New Eduventures Study Looks at Co-Curricular Programming and Impact on Student Achievement and Outcomes at U.S. Colleges
A new Eduventures report, Learning Beyond the Classroom, provides an in-depth examination of the role that college and university co-curricular activities, including clubs and organizations, play in the lives of students and the impact that participation in this programming has on student achievement and learning outcomes.
Boston, MA (PRWEB) May 20, 2008 -- A new Eduventures report, Learning Beyond the Classroom, provides an in-depth examination of the role that college and university co-curricular activities, including clubs and organizations, play in the lives of students and the impact that participation in this programming has on student achievement and learning outcomes.
The report and its findings are based in large part on responses to an online survey by more than 8,600 sophomores and seniors. Among the issues analyzed were student participation in clubs and organizations; indicators of student success (GPA, likelihood to persist, and likelihood to graduate); and impact on key student competencies - in particular, on the development of socially responsible leadership and citizenship. The effect of participation in co-curricular activities on intercultural sensitivity will be the focus of the final chapter of the report due out next month.
According to Peter Stokes, Ph.D., Chief Research Officer at Eduventures, much of the past research on student affairs programs and services has been focused on tracking students' participation in co-curricular activities and gauging their satisfaction with these programs. "Today's student affairs divisions are interested in gaining a greater understanding of the impact that their programs have in preparing students to be well-rounded and productive citizens. This study aims to help them do that by measuring both behavioral and attitudinal outcomes," said Stokes.
Key findings of the report include:
- Academic clubs (34%), career clubs (29%), community service clubs (29%), honor societies (28%), and sports clubs (27%) are the five most common university-affiliated clubs and activities in which students participate.
- As a group, students who participate in three or more clubs have, on average, GPAs over 3.0, definitely plan to persist to their junior year, and definitely plan to graduate from their current institution.
- The largest gap in participation in clubs and organizations among student sub-groups is between on- and off-campus students, creating a retention risk.
- A significant percentage of students are not participating in leadership programming and leadership development activities; 49% of students gained neither situational nor positional leadership skills in a club or organization. There is an engagement gap among male students around leadership and community programming.
- Programs in which students act as mentors, advisors, or counselors are the most important and highest impact form of leadership programming.
- Four types of community engagement have the most important impact on students' sense of citizenship: volunteer or community service, fundraising for a charity or local community, mentoring or tutoring in the community, and community involvement programs.
Learning Beyond the Classroom also provides recommendations on how student affairs divisions can effectively implement the research findings on their campuses. The report is available to members of the Eduventures Student Affairs Learning Collaborative.
About Eduventures, Inc.
Eduventures is the industry leader in shared-cost, data-driven research and consulting for higher education. Eduventures is dedicated to helping colleges and universities become more efficient and successful institutions. More than 300 higher education institutions participate in one or more of Eduventures' eight Learning Collaboratives: Academic Leadership, Continuing and Professional Education, Development, Enrollment Management, Online Higher Education, Schools of Education, Student Affairs, and Summer Sessions. Membership benefits include Collaborative Research Reports on current trends and issues, Custom Analysis, and Implementation Support, including opportunities to network with fellow professionals. Additionally, Eduventures provides consulting and management services to colleges and universities, drawing upon market research, data analysis, and best practices developed through the company's Learning Collaboratives. More about Eduventures can be found at www.eduventures.com.
###
|
