Quantitative Reasoning for the Public Interest

2004 Survey of Student Learning Experiences

We presented the survey to the majority of students enrolled in Evening/Weekend Interdisciplinary Programs. The return rate on the surveys handed out was 78% and we coded over 240 responses. The questions were designed by the students enrolled in the course with significant help from pre-existing surveys designed by Institutional Research Staff. Some questions, such as the items on racial/ethnic background and on marital status were purposely left open, to learn the categories students use when they are allowed to self identify.

Survey Results

Section A: YOU: Please tell us about Yourself.

1. Age

   17 and under	18-24	25-35	36-50	51+
   2	111	62	63	12

2. ^top

   Gender

   male	female
   75	171	4

3. ^top

   Describe your race/ethnicity

   African American	African American Multi-ethnic	Arab American	Native American	Native American Multi Ethnic	Asian American	Asian American Specific
   6	3	1	3	1	1	9

   
   

   Caucasian	White	White Caucasian Multi Ethnic	Hispanic	Hispanic Multi Ethnic	Multi Racial Human etc.
   58	75	55	3	4	7

   [view full tabulations of ethnicity descriptions]

4. ^top

   During the school year, how many hours a week do you work for pay?

   0	5-10	11-20	21-35	36-50	50+	missing
   35	34	36	49	83	10	3

5. ^top

   Family and personal obligations: How many dependents do you help to support (children, elders, disabled etc.)?

   0	1	2	3	4	5	missing
   153	39	29	12	9	3	5

6. ^top

   Describe your marital status:

   Single	Divorced	Widowed	Single, but not alone	Engaged	Married	Queer partnered
   135	17	3	18	8	62	1

   
   [view full tabulations of marital status descriptions]
7. ^top

   Community Obligations – Church, volunteer etc. (Hours per week)

   0	1-5	6-10	10-20	21+	missing
   3	197	33	9	2	5

8. ^top

   Educational Background before enrolling at Evergreen

   High School	Some College	Two-year Degree	Up-side Down Degree	Four Year Degree	Grad Work	Grad Degree	missing
   42	96	90	17	1	2		2

9. ^top

   How is your education being financed? Please check all sources

   Employer	Veterans Benefit	Displaced Worker	Financial Aid	Family	Borrowed Funds	Available Funds	missing
   43	5	1	138	86	83	77	3

10. ^top

    Number of years you have taken classes at Evergreen

    0 or < 1	1	2	3-4	4-5	6+	missing
    31	96	57	54	5	4	3

11. ^top

    Class Standing

    Freshman	Sophomore	Junior	Senior	Post Baccalaureate	missing
    20	38	90	97	2	3

12. ^top

    What kind of student do you consider yourself to be?

    Occasional	Part- Time/Degree-seeking	Full-Time/Degree-seeking	Other	missing
    1	75	166	7	1

13. ^top

    Is English your second language?

    No	Yes
    241	9

14. ^top

    Which subjects have your classes at Evergreen covered? (Check all that apply)

    natural science	64		political studies	115
    behavioral science	107		philosophy	116
    environmental science	50		management	47
    computer studies	68		economics	59
    education	64		math/statistics	54
    writing	162		history	130
    arts	116		media	64
    cultural studies	138		missing	1
    health	42		other	38

15. ^top

    This quarter, when do you attend class? (Check all that apply)

    Weekday	Evening	Weekend	Intensive Weekend
    33	196	181	42

16. ^top

    What types of courses have you participated in at Evergreen? (Check all that apply)

    Course	177
    Interdisciplinary Program that lasts 1 quarter	125
    Interdisciplinary Program that lasts 2 quarters	120
    Interdisciplinary Program that lasts 3 quarters	87
    Independent Contract	55
    Internship	34
    missing	2

17. ^top

    How important are the following goals for you after obtaining a college education?
    Mark the boxes that best describe your answers

    	Not Important	Slightly	Important	Very Important	missing
    A. Have expertise in a particular field	10	32	84	122	2
    B. Make more money	14	48	113	73	2
    C. Influence or change the political system	30	90	69	59	2
    D. Meet expectations of friends and family	66	98	55	29	2
    E. Have a professional career	26	36	74	112	2
    F. Start or improve a business of my own	94	71	46	33	6
    G Help others or contribute to my community	13	42	92	101	2
    H. Improve and protect the environment	22	73	90	63	2
    I. Become an informed citizen	7	19	88	135	1
    J. Get a job of my choice or make a career change	7	17	65	159	2
    K. Readiness for graduate education	21	45	58	120	6
    L. Other (please list): [summary of 'Other']	8		5	32	205

    ---

    Section B: YOUR LEARNING: Please rate your experiences at Evergreen.

18. ^top

    How have the following aspects of education at Evergreen affected your learning?
    Mark the box that best describes your answer.

    	Very Negatively	Negatively	No Effect	Positively	Very Positively	missing
    A. Interdisciplinary approach to course content		8	20	105	105	12
    B. Group projects and other peer collaborations	2	23	36	116	65	8
    C. Academic advice from faculty	1	6	54	105	76	8
    D. The quality of faculty feedback on your work	2	9	39	104	88	8
    E. The timeliness of faculty feedback on your work	4	14	53	99	74	6
    F. Lectures and other presentations by faculty	2	4	17	124	99	4
    G. Defining your own standards for success	2	5	40	97	100	6
    H. Relationships with faculty	1	2	53	99	89	6
    I. Relationships with other students as members of a learning community		5	30	106	105	4
    J. Taking responsibility for your own learning	1	4	13	69	157	5
    K. Opportunities for advanced academic work at Evergreen	3	5	85	83	65	9
    L. Team teaching by faculty, for example in seminar	2	10	35	99	97	7
    M. Opportunities for community service or volunteer work	2	2	131	74	31	10

19. ^top

    To what extent has your experience at Evergreen contributed to your academic and personal growth in each of the following?
    Mark the box that best describes your answer.

    	Not at all	Very Little	Some	Quite a bit	A lot		Learned off Campus	Not Applicable	missing
    A. Writing effectively	5	18	66	57	56		37	2	9
    B. Speaking effectively	6	24	75	58	36		34	9	8
    C. Giving effective presentations	6	24	71	48	33		35	25	8
    D. Participating in class discussions	5	9	59	78	71		14	4	10
    E. Critically analyzing written information	3	10	54	85	66		20	5	7
    F. Defining and solving problems	6	18	89	55	42		22	10	8
    G. Learning independently	6	9	56	66	80		22	5	6
    H. Working cooperatively in a group	6	17	59	73	62		20	4	9
    I. Recognizing your responsibilities, rights, and privileges as a citizen	12	17	61	57	52		33	11	7
    J. Readiness for a career	18	37	72	45	30		19	21	8
    K. Readiness for advanced education	10	20	87	60	40		8	16	9
    L. Synthesizing information and ideas from many sources	2	8	56	83	81		7	4	9
    M. Functioning as a responsible member of a diverse community	7	19	62	70	52		25	7	8
    N. Managing your time effectively	14	30	56	63	45		31	5	6
    O. Expressing yourself in creative, dramatic, or artistic ways	14	22	64	52	59		18	13	8
    P. Using technology to present work, find information, or solve problems	22	30	58	46	37		41	9	7

    ---

    Section C: COLLEGE TEACHING SUPPORT: your sense of the help you get here.
    Working with Faculty
    Clear Teaching Objectives

20. ^top

    Is it a value to you to have class objectives clearly defined at the beginning of a course?

    Not at All Important		Somewhat Important		Very Important	missing
    3	19	49	171	5	4

21. ^top

    How many of your classes had clearly defined objectives?

    very few		some		all	missing
    12	17	68	89	57	7

    Seminar

22. ^top

    Rate the result of your learning through seminar:

    poor		good		excellent	missing
    10	30	83	72	52	3

23. ^top

    Seminar is an environment to exchange ideas openly. Rate your experience of openness:

    occasional		often		always	missing
    21	34	75	66	50	4

    Evaluations

24. ^top

    Which do you believe best shows your achievements from a class?

    Evaluations	Grades	missing
    202	25	23

25. ^top

    Generally speaking, how accurately do your SELF EVALUATIONS reflect YOUR accomplishments?

    inaccurately	somewhat inaccurately	neutral	somewhat accurately	accurately	missing
    3	6	23	76	109	33

26. ^top

    Generally speaking, how well do your FACULTY EVALUATIONS OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS reflect YOUR accomplishments accurately?

    inaccurately	somewhat inaccurately	neutral	somewhat accurately	accurately	missing
    2	10	30	80	93	35

27. ^top

    Generally speaking, how well do your EVALUATIONS OF FACULTY reflect THEIR accomplishments accurately?

    inaccurately	somewhat inaccurately	neutral	somewhat accurately	accurately	missing
    5	7	43	77	84	34

    Working with Support Staff

28. ^top

    For each of the services listed, please indicate how much your experience of working with the staff in these service areas has benefited your education:

    	Not at all	Very Little	Some	Quite a bit	A lot	Not used	missing
    A. Advising	17	45	58	46	40	39	5
    B. Library	10	26	70	58	48	32	6
    C. Computer Services	10	28	63	50	41	52	6
    D. Writing Resource Center	26	26	40	15	29	107	7
    E. Math Resource Center	50	18	10	7	5	153	7
    F. Recreation Center	37	34	24	17	15	116	7

29. ^top

    Please tell us how you contribute to the Evergreen learning community. (summary not yet available)

30. ^top

    Do you have any other comments or suggestions you would like to share? (summary not yet available)