Teaching Evaluations at TTU Using the IDEA Instrument

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Teaching Evaluations at TTU Using the IDEA
Instrument
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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

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Teaching Evaluation Policy at TTU

• Untenured Faculty - Every Course
• Tenured Faculty - 2 courses per year

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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.

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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

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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

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Effective Use of IDEA Depends on

• Selecting the appropriate form
• Selecting appropriate course goals
• Interpreting the results correctly

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Choosing the Long or Short Form
                                                 
                                   
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Long Versus Short Form
Long
Short

• 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

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Differences in controlled variables

• 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

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Selecting Objectives on the Faculty Information
Form
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(No Transcript)
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When to mark an objective as important or
essential
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Report Form
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Relationship Between Progress on Relevant
Objectives and Excellence of Teacher
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Report Form
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Relationship Between Progress on Relevant
Objectives and How Hard Students Work
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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 students 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 students progress on those goals and
  provide alternative opportunities for improvement
  on the goals.
• Dont give tests that have to be dramatically
  curved.
• Dont have evaluations completed immediately
  after giving a test.
• Use active learning techniques.

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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

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Frequency IDEA Objectives Selected
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Progress on IDEA Objectives
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Local Norms for Overall Progress on Objectives

• http//iweb.tntech.edu/ideaevaluations/Norms.htm

Frequency IDEA Objectives are Selected and
Overall Progress by Unit
http//www.tntech.edu/planning/Assessment/assessme
nt.htm
Information about TTU QEP
http//www.tntech.edu/qep/
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Thank You
End