| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.15 |
| Liaison | Laura Young |
| Submission Date | March 3, 2022 |
Michigan State University
AC-6: Sustainability Literacy Assessment
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 4.00 |
Adam
Zwickle Assistant Professor Environmental Science and Policy Program |
Does the institution conduct an assessment of the sustainability literacy of its students?:
Which of the following best describes the literacy assessment? The assessment is administered to::
Which of the following best describes the structure of the assessment? The assessment is administered as a::
A copy of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment(s):
A list or sample of the questions included in the sustainability literacy assessment or the website URL where the assessment tool may be found:
A copy of the survey has been uploaded.
A brief description of how the literacy assessment was developed and/or when it was adopted:
"The literacy assessment has been conducted annually since 2013. A manual that describes the process has been developed and shared with BIG 10 and Friends in the region. The literacy assessment goes through the IRB approval process at MSU before distribution.
Several papers have been published related to this surveying effort that further detail the development of the assessment:
Sustainability behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge: comparing university students and the general public. 2021.
CK Kirby, A Zwickle
Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences 11 (4), 639-647
The effect of information source on higher education students’ sustainability knowledge. 2019.
JO Michel, A Zwickle
Environmental Education Research, 1-19
Sustainability Knowledge and Attitudes—Assessing Latent Constructs. 2018.
A Zwickle, K Jones
Handbook of Sustainability and Social Science Research, 435-451
Sustainability behaviors among college students: an application of the VBN theory. 2018.
CT Whitley, B Takahashi, A Zwickle, JC Besley, AP Lertpratchya
Environmental Education Research 24 (2), 245-262
Assessing the role of college as a sustainability communication channel. 2017.
AP Lertpratchya, JC Besley, A Zwickle, B Takahashi, CT Whitley
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education 18 (7), 1060-1075"
A brief description of how a representative sample was reached (if applicable) and how the assessment(s) were administered :
The assessments are administered via email utilizing Qualtrics. A randomized set of 10,000 student names and emails are obtained from a data request through the Registrar's Office. We then send an initial email to each member of the sample requesting participation, followed by three reminder emails to maximize the response rate.
A brief summary of results from the literacy assessment(s):
The following results are from the assessment administered in the fall of 2020.
A population of 10,000 students received the initial survey. The total number of responses was 1,450 with an overall response rate of 14.5%. As in the past, MSU students correctly answered more questions from the Assessment of Sustainability Knowledge (ASK) as they advance in their undergraduate education. Freshmen students averaged a score of 5.7 correct answers (out of 12) while seniors averaged a score of 7.5. At each level, 2020 scores were significantly lower than those recorded in 2019. Overall, 2020 ASK scores were significantly lower compared to years past, with a combined average of 6.5.
For additional information on results from the survey, refer to the survey report that has been uploaded under "additional documentation" for this credit.
Website URL where information about the sustainability literacy assessment is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.