaptive strategy model and the interpretive strategy model. It is argued that the latter model can be applied best to higher education institutions. Some evidence on strategic planning in Dutch higher education illustrates the practice in this field. Empirical evidence shows that the governmental aim to increase the diversity in Dutch higher education is not very successful up till now. On the contrary, it seems that various homogenizing developments emerge. The concept of institutional isomorphism helps to explain some of the problems institutions encounter when trying to formulate and implement their strategies.     

高等学校定位问题辨析

高等学校的定位问题是高等教育在特定历史阶段产生的问题,主要表现为趋同和攀升。适度的趋同和攀升对于培育高等教育市场和提高高校办学效率具有一定的积极作用,但问题的负面影响不可小视。政府应当采取以经济手段为主的宏观调控措施,改革政府与高校的隶属关系, 引导高校科学定位。     

Ten Years After the Spellings Commission: From Accountability to Internal Improvement

Student learning outcomes assessment has been increasingly used in U.S. higher education institutions over the last 10 years, partly fueled by the recommendation from the Spellings Commission that institutions need to demonstrate more direct evidence of student learning. To respond to the Commission's call, various accountability initiatives have been launched, profoundly reshaping how assessment has been viewed, implemented, and used in higher education. This article reviews the conceptual and methodological challenges of the assessment agenda for one of the landmark accountability initiatives, the Voluntary System of Accountability, and also documents the notable shift from a strong focus on accountability to an increasing emphasis on internal improvement. This article then discusses the most recent developments in assessment approaches and tools, and proposes a four‐element, one‐enabler assessment cycle for institutions to maximally benefit from their assessment efforts.