It is that time of year that CCSSE surveys are held at Montgomery College. This survey tires to find out what college students really go through opposed to an idea of what they go through, what their goals are and what they learn in their classes.
The CCSSE instrument asks college students how they spend their time; what they feel they have gained from their classes; how they assess their relationships and interactions with faculty, counselors, and peers; what kinds of work they are challenged to do; how the college supports their learning; and so on
Director of Media and Public Relations Marcus Rosano was asked about what CCSSE hopes to achieve. Rosano said, “In theory, it’s just one more dataset that MC can use to design an effective educational experience for students. It’s meant to enrich our programmatic decision-making by using data and benchmarks.”
MC Student Jaratta Jaffa has taken the CCSSEE test more than once, and does not speak well of the survey. Jaffa says that she hated having to take the test multiple times, and the tests are much longer than they should be.
Although students like Jaffa dislike the practice, “the goal is to provide data to administrators, faculty and program management staff on whether or not students at our school are engaged,” said Rosano.
The CCSSE is a survey that is taken every other year, and can it not be admistered online. According to the CCSSE website the survey is a pencil and paper that is held in randomly selected credit courses. The CCSSE contains a series of questions that provide information on student engagement, the indicator of learning, and the quality of community colleges.
On the survey are items that assess with institutional practices and student behaviors that are parallel with what students are learning and student retention.
The CCSSE claims the survey is “a versatile, research-based tool appropriate for multiple uses.” In addition they say the test is used to help students with what they do in and outside of class, finding out their goals, and help the college create an environment that can enhance learning, development, and success.