The concept of deep learning is not new to higher education. However, deep learning has drawn more attention in recent years as institutions attempt to tap their student’s full learning potential. To more fully develop student talents, many campuses are shifting from a traditional passive, instructor-dominated pedagogy to active, learner-centered activities. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on multiple years of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement, this study examines the structure and characteristics of items about student uses of deep approaches to learning. Institutions and researchers can use the resulting scales to assess and investigate deep approaches to learning. Deep Approaches to Learning 3 Measuring Deep Approaches to Learning Using the National Survey of Student Engagement Colleges and universities are devoting substantial effort to design active, learner-centered teaching and learning environments. Findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement

The Carnegie classification system has served as a framework for research on colleges and universities for more than 30 years. Today, the system’s developers are exploring criteria that more effectively differentiate among institutions. One approach being considered is classifying institutions based on students ’ educational experiences. This study explored whether it is possible to create a typology of institutions based on students ’ experiences. Results indicated that such a typology could be created, and the types were somewhat independent of institutional mission (i.e., Carnegie classification). KEY WORDS: student engagement; involvement; Carnegie classification; typology;

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between achievement and the quantity of online course materials that students printed and the frequency with which they reported using them. One hundred thirty-two graduate students from one of 11 hybrid or online classes voluntarily completed a self-report survey asking how much they printed (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%), how often they used printed materials (almost never, rarely, sometimes, often, almost always), and preference for either print, onscreen, or none. Neither quantity printed nor frequency used was related to achievement. But learner preference was associated with achievement; onscreen preference learners had higher mean rank scores than print and no preference learners. There were no achievement differences between the online and hybrid learner groups. Learners, who printed more, used more and preferred print online materials and experienced more onscreen reading difficulty than learners who printed less. Learners who used print materials more preferred reading printed materials, had difficulty reading onscreen, and were older. The convenience and accessibility of online courses attract educators and students; 90% of United States ’ public universities offer online courses and half of them offer online degree programs; over 1.3 million students were enrolled in public university online courses by 2002-2003 (Allen & Seaman, 2003). Online learners conveniently study anytime and anywhere while accessing rich online resources through course website links. However, online learning inherently requires more cognitive resources than does face-to-face learning and places a cognitive load on online learners that may affect their learning achievement (Bruggen, Kirschner,

This article investigates the effect of e-mail subject lines on survey viewing and survey response. Using two samples of students (low involvement with the survey sponsor and high involvement with the survey sponsor), the authors tested a variety of combinations of subject lines: the reason for the e-mail contact (survey), the sponsor of the e-mail (Liberal Arts University), a plea for help (request for assistance), and a blank subject line. The authors found a modest effect of subject line for the low-involvement sample, with blank subject lines yielding the highest response.

This study examines the direct, indirect, and contingent relationships between participating in a learning community, student engagement, and self‐reported learning outcomes. Using data from the 2004 administration of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), the results indicate that the relationships between a learning community experience and learning outcomes are mediated by students’ levels of engagement. Learning community participation was not directly related to gains in learning and development, but it was related to student engagement. Student engagement, in turn, was strongly related to gains in learning. In addition, institutional characteristics were related to the strength of the relationships between learning community participation and student engagement. From modest beginnings in the late 1980s and early 1990s, learning communities have become recognized as high‐impact educational experiences positively related to students ’ learning

Affirmative action in college admissions is based on the premise that a diverse student body contributes to interactions among students from different backgrounds, which are in turn positively related to desirable outcomes of college. This study evaluates the merits of this rationale for affirmative action by examining the direct and indirect relationships between student-body diversity and students ’ gains in understanding people of other racial/ethnic backgrounds. Data from a nationally representative sample of 428 colleges and universities participating in the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicated that student-body diversity was indirectly, but not directly, related to gains in understanding people from diverse backgrounds. Results supported the use of affirmative action in college admissions, indicating that student body diversity is directly related to greater interaction among diverse groups, but not the quality of interpersonal relations on campus. Diversity of the student body was indirectly related to gains in understanding diverse groups, acting through informal interactional diversity. It is imperative that colleges and universities prepare students to function effectively in a diverse society (Association of American

Almost half of the U.S. population will be racial/ethnic minorities by the year 2030 (Cortes, 1991). Colleges and universities are also becoming increasingly diverse and students of color are expected to comprise nearly two fifths of total undergraduate enrollment by 2015 (Carnevale & Fry, 2000). In several states, minority students already make up at least one third of the student body. For example, fall 2002 minority enrollments