In 2013 the HEA coordinated the first large-scale UK pilot of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). Unlike most surveys previously used in the UK NSSE is designed primarily to evaluate the level and quality of effort that students invest in their studies rather than their perceptions of educational provision. It was developed in the US and is also widely used in Canada Australia New Zealand South Africa and Ireland. Nine institutions participated in the UK pilot and 8500 responses were collected between February and June. Due to its success the project is being continued in 2014 with nearly 40 institutions participating and a wider range of questions being used.
In this talk Alex will describe the background and rationale of the project including the research underpinning NSSE. He will give an overview of the findings from the first year of the pilot and talk about the potential benefits of engagement surveys for the enhancement of learning and teaching.
