National Survey of Student Engagement:
2013
Differences between First-Year Students and Seniors
Engagement Indicators
The NSSE 2013 data provides comparisons between first-year and senior students at UM. These are crosssectional results; that is, entering students’ responses are compared to students who are already seniors, so
differences between the two groups could be due to differences already present (such as level of preparation for
college) or to growth during the college experience. Demographically, however, these two samples are very
similar (e.g. both 37% first-generation college students; 51% and 55% female).
The following set of graphs depicts the proportion of student at each level who responded “sometimes,” “often,”
or “very often” to the items posed on the NSSE that are directed at engagement both in and about of the
classroom. For the 20 items, first-year and senior students were similar for about half of the items. For
example, seniors report that they “asked questions or contributed to course discussions in other ways” more
often than did first-year students, but the groups did not differ in their answer to whether they “prepared two or
more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in.”
NSSE Information Responses
Asked questions or contributed to course
discussion in other ways
100
90
80
70
22
42
60
36
50
40
30
Often
32
20
10
Sometimes
Very Often
39
21
0
First-Year
Seniors
Prepared two or more drafts of a paper or
assignment before turning it in
100
90
80
70
60
34
33
Sometimes
50
40
30
Often
28
28
22
21
First-Year
Seniors
Very Often
20
10
0
Come to class without completing
readings or assigments
100
90
80
70
60
50
61
Sometimes
60
40
Very Often
30
20
10
0
Often
15
13
6
6
First-Year
Seniors
Attended an art exhibit, play or other
arts performance (dance, music, etc.)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
Sometimes
40
42
Very Often
30
20
10
0
Often
19
14
9
10
First-Year
Seniors
Asked another student to help you
understand course material
100
90
80
70
42
60
44
Sometimes
50
Often
40
30
38
31
11
13
First-Year
Seniors
20
10
0
Very Often
Explained course material to one or more students
100
90
80
70
42
34
60
Sometimes
50
42
40
30
40
Often
Very Often
20
10
0
13
First-Year
21
Seniors
Prepared for exams by discussing or working
through course material with other students
100
90
80
70
60
41
34
Sometimes
50
Often
40
30
20
10
0
28
13
First-Year
29
20
Seniors
Very Often
Worked with other students on
course projects or assigments
100
90
80
35
70
60
54
Sometimes
50
40
34
30
20
10
0
Often
Very Often
25
8
First-Year
23
Seniors
Gave a course presentation
100
90
80
70
38
60
50
40
Sometimes
Often
48
31
30
20
10
16
0
4
First-Year
17
Seniors
Very Often
Combined ideas from different courses
when completing assignments
100
90
80
70
36
60
35
50
40
30
0
Sometimes
Often
44
20
10
24
Very Often
37
16
First-Year
Seniors
Connected your learning to societal problems or issues
100
90
80
70
43
30
60
Sometimes
50
34
40
30
10
0
Very Often
38
20
30
14
First-Year
Often
Seniors
Included diverse perspectives (political,
religious, racial/ethnic, gender, etc.) in
course discussions or assignments
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
48
40
Sometimes
Often
29
27
15
22
First-Year
Seniors
Very Often
Examined the strengths and weaknesses
of your own views on a topic or issue
100
90
80
70
35
34
60
Sometimes
50
40
30
44
39
16
21
First-Year
Seniors
20
10
0
Often
Very Often
Tried to better understand someone elses views by
imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective
100
90
80
34
33
70
60
Sometimes
50
40
44
41
20
23
First-Year
Seniors
Often
Very Often
30
20
10
0
Learned something that changed the way
you understand an issue or concept
100
90
80
37
31
70
60
Sometimes
50
40
42
43
Very Often
30
20
10
Often
20
24
First-Year
Seniors
0
Connected ideas from your courses to
your prior experiences and knowledge
100
90
80
22
14
70
60
50
46
44
Often
40
Very Often
30
20
10
Sometimes
31
40
0
First-Year
Seniors
Talked about career plans with a faculty member
100
90
80
70
40
60
50
46
Often
40
Very Often
30
20
10
0
Sometimes
25
20
6
First-Year
16
Seniors
Worked with a faculty member on activites other than
coursework (committees, student groups, etc.)
100
90
80
70
60
Sometimes
50
33
40
30
20
10
0
Often
Very Often
29
7
2
First-Year
15
12
Seniors
Discussed course topics, ideas or concepts
with a faculty member outside of class
100
90
80
70
60
44
50
40
30
Often
0
Very Often
47
21
20
10
Sometimes
9
3
13
First-Year
Seniors
Discussed your academic performance
with a faculty member
100
90
80
70
60
46
50
40
51
10
0
Often
Very Often
30
20
Sometimes
19
13
4
10
First-Year
Seniors