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Sampling and fieldwork
- How can we implement or organise an incentive for learners to participate?
Universities may choose to offer an incentive, but it is worth keeping in mind that research has not proven that incentives lead to a greater or better quality of response. Incentives may even encourage a poorer quality response if people respond for extrinsic rather than intrinsic reasons. If you choose to use an incentive, you should consider how it relates to students and what value it is likely to have for them. You may also need to review relevant lottery laws.
- If we get low response rates for the surveys, how representative is the data?
The sample design for AUSSE includes a target response rate of 20 per cent. If the secured response rate is lower than this expected rate, it is important to view the results with caution. As with most large-scale studies, the results from AUSSE should be viewed as indicative rather than definitive.
- Are there good strategies for increasing student participation?
Students are more likely to complete and return the SEQ if you take active steps to enhance students’ participation in survey processes. Staff at institutions can use a range of approaches to engage students in the AUSSE, including informing potential respondents about the AUSSE during general teaching activities, affirming the importance of the survey and student feedback during the collection period, and disseminating feedback about the survey to all relevant stakeholders.
- How can we get a reasonable response rate?
Research has shown that there is great value in taking active steps to enhance students’ participation in survey processes. Staff at institutions participating in the AUSSE can use a range of approaches to engage students in the AUSSE, including informing potential respondents about the AUSSE during general teaching activities, affirming the importance of the survey and student feedback during the collection period, and disseminating feedback about the survey to all relevant stakeholders.
- Is the sample size large enough to be useful for analysis of within-university groups?
The sample design of the AUSSE aims to provide a representative snapshot of the Australian and New Zealand higher education sectors. This is important as it underpins the generalisability and authority of the results from the AUSSE. However, as with all large-scale surveys, the AUSSE offers indicative rather than definitive evidence of the phenomena being measured. Results should be treated with caution, especially when sub-group sizes are small.
- How can we be sure the results are not biased by feedback being collected from engaged students?
Taking part in a survey about student engagement itself reflects a form of engagement, so to ensure you receive a representative range of students who complete the AUSSE survey there is is great value in taking active students to enhance students' participation in survey processes. A range of approaches can be used to engage students in the AUSSE, including informing potential respondents about the AUSSE during general teaching activities, affirming the importance of the survey and student feedback during the collection period, and disseminating feedback about the survey to all relevant stakeholders.
- AUSSE measures student engagement among first- and third-year students. Is the AUSSE longitudinal?
The AUSSE is a cross-sectional survey and does not involve longitudinal surveying of the same individuals at different points in their academic careers.
- How is sampling done for the AUSSE?
A stratified systematic sampling strategy is deployed in the AUSSE to produce estimates of first- and third-year student engagement. Post-stratification weighting is used to ensure that responses represent the target population. This sampling strategy is important as it reduces the number of students that need to be approached, allows for concentration of resources, and builds in control over the quality of results.
- Why isn’t a census conducted for the AUSSE?
Conducting a census is by far the most common means of collecting feedback from university students in Australasia. A census gives every student the chance to ‘have a say’, and can facilitate analyses of small sub-populations of students. When used indiscriminately, however, a census can lead to an enormous waste of resources, collection of data that add little value to analysis, overburdening of potential respondents and results with unknown level of bias or precision.
- What is the target population for the AUSSE?
The target population for the AUSSE is not the same as the total Australasian higher education student population. In broad terms it consists of on-shore students in their first year of an undergraduate qualification who have not previously been involved in or completed a higher education qualification, and on-shore students in their third year of an undergraduate qualification who have completed around five full-time equivalent semesters of an undergraduate degree.
- How are the students selected for the AUSSE sample?
A stratified systematic sampling strategy is deployed in the AUSSE. The sampling approach, in summary, involves the following steps. First institutions compile a list of students in the defined target population and supply a de-identified copy of this list to ACER. ACER then validates the list, draws the sample, and returns the list to each institution who then distributes online and paper survey forms to each student on the listed sample. Post-stratification weighting is used to ensure that responses represent the target population.
- What does ‘longitudinal’ mean?
'Longitudinal' means collecting data from the same respondent over multiple periods of time. An example of this would be if an institution were to survey a student during their first-year of university, and then survey them again towards the end of their university degree.
- What is sampling and why is it important?
Sampling is selecting a sample from the population. There are many different ways in which this selection can occur, but sampling needs to be done in a careful way if you wish to be able to extrapolate the results or data from the sample to the wider target population.
- What is a ‘sample’?
A sample is a subset of the target population. A sample is often used to draw inferences about characteristics of the broader population. A sample is usually used when it would be impractical to measure the entire target population.
