NSSE 2016
High-Impact Practices
University of Houston-Downtown
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
About This Report
About Your High-Impact Practices Report
Due to their positive associations with student learning and retention, certain undergraduate opportunities are designated "high-impact." High-Impact Practices (HIPs) share several traits: They demand considerable time and effort, facilitate learning outside of the classroom, require meaningful interactions with faculty and students, encourage collaboration with diverse others, and provide frequent and substantive feedback. As a result, participation in these practices can be life-changing (Kuh, 2008). NSSE founding director George Kuh recommends that institutions should aspire for all students to participate in at least two HIPs over the course of their undergraduate experience—one during the first year and one in the context of their major (NSSE, 2007).
NSSE asks students about their participation in the six HIPs shown in the box at right. This report provides information on the first three for first-year students and all six for seniors. Unlike most questions on the NSSE survey, the HIP questions are not limited to the current school year. Thus, seniors' responses include participation from prior years.
Report Sections
Participation Comparisons (p. 3)
Response Detail (pp. 5-7)
Participation by Student Characteristics (p. 8)
Interpreting Comparisons
High-Impact Practices in NSSE
● Learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together
● Courses that included a community-based project (service-learning)
● Work with a faculty member on a research project
● Internship, co-op, field experience, student teaching, or clinical placement
● Study abroad
● Culminating senior experience (capstone course, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, portfolio, etc.)
Displays HIP participation for your first-year and senior students compared with that of students at your comparison group institutions. Two views present insights into your students' HIP participation:
Overall HIP Participation
Displays the percentage of first-year and senior students who participated in one HIP and in two or more HIPs, relative to those at your comparison group institutions.
Statistical Comparisons
Comparisons of participation in each HIP and overall for your first-year and senior students relative to those at comparison group institutions, with tests of significance and effect sizes (see below).
Provides complete response frequencies for the relevant HIP questions for your first-year and senior students and those at your comparison group institutions.
Displays your students' participation in each HIP by selected student characteristics.
The "Statistical Comparisons" section on page 3 reports both statistical significance and effect size. Effect size indicates the practical importance of an observed difference. NSSE research has found that interpretations vary by HIP: For service-learning, internships, study abroad, and culminating senior experiences, an effect size of about .2 may be considered small, .5 medium, and .8 large. For learning community and research with faculty, an effect size of about .1 may be considered small, .3 medium, and .5 large (Rocconi & Gonyea, 2015).
HIP participation varies more among students within an institution than it does between institutions, like many experiences and outcomes in higher education. As a result, focusing attention on overall participation rates amounts to examining the tip of the iceberg. It’s equally important to understand how student engagement (including HIP participation) varies within your institution. The table on page 8 provides an initial look at how HIP participation varies by selected student characteristics. The Report Builder—Institution Version and your Major Field Report (both to be released in the fall) offer further perspectives on internal variation and can help you investigate your students’ HIP participation in depth.
(2007). Experiences that matter: Enhancing student learning and success—Annual Report 2007. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research.
Rocconi, L., & Gonyea, R. M. (2015, May). Contextualizing student engagement effect sizes: An empirical analysis. Paper presented at the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Denver, CO.
Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. National Survey of Student Engagement
Overall HIP Participation
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
Participation Comparisons
University of Houston-Downtown
The figures below display the percentage of students who participated in High-Impact Practices. Both figures include participation in a learning community, service-learning, and research with faculty. The Senior figure also includes participation in an internship or field experience, study abroad, and culminating senior experience. The first segment in each bar shows the percentage of students who participated in at least two HIPs, and the full bar (both colors) represents the percentage who participated in at least one.
Participated in two or more HIPs Participated in one HIP
Statistical Comparisons
The table below compares the percentage of your students who participated in a High-Impact Practice, including the percentage who participated overall (at least one, two or more), with those at institutions in your comparison groups.
Note. Percentage of students who responded "Done or in progress" except for service-learning which is the percentage who responded that at least "Some" courses included a community-based project.
a. Cohen's h: The standardized difference between two proportions. Effect size indicates the practical importance of an observed difference. NSSE research finds for service-learning, internships, study abroad, and culminating senior experiences, an effect size of about .2 may be considered small, .5 medium, and .8 large. For learning community and research with faculty, an effect size of about .1 may be considered small, .3 medium, and .5 large (Rocconi & Gonyea, 2015).
*p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001 (z -test comparing participation rates).
Note. All results weighted by institution-reported sex and enrollment status (and by institution size for comparison groups). Rocconi, L., & Gonyea, R. M. (2015, May). Contextualizing student engagement effect sizes: An empirical analysis. Paper presented at the Association for Institutional Research Annual Forum, Denver, CO.
NSSE
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First-year Students
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
Response Detail
University of Houston-Downtown
The figures below display further details about each High-Impact Practice for your first-year students and those of your comparison groups.
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together.
Learning Community Service-Learning
About how many of your courses at this institution have included a community-based project (service-learning)?
Research with a Faculty Member
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Work with a faculty member on a research project.
Note: Results weighted by institution-reported sex and enrollment status (and institutional size for comparison groups).
Seniors
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
Response Detail
University of Houston-Downtown
The figures below display further details about each High-Impact Practice for your seniors and those of your comparison groups.
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Participate in a learning community or some other formal program where groups of students take two or more classes together.
Learning Community Service-Learning
About how many of your courses at this institution have included a community-based project (service-learning)?
Research with a Faculty Member
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Work with a faculty member on a research project.
Note: Results weighted by institution-reported sex and enrollment status (and institutional size for comparison groups).
Seniors (continued)
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
Response Detail
University of Houston-Downtown
The figures below display further details about each High-Impact Practice for your seniors and those of your comparison groups.
Internship or Field Experience
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Participate in an internship, co-op, field experience, student teaching, or clinical placement.
Study Abroad
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Participate in a study abroad program.
Culminating Senior Experience
Which of the following have you done or do you plan to do before you graduate?
Complete a culminating senior experience (capstone course, senior project or thesis, comprehensive exam, portfolio, etc.).
Note: Results weighted by institution-reported sex and enrollment status (and institutional size for comparison groups).
NSSE 2016 High-Impact Practices
Participation by Student Characteristics
University of Houston-Downtown
Participation in High-Impact Practices by Student Characteristics
The table below displays the percentage of your students who participated in each HIP by selected student characteristics. Examining participation rates for different groups offers insight into how engagement varies within your student population. First-year
Notes: Percentage of students who responded "Done or in progress" except for service-learning which is the percentage who responded that at least "Some" courses included a community-based project. Percentages are not reported (—) for row categories containing fewer than 10 students. Results are unweighted, except for overall percentages which are weighted by sex and enrollment status.
a. Institution-reported variable.
b. Neither parent holds a bachelor's degree.
c. These are NSSE's default related-major categories, based on first major if more than one was reported. Institution-customized major categories will be included on the Major Field Report, to be released in the fall. Excludes majors categorized as "all other."