Coming back together matters! Coming back together can offer many students a chance to interact with people outside of their traditional social circles. This can expose students to new and different ways of perceiving the world and – in the best of circumstances – helping them to develop empathy for others’ perspectives. Intentional programming in on-campus residential living can make a strong contribution to the development of empathy, a crucial component in living in any community. Using a national dataset constructed from the 2021-2022 administration of Skyfactor’s ACUHO-I/Benchworks Resident Assessment of over 150,000 college students from nearly 200 colleges and universities in the United States, findings show that higher levels of program participation were associated with greater perceived gains in six areas of skill needed in a community setting, particularly skills related to interacting with diverse others as well as respecting and trusting others and feeling accepted by them. ... View more

A key consideration for any assessment project is the timing of it. Questions related to timing are some of the most common questions that Skyfactor’s Analytics & Research Team gets from clients. And, it’s a good question to ask. Considering the timing of your assessment is a crucial component of a good assessment project. Previously, our Director of Analytics & Research, Sherry Woosley, wrote about the timing of assessments, in particular, whether or not there are advantages to surveying in fall versus spring. While the timing of your assessment is important, so is the frequency. Another common question we get from clients relates to how often to assess, including if a benchmarking assessment should be administered every year. This question is most common from campuses that have conducted benchmarking assessments for multiple consecutive years and say that, at a high level, their results simply don’t change much. There are valid reasons for considering a shift to administering a benchmarking assessment every other year or as part of a cycle. Cost, especially, is one benefit. There is an assumption that, since the high-level results don’t change much from year to year, an every-other-year approach will save money and provide a sufficient snapshot of any changes over time. And, campuses may save money or be able to triangulate data better by pulling in other assessments in the off-years. But, there are real benefits to conducting a benchmarking survey each year. Justifying Needs Annual benchmarking data allows a department to make a more compelling case for justifying particular needs. By breaking down results across campus, departments are more easily able to identify exactly where improvements should be made. For example, for a housing department looking to make a difference in facilities satisfaction, identifying specific buildings that need improvement (even something as simple as new paint in common areas) can go a long way. Identifying issues not only at a granular level but also as they come up allows campuses to justify changes, especially minor changes that can have an immediate impact. One of the common reasons campuses administer a survey in fall versus spring is to allow time to react and implement changes during the current academic year that reflect the pressing needs of your current students. Surveying each year allows your campus to take quick action and make a difference. Motivating Staff One of the value points of benchmarking data is the ability to use data to motivate and excite staff. Many campuses use the ability to share reports with current staff as a mechanism to review performance and identify areas of improvement. And, since reports can be filtered to a population or area that is directly applicable to individual staff members, it makes the data more personal. Sharing filtered reports with residence hall directors, assistant directors of student activities, orientation leaders, and more, you can use annual results to motivate your staff and focus their efforts on areas that can make a difference. Studying Smaller Populations Annual surveys allow for opportunities to better focus on smaller populations. At the aggregate level, campus-level results may look really good! However, many benefit from using the survey to target specific populations to improve experiences more intimately. If you are using the survey every year, you are better able to address issues that disproportionately affect smaller populations, as well as focus on improvements to different, smaller populations each year. Demonstrating Improvement Annual benchmarking data allow your campus to demonstrate the impact of your efforts every year. Our efforts to improve the student experience never stop. So, collecting data each year allows for a better demonstration of the impact of specific efforts. The before and after snapshot of a new programming effort, targeted staff outreach, new learning outcomes, or facility improvements are incredibly valuable to demonstrate that your efforts make a difference. If left to data collected only every few years, it’s more difficult to identify which efforts had an impact on the learning and satisfaction of your students. Ultimately, collecting data annually allows campuses to better tell a compelling data story highlighting their hard work. While those who work closely with student affairs departments understand the incredible impact of their efforts, compelling data points are necessary to justify resources, educate external stakeholders, and justify efforts, especially at a time when campuses are being asked to do more with less. Annual data collection empowers departments to tell a more impactful story of the hard work they do every year. Whether to demonstrate the impact of efforts, justify resources, better identify needs, or continually motivate staff, there are significant benefits to collecting benchmarking data each year. ... View more

Coming back together matters! The social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant fewer interactions with peers and as a result, fewer opportunities to learn important social interaction skills essential to living in a community. These skills are among those realized through intentional programming in on-campus residential living. Using a national dataset constructed from the 2021-2022 administration of Skyfactor’s ACUHO-I/Benchworks Resident Assessment of over 150,000 college students from nearly 200 colleges and universities in the United States, findings show that higher levels of program participation were associated with greater perceived gains in four key skills needed to survive and thrive in a community setting. ... View more

  On-Demand We wondered, so we asked. Listen in as we explore the results from the fall 2022 SACSA/Skyfactor Employee Survey to answer some of our biggest questions about student affairs employee experiences. Is retention a bigger issue for newer employees? How important is salary as a lever for retention? We’ve shared what we’ve learned so far and discussed implications.    View the Recording Here! View the Recording ... View more

On-Demand In this on-demand video, Jason Wallace and Thomas Bruick from SACSA join Sherry Woosley and Matt Venaas from Skyfactor to share insights from last fall's survey of current student affairs employees. Stay in the loop on future updates about the survey results at: https://bit.ly/sacsasurveyresourcepage   View the Recording Here! View the Recording ... View more

iClicker is evolving to help strengthen how you engage students and create closer connections. Here's what you can look forward to in iClicker Cloud in 2023.   Groups Coming soon! There is abundant evidence that group-based activities have a proven impact on learning and student well-being. However, it can be difficult to manage for instructors and issues persist in assuring equitable and full group participation. With features built-in to help groups vote and reach consensus, iClicker Groups helps manage group exercises in class.               Quizzing Available now! Instructor improvements: Updated Quizzing settings more closely resemble Polling settings, and the process to start a quiz in class has been simplified.   Available now! Student improvements: The experience of taking a quiz more closely resembles responding to a poll or assignment. Navigation between quiz questions and quiz submission have been simplified.   Coming soon! Pre-authored Quizzing makes it easy for instructors to create, administer, and grade digital quizzes for synchronous classes. This new option displays pre-authored questions to students by allowing instructors to upload quiz questions as PDFs.               Screen Capture Coming soon! A new screen capture option allows instructors to share screenshots with students without having to run a poll. Students will have access to the shared lecture slides or other captured content outside of class and can create flashcards or a practice test for review using Study Tools in the student app.   ... View more

We asked some of our super users how iClicker helped them demonstrate the value of education to their students. Here’s what they had to say: “Macmillan tools help me create a blended learning classroom where I can focus on honest discussions, emphasize how the material connects to their lived experiences, and provide meaningful assignments targeting technology-mediated competencies.” Matthew Ingram, Dakota State University “Indirectly, the engaging materials display the joy of learning. It's not a statement, but an experience that students have when interacting with the materials.” Jillene Seiver, Eastern Washington University  “I find that iClicker is a wonderful tool for creating a more interactive learning experience for my students. It helps them stop and think about what they have been learning in class and because of the way in which they don't have to reveal themselves by raising their hands to answer a question, they become more comfortable with their uncertainty and more open to learning.” Jeffrey Henriques, University of Wisconsin Looking for more ideas? Schedule a demo or training to discuss how iClicker could support your class. ... View more

We asked some of our super users how iClicker helped them support academic integrity in their classrooms. Here’s what they had to say: “Quiet or less confident students aren't as likely to participate in Socratic method or cold calling. The use of iClicker allows ALL students to participate including those who are less confident or quiet. The inclusiveness is refreshing and allows the instructor to determine where everyone is in their understanding.” -Candace Timpte, Biology “With iClicker questions that students have difficulty with, I will sometimes stop class and have them discuss their answers with their neighbors and then answer again. I will sometimes use anonymous mode when asking questions that are of a sensitive nature so that students don't feel exposed by their answers. I am also using Achieve in the hopes of boosting student performance by helping students see the connections between the questions and the textbook.” -Jeff Henriques, Psychology "We use iClicker in our seminar sessions consisting of about 30 students. Being able to participate anonymously and with the click of a button on their smartphone ensures that all students are able to participate and express their opinions (not just students who are more actively engaged or outspoken) without fear of judgment." -Marissa Dahari, Molecular Biology Interested in ways you might be able to use iClicker to foster an environment where every student belongs and has a chance to participate? Check out 10 Tips to Foster Equity Through Technology. Still looking for more ideas? Schedule a demo or training to discuss how iClicker could support your class. ... View more

Thomas Jefferson University was awarded the 2022 Assessment & Impact Award for Nursing Education for significant improvement to students’ overall satisfaction with the program. After data identified faculty responsiveness and the need for more student feedback as areas of concern for students, the nursing program implemented a range of new initiatives, including faculty training, updated grading rubrics, revising course evaluations, and use of technology to better engage students with faculty. Learn more in the attachment below! ... View more

King University was awarded the 2022 Assessment & Impact Award for Nursing Education for high performance related to student satisfaction with the quality of nursing instruction. The program focused on student success during college and post graduation by implementing more active learning strategies, providing better feedback to students, and creating a post-graduate mentorship program to support students’ career development, among other improvements. ... View more

Dominican University New York was awarded the 2022 Assessment & Impact Award for Nursing Education for significant improvements in student satisfaction with the quality of nursing instruction, facilities and administration. Despite restrictions brought on by the pandemic, the university’s faculty worked to maintain one-on-one connections with students; they also purchased a mobile simulation lab to both provide instruction for students and to take into the community to care for underserved populations. Learn more in the attachment below! ... View more

For the fourth year, Skyfactor Benchworks, a Macmillan Learning brand, is awarding the Assessment and Impact Awards for Nursing Education to recognize and celebrate the innovative ways that nursing schools are creating positive education experiences within their programs. This year’s winners focused on retaining students and developing more practice-ready nursing professionals by fostering connections between students and faculty, using technology to stay in touch with students, and integrating active learning, among other activities. The three programs that have been awarded the Assessment and Impact Award for Nursing are: Dominican University New York, Thomas Jefferson University and King University. Dominican University New York (NY) was recognized for significant improvements in student satisfaction with the quality of nursing instruction, facilities and administration. King University (TN) was recognized for high performance related to student satisfaction with the quality of nursing instruction. Thomas Jefferson University (PA) was recognized for significant improvement to students’ overall satisfaction with the program. The three winners were selected using a multi-step evaluation process that included an analysis of multi-year assessment data by the Benchworks Analytics and Research Team. The programs selected had the best results or best increases in performance as determined by survey scores. Send a Kudo or drop a comment below to congratulate our 2022 Assessment & Impact Award Winners! ## Skyfactor Benchworks assessments are the most widely used programs in nursing education and have been available for nearly 25 years. The various Benchworks Nursing assessments are used by more than 250 nursing programs each year and are one of more than 50 different assessments from Benchworks on topics important to college success, including housing, orientation, and student affairs and service. The surveys include questions regarding student happiness, safety, diversity and inclusion, facilities, costs, sense of community, and time management, among others. ... View more

We asked some of our super users how iClicker helped them support academic integrity in their classrooms. Here’s what they had to say: “While not seeking to identify potential academic misuse, I use iClicker attendance to  promote timely arrival in class, and polling to ensure that students learn critical facets of all my courses.” -Michael Shapiro, Georgia State University “We use iClicker in the classroom both to inform our teaching and to assess students.” -Ed Lee, Texas A&M “Active learning is extremely important and iClicker makes this possible. More, iClicker facilitates the idea of "skin-in-the-game" with a minimal time investment by the instructor… Lastly, the fact that multiple, numeric, and short answers as well as heat maps are possible is truly a game changer as we can now break free from the constraints and mindsets imposed by multiple-choice questions.”-Mihai Paraschiv, SUNY College at Oswego Interested in ways you might be able to use iClicker to foster an environment where students can practice concepts in a low stakes way and minimize the stress that can lead to cheating? Consider encouraging your students to use Study Tools as a way to prepare without pressure--with no work on your part! Looking for more ideas? Schedule a demo or training to discuss how iClicker could support your class. ... View more

At Macmillan Learning, we strive to create products that foster connections between professors and their students. Learning happens at the human-to-human level, and our tools foster those connections and relationships. In this video, hear from Susan Winslow, CEO at Macmillan Learning, the director of Product, Jason Walker, and the executive director of Product, Ryan Moore, on the importance of creating connections. Watch the Video ... View more

Emphasizing Academic Integrity in Every Classroom    On-Demand New tools have created countless ways for students to cheat – and growing academic and socio-economic pressures have created more reasons for them to do so. some they might not even realize are dishonest. Join the Macmillan Learning team and a panel of experts for a conversation about mitigating cheating by fostering strong academic integrity in students. What You’ll Take Away:  An overview of the state of academic integrity today; An understanding of the value of focusing on promoting integrity over monitoring and punishing cheating; Knowledge of strategies that can be used to emphasize the importance of academic integrity with students View the Recording! ... View more