A topical module around inclusiveness and engagement with cultural diversity debuted in this year’s NSSE survey, and the results prompted discussions around teaching practices. 
Every year since 2000, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has conducted annual surveys around the undergraduate experience which produce data that helps colleges and universities improve student learning and success. The surveys include topical modules on things such as academic advising, learning with technology and experiences with writing.
The NSSE’s annual report titled “Engagement Insights: Survey Findings on the Quality of Undergraduate Education” released this week included responses to a new set of questions on inclusiveness and engagement with cultural diversity. There are also new insights into issues impacting LGBQ+ and gender-variant students.
For the 2017 survey, 630 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions participated, with questions being given to first-year and senior students. Of those, 132 institutions elected to answer the new module, which included questions about how much coursework emphasized issues such as cultural norms and biases and learning from other cultures.
“This was a natural extension of some of the core survey items that have been part of the survey for a long time,” said Dr. Jillian Kinzie, associate director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University School of Education. “Good educational practice suggests that when students encounter diversity—whether that’s diverse ideas or people who have views that are very different than theirs—it deepens their learning.”
Kinzie added, “This expansion of items came out of a desire to dig deeper around inclusive teaching practices and to try and better understand the institution’s commitment to diversity.”
The findings noted that students in courses with more inclusive practices reported greater learning and engagement. About three in five college students said their courses emphasized sharing their own perspectives and experiences and/or respecting the expression of diverse ideas. Students in courses with more inclusive classroom practices reported engaging in more reflective and integrative learning and feeling a greater sense of institutional support.
