Two-Phase Validation Pilot for Measuring Engineering Student and Faculty Engagement

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Engineering - Other (59), Science and Technology Assessments (91) The goal of this project is to test and refine the Engineering National Survey of Student Engagement (E-NSSE), and its faculty version, the Engineering Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (E-FSSE), both of which focus on undergraduate-level engineering. Starting with preliminary instruments that were developed using the literature on principles of best practices in teaching and learning, the project is piloting the instruments at seven highly-regarded engineering colleges, including two minority-serving institutions. This allows the project to investigate validity and reliability, as well as other properties of the surveys, and to refine them. The results of the first pilot study will be given to the participants and disseminated through national engineering meetings. The second study pilots the surveys at a wider range of schools, and dissemination will be similarly broader. The project's final report will be mailed to engineering department heads across the country. Once the instruments developed by the project are in final form, the data they provide will be instrumental in tracking the engagement of engineering students and faculty across the country. This, in turn will help to judge national state of engineering education, and to follow trends over time. Appropriate use of the instruments can also help institutions and faculty improve teaching and learning, revise programs, and gain a better understanding over time of engineering and student behavior.