In
Volume 10, No. 2 of the DATAWave, we introduced our readers to the National
Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and examined some of the data resulting
from Eastern's participation in NSSE 2001.
The topics of the survey are:
·
Academic,
Intellectual, and Social Experiences
·
Mental
Activities
·
Reading
and Writing
·
Challenge
of Examinations
·
Quality
of Advising
·
Enriching
Educational Experiences
·
Time
Usage
·
Institutional
Emphases
·
Quality
of Relationships
·
Satisfaction
In
the last issue we looked at Mental Activities and Student Satisfaction.
In this issue we take a look at “Time Usage” and “Reading and
Writing.”
This
topic attempts to show how students use their time during their college
careers. The students were asked to respond to the following question:
About how many hours do you spend in a typical 7-day week doing each of
the following?
·
Providing
care for dependents living with you
·
Relaxing
and socializing
·
Participating
in co-curricular activities
·
Working for pay off campus
·
Working
for pay on campus
·
Preparing
for class
The
responses were scored:
|
1=
|
0 hours
|
5=
|
16 to 20 hours
|
|
2=
|
1 to 5 hours
|
6=
|
21 to 25 hours
|
|
3=
|
6 to 10 hours
|
7=
|
26 to 30 hours
|
|
4=
|
11 to 15 hours
|
8=
|
30 hours or more
|
The first chart compares ENMU 1st year students
and senior students in Time Usage.
The chart indicates that senior students devote
more time to their studies and to working than do freshmen.
The
large increase in Dependent Care is interesting and is very large when
comparing ENMU’s seniors to the NSSE means for seniors.
The
second chart compares ENMU senior students to the NSSE means. ENMU senior
students tend to spend more time than their NSSE counterparts working and
providing dependent care and less time relaxing and involved in co-curricular
activities.
The
next chart compares 1st year students to their NSSE counterparts.
It indicates that ENMU students tend to work more and spend less time
preparing for class than NSSE counterparts.
The
next chart shows the standard deviations of the means for 1st year students’
time usage. The chart indicates
that ENMU students tend to either work a lot or not work at all.
The
senior standard deviation chart shows an increase of seniors that devote time
to dependent care. The chart
indicates that they tend to either spend a lot of time or very little.
A
frequency distribution chart for the ENMU senior respondents is below.
Students
were asked to respond to the question: During the current school year, about
how much reading and writing have you done?
The
responses for questions were scored:
|
1 =
|
None
|
|
2 =
|
Between 1 and 4
|
|
3 =
|
Between 5 and 10
|
|
4 =
|
Between 11 and 20
|
|
5 =
|
More than 20
|
The
descriptions of the variables used by the NSSE in Reading and Writing are:
·
Number
of written papers or reports of fewer than 5 pages.
·
Number
of written papers or reports between 5 and 19 pages.
·
Number
of written papers or reports of 20 pages or more.
·
Number
of books read on your own (not assigned) for personal enjoyment or academic
enrichment.
·
Number
of assigned textbooks, books, or book-length packs of course readings.
The
first chart shows that 1st year students write more short papers than long
ones, and senior students write longer papers and read more outside of class.
The
next chart compares freshmen students of ENMU to their NSSE counterparts.
The
next chart compares ENMU’s seniors with their NSSE counterparts.
Reading
and Writing compared extremely close to the NSSE average of the means in each
category and grade level.
The
standard deviation showing how well the ENMU mean matches the NSSE mean is
represented in the next two charts.
The
next chart compares the senior students standard deviation for the NSSE
average.
The
next chart compares the 1st year students’ standard deviation for the NSSE
average.
Given
the size of the sample of Eastern’s respondents to the NSSE it might be
premature to state that the huge increase from freshman to senior in time
spent on care of dependents is of epidemic proportions at Eastern.
At the very least, however, it is a statistic to be watched carefully
over time.
It
is hard to imagine that the “dependent care” data does not represent a
situation that bears directly upon the success rate of our students.
It is not the function of the DATAWave to suggest solutions to the
problem. However, this data
regarding dependant care is so out of balance with the other NSSE-Eastern
comparisons that this editor felt compelled to pen these few words on the
subject.
*****************************
