Some of you are probably aware of NSSE (the National Survey of Student
Engagement) and its reports for 2000 and 2001. One of its five
dimensions, academic challenge, consists of a number of items related to
student perceptions and reporting of classroom activities in courses that
students have taken over the last year.
The VPAA at my institution has responded to concerns and requests by
some of us to examine and try to develop improved internal assessment of
"academic challenge" and related issues influencing student learning.
She has asked me to chair a small group of faculty and staff, including
our director of institutional research and planning, in studying and
proposing benchmarks that we might use internally and possibly with
several other institutions sharing a similar mission as ours.
We've begun trying to collect articles and background information on this
concern. It seems a topic for which faculty have views that range from
extreme alarm/outrage, to considerable discussion defensiveness/
resistance, to almost complete apathy. Administrators long concerned
about retention and being "student-centered" seem sensitive as well
to opportunities now to talk also about the climate of academic
challenge/rigor in their institutions.
If you've run across resources of any kind that might allow a more
penetrating analysis of means to assess and improve academic challenge or
engagement, I would certainly welcome inputs or suggestions. This list
has many participants outside the USA who might be able to provide
somewhat different perspectives on this issue. Thanks for sharing
viewpoints on this topic on this list or with me privately.
Steve Payne