A Study On The National College Students 'Learner' S Investment Survey (NSSE)

Since the beginning of the new century, many countries have been seriouslyconcenred about the issue of the talent training quality in higher education, and theyhave rapidly changed their traditional assessment modes that mainly assess theeducational input of the colleges and universities, and have been gradually developinga series of new evaluation projects which are student-centered and evidence-basedand value the students learning experience."National Survey of Student Engagement”(namely NSSE) in America is one of the most representative projects. This studychooses NSSE as the object. The study aims to systematically elaborate NSSE projectwith the use of the latest mateirals and data, and deep explore the practical experienceand helpful enlightenments of NSSE, and so as to enrich these similar studies.This thesis is divided into three parts. Part I’ Chapter One elaborates the origin ofthis study, introduces the literature review of NSSE issues both abroad and at homeand analyses this thesis’s research programme. Part II consists of three chapters formChapter Two to Four. This part gives a systematical introduction and analysis ofNSSE, including the project’s theoretical basis, practical backgrounds, benchmarks,implementation and utilities. Part III, the last chapter seriously analyses the successfulexperience, development limitations and helpful enlightenments.This thesis mainly draws three pieces of research conclusions.Firstly, this thesis gives a deep comparison of benchmarks between NSSE-Chinaand NSSE. It reveals that, NSSE-China has inherited NSSE’s core contents and mainindicators to the utmost extent; meanwhile，it has taken up some proper innovationand localization transformation. By contrast, NSSE-China more focuses oncurriculum and teaching, and better diagnoses specific problems that exist in teachingcircumstances, as well as more reflects our current social and cultural backgroundsand higher education contexts.Secondly, on the basis of numerous cases about institutions using NSSE results,it summarizes that, there are three aspects of utilities，including promoting qualityimprovement, assisting in quality certification for institutions and giving a usefulguide to select institutions for the prospective undergraduates. Above all, to promotequality improvement is the core utility. The survey data and evaluation results can provide important data and effective analyzing fields to improve educational qualityfor colleges and universities.Thirdly，based on a comprehensive analysis of NSSE，this thesis deep thinks onthe experience and enlightenments of the project. It reveals that, third-partymanagement, continuous researches, and professional convenient services have beendirving NSSE to success; whether making the survey results known to the public andthe decline of the response rates have been impeding NSSE’s development. NSSEoffers three pieces of enlightenments. First，we should promote the diversiifcation ofthe assessment subjects; second, we should attach importance to the assessment of theundergraduate learning experience; third, we should put particular emphasis onassessment’s utility of diagnosis and improvement.