Kerri-Lee Krause (PhD) Director, Griffith Institute for Higher Education Griffith University, Australia [email protected] Griffith Institute for

Kerri-Lee Krause (PhD)Director, Griffith Institute for Higher Education Griffith University, Australia [email protected]

Griffith Institute for Higher Education: http://www.griffith.edu.au/centre/gihe

Dimensions of student engagement in the first year

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Overview

• Engagement in context

• Three questions about engagement in 1st year

• Extending our view of engagement

• 10 principles for enhancing student engagement



Question: Have we stretched engagement as far as it should go?



Engagement in Context

• Engagement . . . Engaged . . .

• What does the term mean to you?




• Engagement: time, energy and resources students devote to activities designed to enhance learning at university

• Engagement: involvement in educationally purposeful activities (Kuh, Tinto, Pascarella & Terenzini)




• Engage . . .

– To occupy the attention, efforts

– To attract and hold fast

– To bind as by pledge, promise, contract

– Make liable

• Engagement . . .

– Appointment (noun)

– In battle, in conflict



3 Engagement Questions

1. Do we have evidence that first year students are engaged?

2. Should we be concerned that inertia has set in?

3. Are other occupations threatening engagement in the first year?

Source: The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: Findings from a decade of national studies. (2005). Krause, Hartley, James & McInnis.



1. Evidence that first year students are engaged

• Engaging . . .

– Through class contact and study

– Online

– With the university

– With peers

– With academic staff




• Engaging through class contact and study

– 16 hours per week in class

– 11 hours per week study




• Engaging online

– 4.2 hours per week online for study and research

– 2/3 use web frequently for study

– 95% use web-based course materials




• Engaging with the university

Table 1 Indicators of student engagement at the institutional level, 1994-2004 (% of students) (1994, N=4 028; 1999, N=2 609; 2004, N=2344)

Disagree Agree

I feel like I belong to the university community

2004 16 33 51

I really like being a university student 1994 1999 2004

8 7 8

18 19 17

74 74 75

I am not particularly interested in the extra-curricular activities or facilities provided

1994 1999 2004

44 43 37

28 31 31

28 27 32*2 3

* significant at .01 1 Denotes signif change 1994 - 1999. 2 Denotes signif change 1999 - 2004. 3 Denotes signif change 1994- 2004.




• Engaging with peers

Table 2 Peer collaboration trends, 1999-2004 (% of students) (1999, N=2609; 2004, N=2344)

Daily/ Weekly

Irregularly/ Never

Work with other students on course areas with which you had problems

1999 2004

44 31

56 69

Get together with other students to discuss subjects/units

1999 2004

48 40

52 60




• Engaging with academic staff

Table 3 Indicators of student engagement with academic staff (% of students) (1994, N=4 028; 1999, N=2 609; 2004, N=2344)

Disagree Agree

I feel confident that at least one of my teachers

knows my name

2004 23 11 66

I regularly seek advice or help from academic staff 1994 1999 2004

49 50 36

30 31 35

20 19 29**2 3

** significant at .05 1 Denotes signif change 1994 to 1999. 2 Denotes signif change 1999 to 2004. 3 Denotes signif change 1994 to 2004.



2. Has inertia set in?

• Inertia: tendency of matter to retain its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line



2. Signs of inertia?

• Failure to participate in learning community activities

– Almost 10% frequently come to class unprepared

– 23%: you can miss a lot of classes because notes are on the web

– 28%: seriously considering dropping out

• Emotional health (52%)

• Want to change courses (42%)

• Financial reasons (39%)



3. Are they otherwise occupied?

• In paid employment

– 1999: 51% 2004: 55%

• Hours of work per week

– 1999: 12.6 2004: 12.5

• 57% of earner learners said paid work interfered at least moderately with academic work



3. Are they otherwise occupied?

• Extra-curricular activities: interest in

– 1994: 44% 2004: 37%

• Extra-curricular activities: sport & recreation time on an average uni day

– 1994: 2.9 hrs/day 2004: 2.6 hrs/day



Extending our view of engagement

• Engagement . . . as positive connection

• Engagement . . . as appointment

• Engagement . . . as battle, conflict



Extending our view of engagement

• Engagement in battle:

– at the expense of identity

– conflict of values, cultures, ways of knowing and doing

• students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds

• indigenous students

• students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds



Comprehending and Coping Scale

• I find it hard to keep up with the volume of work

• I feel overwhelmed by all I have to do

• My course workload is too heavy

• I had difficulty comprehending my course material

• I had difficulty adjusting to the university style of teaching

(items reversed to develop scale)



Comprehending and Coping ScaleTable 4 Student subgroups showing below average engagement on


Subgroup category

Below average engagement on


Sex

--

Age

Age 20-24

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage

ATSI

Socioeconomic background Low SES

LOTE

LOTE

First in family

--

Full-time/part-time

--

International/domestic student International

Average mark

Less than 60%

Expectations of marks

Marks lower than expected

Figure 1. Dimensions of student engagement: a model (Krause, 2006)

Student

Home and community

Future/career/ employment aspirations

Paid work and other

commitments

Peers Cohort, Later years,

Cross-discipline, Beyond class

Faculty/academic staff Academic department

Learning Processes/strategies

Assessment Disciplinary conventions

Conceptual links Disciplinary culture, Research

Community of scholars/practice

Student affairs staff Support services

Institution

Culture, Practices



10 Principles for Enhancing Student Engagement

1. Create and maintain a stimulating intellectual environment

2. Value academic work and high standards

3. Monitor and respond to subgroup differences

4. Ensure expectations are explicit and responsive

5. Foster social connections

6. Acknowledge the challenges

7. Provide targeted self-management strategies

8. Use curricular structures, assessment and feedback to shape student experience and promote engagement

9. Manage online learning experiences with care

10. Recognise the complexity of engagement in policy and practice

Thank you!Questions and Discussion

Contact: [email protected]

Documents

Kerri-Lee Krause (PhD) Director, Griffith Institute for Higher Education Griffith University, Australia [email protected] Griffith Institute for