What Matters to What Matters to Student SuccessStudent Success

George D. KuhGeorge D. Kuh

Humboldt StateHumboldt State

Arcata, CAArcata, CAMay 18, 2011May 18, 2011

We all want the same thing—an We all want the same thing—an undergraduate experience that undergraduate experience that results in high levels of learning results in high levels of learning and personal development for all and personal development for all students.students.

What If…What If…

We imagined what our work would be like using what we know about how students learn…?

And we created optimum learning And we created optimum learning conditions for all our students…?conditions for all our students…?

Then, how would we re-design our Then, how would we re-design our institution? institution?

What kinds of teaching and What kinds of teaching and assessment approaches would we assessment approaches would we use?use?

For what shall HSU be known?For what shall HSU be known?

The Major TasksThe Major Tasks

Teach students to:ReflectReflect – on their experiences

inside and outside the classroomIntegrateIntegrate – see the connections

between different courses, out-of-class experiences, and life beyond the institution

ApplyApply – use what one has learned in different settings presenting novel challenges and opportunities (e.g., (e.g., writing across the curriculum)? writing across the curriculum)?

OverviewOverview

What the world needs now Students today Why engagement matters High-impact practices A 7-step agenda

Association of American Colleges and Universities

Narrow Learning is Not Enough:The Essential Learning Outcomes

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical & Natural World

Intellectual and Practical Skills

Personal and Social Responsibility

““DeepDeep”” Integrative Learning Integrative Learning

Deep, Integrative LearningDeep, Integrative Learning

Attend to the underlying meaning of Attend to the underlying meaning of information as well as contentinformation as well as content

Integrate and synthesize different Integrate and synthesize different ideas, sources of informationideas, sources of information

Discern patterns in evidence or Discern patterns in evidence or phenomenaphenomena

Apply knowledge in different Apply knowledge in different situationssituations

View issues from multiple View issues from multiple perspectivesperspectives

HARTRESEARCH

P e t e r D

A S S O T E SC I A

Raising The Bar

Employers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn

Key findings from survey among 302 employersConducted October 27 – November 17, 2009

for

Raising The Bar – October/November 2009 – Hart Research for10

Employer expectations of employees have increased

88%

88%

90%

91%

% who agree with each statement

Our company is asking employees to take on more responsibilities and to use a broader set of skills than in the past

Employees are expected to work harder to coordinate with other departments than in the past

The challenges employees face within our company are more complex today than they were in the past

To succeed in our company, employees need higher levels of learning and knowledge today than they did in the past

Raising The Bar – October/November 2009 – Hart Research for11

70%

70%

71%

75%

75%

79%

81%

89%

% saying two- and four-year colleges should place MORE emphasis on helping students develop these skills, qualities, capabilities, knowledge

Employers’ Top Priorities for Student Learning In College

Effective oral/written communication

Critical thinking/ analytical reasoning

Knowledge/skills applied to real world

settingsAnalyze/solve

complex problemsConnect choices and

actions to ethical decisions

Teamwork skills/ ability to collaborate

Ability to innovate and be creative

Developments in science/technology

Broad Skills/Knowledge AND Specific Broad Skills/Knowledge AND Specific Skills/ Knowledge Are Needed for Skills/ Knowledge Are Needed for

Career SuccessCareer Success

20%

20%

59%

Which is more important for recent college graduates who want to pursue advancement and long-term career success at your company?

BOTH in-depth AND broad range of skills and knowledge

Broad range of skills and knowledge that apply to a range of fields or positions

In-depth knowledge and skills that apply to a specific field or position

What Matters to Student SuccessWhat Matters to Student Success

Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Buckley, J.A., Bridges, B.K., & Hayek, J.C. (2007). Piecing together the student success puzzle: Research, propositions, and recommendations. ASHE Higher Education Report, 32(5). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Commissioned papers at:http://nces.ed.gov/npec/papers.asphttp://nces.ed.gov/npec/papers.asp

Students TodayStudents Today

An entitlement An entitlement mentalitymentality

Trends in High School GradesTrends in High School Grades

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

1969 1974 1979 1984 1989 1994 2010

A- or better

C+ or less

Students TodayStudents Today

An entitlement An entitlement mentality mentality

Cumulative Cumulative deficit re: deficit re: attitudes, study attitudes, study habits, academic habits, academic skillsskills

What to Do?!?What to Do?!?

Student success requires that Student success requires that we explain more things to we explain more things to todaytoday’’s students that we once s students that we once took for granted – took for granted –

““You must buy the book, you You must buy the book, you must read it and come to class, must read it and come to class, you must observe deadlines or you must observe deadlines or make special arrangements make special arrangements when you miss onewhen you miss one”” Prof. Richard Turner (1998, p.4)

Students TodayStudents Today

An entitlement An entitlement mentality mentality

Cumulative Cumulative deficit re: deficit re: attitudes, study attitudes, study habits, academic habits, academic skillsskills

DualisticDualistic

Students TodayStudents Today

More diverse than More diverse than previous cohortsprevious cohorts

Techno-savvy Techno-savvy ““NetGensNetGens””

Connected to familyConnected to family

Pre-college Characteristics Pre-college Characteristics Associated with Student SuccessAssociated with Student Success

Academic preparationAcademic preparation

Pre-college Characteristics Pre-college Characteristics Associated with Student SuccessAssociated with Student Success

Academic preparationAcademic preparationAbility and college-level skillsAbility and college-level skillsFinancial wherewithal Financial wherewithal Family education and supportFamily education and support

Early College Indicators of Early College Indicators of Persistence and SuccessPersistence and Success

Psycho-social fit Psycho-social fit Goal realizationGoal realization Credit hours completedCredit hours completed Academic and social supportAcademic and social support Involvement in the Involvement in the ““rightright”” kinds kinds

of activitiesof activities

Early College Indicators of Early College Indicators of Persistence and SuccessPersistence and Success

Goal realizationGoal realization Psycho-social fitPsycho-social fit Credit hours completedCredit hours completed Academic and social supportAcademic and social support Involvement in the Involvement in the ““rightright”” kinds kinds

of activitiesof activities

What Really Matters in College: Student EngagementStudent Engagement

Because iBecause individual effort and ndividual effort and involvement are the critical involvement are the critical determinants of college impact, determinants of college impact, institutions should focus on the institutions should focus on the ways they can shape their ways they can shape their academic, interpersonal, and academic, interpersonal, and extracurricular offerings to extracurricular offerings to encourage encourage student engagementstudent engagement. .

Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005, p. 602

Foundations of Student EngagementFoundations of Student Engagement

Time on task Time on task (Tyler, 1930s)(Tyler, 1930s)

Quality of effort Quality of effort (Pace, 1960-70s)(Pace, 1960-70s)

Student involvement Student involvement (Astin, 1984)(Astin, 1984)

Social, academic integration Social, academic integration (Tinto,1987, 1993)(Tinto,1987, 1993)

Good practices in Good practices in undergraduate education undergraduate education (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)(Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

College impact College impact (Pascarella, 1985)(Pascarella, 1985)

Student engagement Student engagement (Kuh, 1991, (Kuh, 1991, 2005, 2007)2005, 2007)

Student Engagement TrifectaStudent Engagement Trifecta

What students What students dodo -- time and energy -- time and energy devoted to educationally purposeful devoted to educationally purposeful activitiesactivities

What institutions What institutions dodo -- using -- using effective educational practices to effective educational practices to induce students to do the right induce students to do the right thingsthings

Educationally effective institutions Educationally effective institutions channel student energy toward channel student energy toward the the right activitiesright activities

Good Practices in Good Practices in Undergraduate EducationUndergraduate Education

(Chickering & Gamson, 1987; (Chickering & Gamson, 1987; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005)

Student-faculty contactStudent-faculty contact Active learningActive learning Prompt feedbackPrompt feedback Time on taskTime on task High expectationsHigh expectations Respect for diverse learning stylesRespect for diverse learning styles Cooperation among studentsCooperation among students

National Survey of National Survey of Student EngagementStudent Engagement(pronounced “nessie”)

Community College Community College Survey of Student Survey of Student EngagementEngagement(pronounced “cessie”)

College student surveys that assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices associated with high levels of learning and development

Effective Educational PracticesEffective Educational Practices

Level of Level of Academic Academic ChallengeChallenge

Active & Active & Collaborative Collaborative

LearningLearning

EnrichingEnrichingEducational Educational ExperiencesExperiences

SupportiveSupportiveCampusCampus

EnvironmentEnvironment

Student-Student-Faculty Faculty

InteractionInteraction

Key findingsKey findings

Grades, persistence, student satisfaction, gains across a range of desired outcomes, and engagement go hand in hand

ItIt’’s more complicated than this…s more complicated than this…

Many of the effects of college Many of the effects of college are are ““conditionalconditional””

Some are compensatorySome are compensatorySome have unusually positive Some have unusually positive

effectseffects

WhoWho’’s s (on average) more engaged?more engaged?

WomenWomen Full-time studentsFull-time students Students who live on campusStudents who live on campus Students with diversity Students with diversity

experiencesexperiences Students who start and stay at Students who start and stay at

same schoolsame school

WhoWho’’s more engaged?s more engaged?

Women Full-time students Students who live on campus Students with diversity

experiences Students who start and stay at

same school Students who have done Students who have done ““high- high-

impactimpact”” practices practices

www.aacu.org

High-Impact ActivitiesHigh-Impact Activities

First-Year Seminars and Experiences First-Year Seminars and Experiences  Common Intellectual ExperiencesCommon Intellectual Experiences Learning CommunitiesLearning Communities Writing-Intensive CoursesWriting-Intensive Courses Collaborative Assignments and ProjectsCollaborative Assignments and Projects ““Science as Science Is DoneScience as Science Is Done””; ;

Undergraduate Research Undergraduate Research Diversity/Global LearningDiversity/Global Learning Service Learning, Community-Based Service Learning, Community-Based

Learning Learning InternshipsInternships Capstone Courses and ProjectsCapstone Courses and Projects

Integrating ideas or information from various sources

Included diverse perspectives in class discussions/writing

Put together ideas from different courses

Discussed ideas with faculty members outside of class

Discussed ideas with others outside of class

Analyzing the basic elements of an idea, experience, or theory

Essential Learning Outcome: NSSE Deep/Integrative Learning

Synthesizing & organizing ideas, info., or experiences

Making judgments about the value of information

Applying theories to practical problems or in new situations

Examined the strengths and weaknesses of your own views

Tried to better understand someone else's views

Learned something that changed how you understand an issue

Effects of Participating in High-Impact ActivitiesEffects of Participating in High-Impact Activitieson Deep/Integrative Learning and Gainson Deep/Integrative Learning and Gains

Deep

Learning Gains

General Gains

Personal Gains

Practical

First-Year

Learning Communities +++ ++ ++ ++ Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++

Senior

Study Abroad ++ + ++ Student-Faculty Research +++ ++ ++ ++ Internship ++ ++ ++ ++

Service Learning +++ ++ +++ ++ Culminating Experience ++ ++ ++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

Effects of Participating in High-Impact ActivitiesEffects of Participating in High-Impact Activitieson Student Engagementon Student Engagement

Level of Academic Challenge

Active and Collab.

Learning

Student-Faculty

Interaction

Supportive Campus

Env.

First-Year Learning Communities ++ +++ +++ ++ Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++

Senior Study Abroad ++ ++ ++ + Student-Faculty Research +++ +++ +++ ++ Internship ++ +++ +++ ++

Service Learning ++ +++ +++ ++ Culminating Experience ++ ++ +++ ++ + p < .001, ++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .10, +++ p < .001 & Unstd B > .30

High-Impact Activities High-Impact Activities Increase Odds Students Will:Increase Odds Students Will:

Invest time and effort Invest time and effort Interact with faculty and peers Interact with faculty and peers

about substantive mattersabout substantive matters Experience diversityExperience diversity Get more frequent feedbackGet more frequent feedback Reflect & integrate learningReflect & integrate learning Discover relevance of learning Discover relevance of learning

through real-world applicationsthrough real-world applications

Impact of High-Impact Activities Impact of High-Impact Activities Enhanced When:Enhanced When:

Structure and expectations set at Structure and expectations set at appropriately high levelsappropriately high levels

Interact with faculty and peers about Interact with faculty and peers about substantive matterssubstantive matters

Experience diversityExperience diversity Get more frequent feedbackGet more frequent feedback Reflect & integrate learning Discover relevance of learning Discover relevance of learning

through real-world applicationsthrough real-world applications Public demonstration of Public demonstration of

competencecompetence

High-Impact Practices and the High-Impact Practices and the Disparities Within…Disparities Within…

Frosh: Service Learning and LCsFrosh: Service Learning and LCs Parity among racial/ethnic groupsParity among racial/ethnic groups Fewer 1Fewer 1stst gen students gen students Fewer part-time studentsFewer part-time students Fewer transfer studentsFewer transfer students Fewer older studentsFewer older students

High-Impact Practices and the High-Impact Practices and the Disparities Within…Disparities Within…

SSeniors in All HIPseniors in All HIPs Fewer 1Fewer 1stst gen students gen students Fewer students of colorFewer students of color Fewer transfer studentsFewer transfer students Fewer part-time studentsFewer part-time students Fewer older studentsFewer older students

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda

1.1. Put money where it makes a Put money where it makes a difference to student success.difference to student success.

“…in professional baseball it still matters less how much you have than how well you spend it”

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda

1.1. Put money where it makes a Put money where it makes a difference to student success.difference to student success. It’s not It’s not how much how much you spend but you spend but wherewhere (DEEP study, Delta Cost Project, Cornell studies)

Occasional Paper #3

Connecting the Dots Between Learning and Resources

Jane V. WellmanWith all the talk about the need for more accountability, surprisingly little is known about what kind of resources an institution needs in order to produce a given level of student attainment.  

www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/OccasionalPapers.htmwww.learningoutcomeassessment.org/OccasionalPapers.htm

WellmanWellman’’s Conclusions s Conclusions

Intentionality matters as much or more than money alone

Spending on instruction and student services pays off in learning, retention and graduation

Excess units cost institutions money, cost students in time and money, and do not get students to the finish line

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda

1. Put money where it makes a difference to student success.

2.2. Sunset redundant and ineffective Sunset redundant and ineffective programsprograms

3.3. Have Have every student every student do (at least) one do (at least) one high-quality high-quality ““high-impacthigh-impact”” experience experience in the first year and another linked to in the first year and another linked to the major the major 

4.4. Make work a high-impact activityMake work a high-impact activity

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda1. Put money where it makes a difference to

student success.

2. Sunset redundant and ineffective programs

3. Make it possible for every student to do at least one high-quality “high-impact” experience in the first year and another later linked to the major 

4. Make work a high-impact activity

5.5. Develop and use Develop and use checklistschecklists ((Gawande, 2009) where they have promise to where they have promise to make faculty and staff more intentional make faculty and staff more intentional in their practice in their practice

Why We Need ChecklistsWhy We Need Checklists

“The volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely, or reliably” (p. 13)

“Checklists ..remind us of the minimum necessary steps and make them explicit. They not only offer the possibility of verification but also instill a kind of discipline of higher performance” (p. 36)

Where Checklists Could Make a DifferenceWhere Checklists Could Make a Difference

Academic advisingAcademic advising Service learning coursesService learning courses Internships, field placementsInternships, field placements Independent student inquiriesIndependent student inquiries Academic skills centersAcademic skills centers Residence hall & student group Residence hall & student group

advisorsadvisors Study abroad coordinatorsStudy abroad coordinators Faculty designing assignments to Faculty designing assignments to

connect work with course learning connect work with course learning (look to work colleges…)(look to work colleges…)

Others?Others?

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda

1. Put money where it makes a difference to student success

2. Sunset redundant and ineffective programs

3. Have every student do (at least) one high-quality “high-impact” experience in the first year and another linked to the major 

4. Make work a high-impact activity

5. Use checklists

6.6. Insist on doing what worksInsist on doing what works

Engaging Pedagogies and PracticesEngaging Pedagogies and Practices

a.a. Classroom organization Classroom organization b.b. Early and continuing assignments Early and continuing assignments

requiring reflection and integration requiring reflection and integration coupled with feedbackcoupled with feedback

c.c. Use of peer preceptors/mentorsUse of peer preceptors/mentorsd.d. One minute papers (variations)One minute papers (variations)e.e. Case studiesCase studiesf.f. DebatesDebatesg.g. SimulationsSimulationsh.h. Small group problem setsSmall group problem setsi.i. Others…Others…

Targets of OpportunityTargets of Opportunity

Front-load resources and supportFront-load resources and support Require advising and orientationRequire advising and orientation Use valid placement testsUse valid placement tests Reduce D/W/F ratesReduce D/W/F rates Deploy early warning systemsDeploy early warning systems Organize residences around Organize residences around

educational themeseducational themes Communicate with at-risk student Communicate with at-risk student

family membersfamily members

7 Step Agenda7 Step Agenda

1. Put money where it makes a difference to student success

2. Sunset redundant and ineffective programs

3. Have every student do (at least) one high-quality “high-impact” experience in the first year and another linked to the major 

4. Make work a high-impact activity

5. Use checklists

6. Insist on doing what works

7.7. Stay the courseStay the course

7. Stay the course7. Stay the course

The good-to-great-transformations The good-to-great-transformations never happened in one fell swoop. never happened in one fell swoop. There was no single defining action, There was no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment. Sustainable no miracle moment. Sustainable transformations follow a predictable transformations follow a predictable pattern of buildup and pattern of buildup and breakthrough…breakthrough…

(Collins, 2001, p. 186)

7. Stay the course7. Stay the course

For what shall HSU be known?For what shall HSU be known?

LeadershipLeadership

IntentionalityIntentionality

If it works, consider requiring itIf it works, consider requiring it

Beware the implementation dipBeware the implementation dip

High performance High performance is not guaranteed to lastis not guaranteed to last

It’s not complacency but over-reaching that better explains how the once invincible self-destruct

Keys to Sustaining the Keys to Sustaining the Student Success AgendaStudent Success Agenda

a. Student success becomes an institutional priority when everyone--especially campus leaders--make it so.

b. Measure and act on what matters to student success

c. Stay positively restless

The Major TasksThe Major Tasks

Teach students to:ReflectReflect – on their experiences

inside and outside the classroomIntegrateIntegrate – see the connections

between different courses, out-of-class experiences, and life beyond the institution

ApplyApply – use what one has learned in different settings presenting novel challenges and opportunities (e.g., (e.g., writing across the curriculum)? writing across the curriculum)?

Last WordLast Word

We must embrace the lineage of We must embrace the lineage of our students. our students.

Campus cultures do not change Campus cultures do not change easily or willingly. easily or willingly.

To foster more student success we To foster more student success we must use promising policies and must use promising policies and practices more consistently practices more consistently throughout the institution.throughout the institution.

Do we have the Do we have the willwill to do so? to do so?

Questions Questions & &

DiscussionDiscussion