SETU and units

This unit challenged me to learn

The results from this item need to be considered carefully, as the concept of 'academic challenge' is essentially a psychometric construct inferred from factor analysis of SET data relating to student engagement (Coates, 2010; Kuh, 2009). In the NSSE and AUSSE instruments, academic challenge is not measured by any single question item; rather it is a scale measure that is derived from student responses to a number of question items. In addition to the open-ended student feedback comments received, interpretation of the result for this item in SETU may be aided by considering the question items in the AUSSE SEQ instrument that are included in the academic challenge scale (keeping in mind that the AUSSE asks students to consider their program of study as a whole, during the current year):

• Worked harder than you thought you could to meet a teacher's standards or expectations (Never, Sometimes, Often, Very often)
• Course work emphasised: Analysing the basic elements of an idea, experience or theory, such as examining a particular case or situation in depth and considering its components (Very little, Some, Quite a bit, Very much)
• Course work emphasised: Synthesising and organising ideas, information or experiences into new, more complex interpretations and relationships (Very little, Some, Quite a bit, Very much)
• Course work emphasised: Making judgements about the value of information, arguments or methods, such as examining how others gather and interpret data and assessing the soundness of their conclusions (Very little, Some, Quite a bit, Very much)
• Course work emphasised: Applying theories or concepts to practical problems or in new situations (Very little, Some, Quite a bit, Very much)
• Reading assigned textbooks, books or book-length packs of subject readings (None, 1 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 20, More than 20)
• Number of written assignments fewer than 1,000 words (None, 1 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 20, More than 20)
• Number of written assignments between 1,000 and 5,000 words (None, 1 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 20, More than 20)
• Number of written assignments more than 5,000 words (None, 1 to 4, 5 to 10, 11 to 20, More than 20)
• Hours per typical seven-day week spent preparing for class (e.g. studying, reading, writing, doing homework or lab work, analysing data, rehearsing and other academic activities) (None, 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, 16 to 20, 21 to 25, 26 to 30, Over 30)

Institutional emphasis: Spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work (Very little, Some, Quite a bit, Very much).

Activity

In addition to the question items relating to 'academic challenge' included in the AUSSE, are there any other aspects of student engagement that you think constructively contribute to challenging students to learn? What are they?

Forward to: In general