who are our students, and what are they thinking? teaching and learning forum presentation october...
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Who are our students, and what are they thinking?
Teaching and Learning Forum PresentationOctober 5, 2009
Jan Winniford, Ph.D. & Jessica Hickmott, M.A.
Presentation Overview
Assessment Approach
Characteristics of Today’s College Students
Demographics of WSU Students
Survey Results
Discussion/Implications of Data.
WSU Assessment Approach
Institutional ResearchUSHE and national data sets, National Survey of Student Engagement, Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory, Collegiate Learning Assessment
Student Affairs Assessment & ResearchStudentVoice8 national benchmarking surveys; over 50
departmental level surveys.
Attributes of Millennials
Special/ Sheltered
Confident
Team oriented
Conventional
Pressured
Achieving
Hard-wired/Technologically sophisticated.
Beloit College’s Mindset ListClass of 2013
Student entering college for the first time this fall were generally born in 1991
They have never used a card catalog to find a book.
American students have always lived anxiously with high-stakes educational testing.
Women have always outnumbered men in college.
There has always been a Cartoon Network.
There have always been flat screen televisions.
Weber State University Profile of Today's College Student
Asian/ Pacific Islander 2% Asian/ Pacific Islander 4%
African American 1% African American 2%Caucasian 59% Caucasian 82%Hispanic 4% Hispanic 5%
Native American 1% Native American 1%
Non-U.S. Citizen 3% Middle Eastern Less than 1%Other & Unknown 31% Multiracial 3%
Did not respond 4%
Demographic Information
Demographic Information
93% of students are Utah residents (35% from Weber County and 35% from Davis County)
College with the largest number of declared majors: Health Professions
Average number credits per term: 11 (undergrads).
Demographic Information The average age of students at WSU is 26
56% of students are nontraditional students (25 or older and/or have children and/or are married)
37% of students have children. This compares to 7% nationally.
84% of students work for pay; 18% of students work more than one job.
Work on-campus Work off-campus Work on- and off-campus0%
10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
9%
85%
6%
Hours Worked Per Week
Of those students working 41+ hours per week, 22% are working more than one job. The remaining 78% are working one job.
1-10 Hours 11-15 Hours 16-20 Hours 21-40 Hours Over 40 Hours
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
6% 8%
19%
52%
14%
Other Facts About Our Students
19% of students speak two languages fluently. This compares to 15% nationally.
64% of students applied to only WSU. This compares to 28% of students applying to only one institution nationally
58% of students identify as LDS; 9% as Catholic
44% of students communicate with their parents daily. 31% of students communicate with their parents a few times a week.
19% of students intend to go to graduate/ professional school.
Potential Graduate Students
Freshman 17.46% (11 students) Sophomore 22.22% (14 students) Junior 28.57% (18 students) Senior 28.57% (18 students) Other 3.17% (2 students)
Business 20% (5 students) Computer Science 4% (1 student) Education 4% (1 student) Engineering 4% (1 student) Health Sciences 16% (4 students) Arts/Humanities 8% (2 students) Physical Sciences 16% (4 students) Social Sciences 16% (4 students) Technical Sciences 4% (1 student) Visual & Perf. Arts 4% (1 student) Other 4% (1 student)
Of the 19% of students planning to attend Graduate school (64 students selected this option), class standing and majors are as follows:
First-Generation Students
13% of students self-identify as first-generation at WSU
22% of students report being the first in their family to attend college
48% of students say that neither parent graduated with a 4-year degree (the federal definition of first-generation student).
Where Students Live
48% of students live off campus with their spouse/partner/ children. This compares to 10% nationally
31% of students live with their parents. This compares with 9% nationally
14% of students live alone or with friends. This compares to 32% nationally
3% of students live on-campus. This compares to 44% nationally.
Students and Safety
96% of students feel safe on campus
15% of students have possessed or know someone who has possessed a gun on campus
77% of students believe that their safety and security is up to them.
Retention 32% of students did not feel prepared to meet academic
demands during their first year. This compares to 25% nationally.
34% of students did not believe they had the study skills to be successful during their first year. This compares to 32% nationally.
If they could start over, 82% of students would choose to attend WSU.
WSU 1st to 2nd year persistence rate is 70% (1st time, full-time, frosh, fall to fall).
Graduation
4-Year Graduation Rates
6-Year Graduation Rates
Nationally, 4-year programs 37% 57%
Utah, 4-year programs 17% 46%
WSU, 4-year programs 13% 45%
Students’ Health
94% of students described their health as good, very good, or excellent.
86% of students felt overwhelmed by all they had to do within the past 12 months
45% of students felt very lonely within the past 12 months.
40% of students report that their academics have been traumatic or very difficult to handle within the past 12 months; 45% report that their finances have been traumatic or very difficult to handle
Students’ Health
74% of students have been stressed within the past 12 months
31% of students felt so depressed that it was difficult to function within the past 12 months
8% of students have seriously considered suicide within the past 12 months; 1.7% have attempted suicide
80% of students believe that the typical student has consumed alcohol within the past 30 days. 23% of students actually have.
65% of students believe that the typical student on campus has smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days. 5% of students actually have smoked cigarettes within the past 30 days.
Students and Technology
79% of students own an iPod/MP3 player
92% of students own a cell phone
92% of students own a computer (60% desktop; 70% laptop)
11% of students use campus computers to access the Internet most often. This compares to 7% nationally.
Online Social Networking
69% of students have an online social networking profile
63% of students feel safe utilizing online communities
74% of students do not believe administrators look at their online profile.
Students in the Classroom
89% of students report that they enjoy learning for the sake of learning
38% of students report never missing class
78% of students prefer to study alone
3% of students believe that the curriculum and course offerings at WSU reflect the lives, perceptions, and contributions of people from diverse backgrounds
85% of students have never cheated on a paper, exam, or assignment.
Student Learning Styles
42% of students feel they learn more via class discussion; 25% learn more through lectures
73% say that lectures are the most common approach used in their classes; 21% say class discussions are the most common
75% of students communicate with faculty outside of class
57% prefer to do so via email
Students in remedial courses who participate in tutoring have higher pass rates.
ENGL 955 Pass Rates
0%
30%
60%
90%73%
86% 91% 92% 97%
Pass Rate Comparison for ENGL 955
Senior Student View
42% of seniors worked with faculty members on activities other than coursework (e.g., committees, student life activities). This compares to 52% nationally.
42% of seniors say they completed a culminating senior experience. This compares to 33% nationally.
48% of seniors say they often worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments. This compares to 59% nationally.
CLA Data – 2007-08
Freshmen: Based on the average SAT score 983 of the 89 freshmen sampled, their expected average CLA score was 1018
Our freshmen scored 1004, which is at the 39th percentile, toward the lower end of “At Expected”
Seniors: Based on the average SAT score 1084 of the 49 seniors sampled, their expected average CLA score was 1174
Our seniors scored 1175, which is at the 53rd percentile, nearly at the midpoint of “At Expected”
Our students’ performance moves from the lower range of “At Expected” to just above the midpoint, so our value added is at the 67th percentile, at the upper end of “At Expected.”
Technology in the Classroom
54% of students have used a website to rate a professor. This compares to 45% nationally
89% of students have used a course management system
28% of students blog. This compares to 22% nationally
50% of students instant message. This compares to 66% nationally
14% of students access the Internet during class for non-course-related reasons. 54% of students text message during class
(And, 54% of faculty have text messaged during this presentation.)
Discussion
What does all this mean for us as faculty members?
For survey information at anytime, visit: http://www.weber.edu/SAAssessment/surveys.html