Since 2000, Nessie (National Survey of Student Engagement), as the survey is known, has collected wide-ranging
data to help colleges develop effective educational practices and
promote engagement. Students are asked, for instance, how much time they
spend studying, how often they have discussions with people of a
different race or ethnicity, and how they interact with their professors
and peers.
One of the findings of the survey indicated that "Freshmen reported spending, on average, 14 hours a week
preparing for class, including studying, reading, writing, and doing
homework or lab work. For seniors, the average was 15 hours. The exception in this year's Nessie survey was students who took all of
their courses online. They spent slightly more time studying and reading
relative to those who took no online classes. And online-only seniors
were assigned substantially more writing over the course of the year, an
average of 107 pages, compared with 75 pages for students who took
courses only in person. Online students also had more favorable views of
the quality of their interactions with a range of people—faculty
members, academic advisers, student-services staff members—who had a
hand in their learning." (Source: Chronicle of Higher Education)
For the full report: Promoting Student Learning and Institutional Improvement:Lessons from NSSE at 13 (pdf)
