Teaching Evaluations at TTU Using the IDEA Instrument

1. Teaching Evaluations at TTU Using the IDEA Instrument TTU

2. Are Student Evaluations of Teaching Valid? Yes, but realize - • Student evaluations can be influenced by communication skills and teaching style • Students do not evaluate the accuracy of information presented TTU

3. Teaching Evaluation Policy at TTU • Untenured Faculty - Every Course • Tenured Faculty - 2 courses per year TTU

4. Teaching Evaluation Instrumentused at Tennessee Tech Univ • IDEA (Individual Development and Educational Assessment) www.idea.ksu.edu • Developed at Kansas State University and disseminated to other universities in 1975 • Currently used by many institutions across the U.S. • Continually improved through research and testing. TTU

5. Key Features of IDEA System • Instructor selects teaching goals • Controls for extraneous variables (e.g., motivation and class size) • National database for comparisons • Adaptable to web-based instruction TTU

6. Students rate their progress in each course compared to other courses on goals such as • Gaining Factual Knowledge • Learning to apply course material to solve problems • Acquiring skills in working with others as a team • Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas • Developing creative capacities TTU

7. Effective Use of IDEA Depends on • Selecting the appropriate form • Selecting appropriate course goals • Interpreting the results correctly TTU

8. Choosing the Long or Short Form TTU

9. 18 core questions 29 additional methods/diagnostic questions 10 additional questions possible Space for student comments 18 core questions 10 additional questions possible Space for student comments Long Versus Short Form Long Short TTU

10. Long form Class size Desire to take course regardless of who taught it Student effort not attributable to instructor Course difficulty not attributable to Instructor Short form Class size Desire to take course regardless of who taught it Student effort not attributable to instructor Differences in controlled variables TTU

11. Selecting Objectives on the Faculty Information Form TTU

12. When to mark an objective as important or essential TTU

13. Report Form TTU

14. Relationship Between Progress on Relevant Objectives and Excellence of Teacher TTU

15. Report Form TTU

16. Relationship Between Progress on Relevant Objectives and “How Hard Students Work” TTU

17. Suggestions to Help Improve Teaching Evaluations • Select appropriate goals for the course. • Is this a significant part of the course? • Do I do something specific to help the students accomplish this objective? • Does the student’s progress on this objective affect his or her grade? • Clearly explain goals at the beginning of course and frequently remind students of those goals. Include goals on syllabus. • Monitor student’s progress on those goals and provide alternative opportunities for improvement on the goals. • Don’t give tests that have to be dramatically curved. • Don’t have evaluations completed immediately after giving a test. • Use active learning techniques. TTU

18. Teaching Evaluations & The QEP • Improve Students’ critical thinking/real-world problem solving through the use of active learning strategies. with emphasis on • Communication skills • Teamwork skills • Creative thinking TTU

19. Frequency IDEA Objectives Selected TTU

20. Progress on IDEA Objectives TTU

21. Frequency IDEA Objectives are Selected and Overall Progress by Unit Local Norms for Overall Progress on Objectives http://www.tntech.edu/planning/Assessment/assessment.htm http://iweb.tntech.edu/ideaevaluations/Norms.htm Information about TTU QEP http://www.tntech.edu/qep/ TTU

22. Thank You TTU End