Running head: NSSE ASSSIGNMENT ON OUT-OF-CLASS PREPARATION 1

Action Plan Data to Assist Faculty and Academic Services with Increasing Student Out-of-class

Preparation

Mark Molinaro

Northern Arizona University

NSSE ASSSIGNMENT ON OUT-OF-CLASS PREPARATION 2

Action Plan Data to Assist Faculty and Academic Services with Increasing Student Out-of-class

Preparation

Faculty members at Northern Arizona University (NAU) use readings and textbook

materials to support, supplement and enhance the learning experience for students. By requiring

assignments to be completed before class, the faculty anticipate that students will come into class

primed, inquisitive, and engaged. When students fail to complete before class assignments they

are merely letting their education happen to them rather than being involved in the work that

effects them. In order to identify the root cause of why students are not completing the readings

we will take a look at three pieces of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement

(NSSE) for NAU. The 2010 NSSE study highlights student behavior as it pertains to academic

challenges and the active learning environment. This data will be used to develop an action plan

geared towards increasing student participation in completing assignments that faculty require

before class time. The NSSE data compiled from over 2000 NAU students randomly will

provide insight to how faculty, academic services and staff can engage with students and design

experiences both in and out of the classroom to creatively inspire students to want to participate

and invest time and resources in out-of-class preparation. Finally, we will take a look at

additional data that we should consider to learn more about how best to engage and inspire

students to participate in opportunities for learning outside the classroom. The question of what

motivates students to want to complete assignments and the “why” behind how students choose

to spend their time is important. The perceived value of an assignment and what the student may

gain from completing it versus the myriad of other encroaching influencers that the student may

have looming around them. Netflix vs. Reading an assignment as an example.

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The first data set we will take a look at is whether NAU faculty hold students to high

standards. According to the 2010 NSSE data, 52% of FY students frequently work harder than

they thought they could to meet the expectations of faculty. This leaves 48% of NAU students

falling below this line. A further area of study that could result in an action plan is to look at how

faculty are creating and communicating course expectations. How are the expectations conveyed

and how are students graded? According to Levy (2012), using rubric scales to directly measure

learning might be a way to clarify and evaluate both course purpose and how students could meet

or exceed expectations. Rubrics can also provide a reason why behind the courses and

assignments are relevant. Rhodes (2010), explains further that rubrics articulate the progressive

learning across a broader set of outcomes. He goes on to say that using VALUE rubrics can

assist the creation of rubrics without having to start from scratch. By providing clearer

expectations and standards through rubrics for what is required for out-of-class preparation the

student will have a better understanding of how much coursework is required both in and outside

of the classroom as well as how to meet or exceed the expectations of faculty. The call to action

from the NSSE data for this set is to run a cross-campus assessment survey of courses at NAU

that use rubrics consistently, evaluate the rubrics by comparing to meta-rubrics and compare pre

and post test data to see if there is an increased incidence of students meeting faculty

expectations. Bowan (2013) claims that students that self-report cognitive learning outcomes,

including longitudinal methods, can be unreliable so doing a pretest and posttest can give more

trustworthy data. He goes on to say that doing a collaborative cross-campus assessment can help

eliminate exceptions and provide more actionable data for the entire campus.
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The next NSSE data set we will look at is how much time NAU students spend on

homework each week. According to the survey 33% of FY students spend more than 15 hours

per week preparing for class. 17% spend 5 hours or less. This is difficult data to make

actionable because we are relying on students honesty and accuracy which we learned from

Bowan (####), is not completely trustworthy. The potential for spending university resources to

address this deficit could result in missing the target. However, the data does beg further

discovery into why NAU students claim they are spending so few hours preparing for class. To

get a more accurate picture of NAU student involvement in preparation for class the first action

step is to conduct interviews and focus groups. Bresciani (2004), describes the qualitative

method of interviews and focus groups as a way to gather rich detail that provides opportunity to

get at deeper levels of information. This method would get us closer to the “why” of students

not participating in time preparing for classes. This “why” would then drive the action plan more

effectively. Understanding the root reasons why students are not engaging in class preparation

time could inform both faculty and academic service staff further fueling conversations and ideas

to stimulate a university-wide action plan.

The last NSSE data set we will look at is how often students make presentations in class.

The NSSE data shows that 32% of FY students report that they make frequent presentations in

class. As we defined the problem we are seeking to address as a deficiency in NAU student out-

of-class preparation, one area that can clearly show whether students are prepared for in-class

assignments is class presentations. Students, either individually or in groups, who are involved

in presenting in class can be more motivated to be prepared than if they were simply taking a test

privately or listening to a lecture. Involving students in the planning of the work that effects

them as well as using the power of peer-formance to motivate behavior can push students to
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invest more time in out-of-class planning. For example, in the HA243 course, students engage in

four mini tasting events where they plan, prepare and execute a variety of restaurant concepts.

The pressure applied to ensure students use out-of-class time is that the doors open on event day

whether the students are ready or not. When the doors open, twenty guests from the NAU and

Flagstaff community armed with clipboards come into the kitchen, experience the service and

food that the students have prepared and write feedback for the students. The public nature of

the challenge and desire of our students to succeed are two critical requirements for this

motivation to work. The actionable step from the data that only 32% of NAU is to survey NAU

faculty who are using class presentations and interview those faculty to find out how they are

using them and to what extent those students are engaged outside of class for these assignments.

Finding best practices for classes that engage students outside of class as well as those courses

where students make the best use of time out-of-class in preparation for the class could shed light

for the whole university.

Beyond the NSSE data we would also want to look at other decision influencers that

students are exposed to while attending. Faculty are competing with a myriad of choices that

students face under pressure. Do I go to the concert or complete my assignment? Should I

watch one more episode or read my chapter? I have a club meeting but I still need to do my

quiz. Choices can also be between two positive events. Should I attend the information pathway

event hosted by my school or work on my course blog? With only so many minutes in the day

students often struggle with juggling life’s demands and distractions. The assessment I propose

that colleges consider is how the university’s service departments can better understand the time

management challenges their students face. This assessment should be ongoing and informative

in nature. The purpose of the study is to identify the challenges students have with time
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management. Although much of the data could be shared and used nationwide, every university

has unique challenges so a local instrument needs to be a portion of the assessment tool. The

goal of the assessment would be to identify the greatest challenges students face in time

management. If those challenges are caused by the university then they need to be rectified. If

the challenge is widespread and student driven then effective instruction on how to overcome

them should be broadcasted and embraced. As a faculty member, some of the student driven

distractions include: gaming, Netflix, and Snapchat. We as university professionals need to

understand why students choose these types of ways to spend their time rather than on course

studies. Another approach to discovering how best to gather information to encourage students

to invest in out-of-class preparation is to look internally at which faculty members are successful

at motivating and documenting this behavior. Find best practice within the organization and find

ways to copy the best parts in other courses and develop university wide faculty trainings.
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Works Cited

Bowman, N. (2013). Understanding and addressing the challenges of assessing college student

learning in student affairs. Retrieved from: http://www.rpajournal.com/dev/wp-

content/uploads/2013/11/SF1.pdfLast

Bresciani, M., Zelna, C., & Anderson, J. (2004). Assessing Student Learning and Development:

A Handbook for Practitioners. Washington, D.C.: NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators

in Higher Education.

Levy, J. D., McKelfresh, D. A., & Donavan, J. A. (2012). A scale for success. Talking Stick, 29

(3), 28-49.

Rhodes, T.L. (2010). Assessing Outcomes and Improving Achievement: Tips and Tools for Using

Rubrics. Washington, D.C.: Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Institutional Research and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved February 06, 2017, from

http://nau.edu/Institutional-Research/Surveys/ 2010 NSSE in Brief