Using the IDEA Student Ratings System: An Introduction

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Using the IDEA Student Ratings SystemAn
Introduction

• University of Saint Thomas

www.theideacenter.org
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Plan for this Session

• Review IDEA Student Learning Model
• Review Using IDEA
• Forms
• Course objectives and syllabus
• Using IDEA to guide teaching improvement efforts
• Resources for help with IDEA

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Reflective Practice with IDEA A Piece of the
Puzzle

• IDEA student evaluation
• Peer Review
• Self Reflection

Collect Feedback
Improve
Interpret Results
Reflect Discuss
Read Learn
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Student Learning Model Assumptions

• Effective teaching is assessed by students
  perception of their learning
• Learning is based on progress toward specific
  objectives chosen by the instructor
• See handout on Directions to Faculty p. 2

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What is the IDEA system?

• Faculty Information Form
• Student Ratings of Instruction
• Diagnostic (long) Form OR
• Short Form
• Reporting System (4-page report)

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Forms Overview
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Faculty Information Form

• Learning objectives
• Course and Instructor information

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Course Description Items

• Optional
• Best answered toward end of term
• Do NOT influence your results
• For departmental reports, not individual

Bottom of Page 1
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Learning Objectives

• Types of learning that reflect the instructors
  primary goals in the course
• May be discipline specific
• May be course-level specific (intro vs advanced)
• Should be chosen based on course activities that
  specifically develop student competencies that
  are assessed
• Choose 3-5 for any one course
• some are Essential ( primary importance)
• Some are Important ( secondary importance)
• Essential objectives valued twice as much as
  Important objectives
• Minor importance objectives do NOT influence
  results!

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Faculty choose only 3-5 LEARNING OBJECTIVES that
are essential or important in a particular course
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Best Practices

• Discuss meaning of objectives with students
• Early in the course (e.g., first day!)
• Inform students they will be asked to rate their
  own progress on objectives at the end of the
  semester
• Have students reflect on their understanding of
  course purpose and how parts of course fit your
  chosen objectives
• Clarify differences in perception of objectives
  meanings (student vs instructor)
• Show students how they are making progress on
  objectives with constructive feedback

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Integrating objectives into course design an
example

• Goals and Expectations My three objectives in
  this course are for you to
•     1.  Learn to analyze and critically evaluate
  ideas, arguments,
• and points of view
• To do this, you will read and critique scholarly
  articles and participate in class discussions.
•     2.  Develop skill in expressing yourself in
  writing
• To do this, you will propose a written research
  project in APA format.
•     3.  Learn how to find and use resources
• To do this, you will use scholarly books and
  articles for your research proposal

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Student Form Diagnostic (Front)

• Rate teaching methods (1-20)
• Rate progress on 12 learning objectives (21-32)

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Teaching Methods

• This section used for formative information only
  -- not for assessment of teaching effectiveness
• Instructors are not expected to rank highly in
  all 20

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Teaching methods
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Learning Objectives

• Data are used for both formative and summative
  assessments
• Student ratings reported only for instructors
  chosen Essential or Important objectives
• 1 (no progress) to 5 (exceptional progress) scale

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Learning Objectives

• Only 2-5 per course should be emphasized

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Student Form Diagnostic (back)

• Student/course characteristics
• Information for adjusting raw scores
• Effort (37)
• Motivation for taking course (39)
• Work habits (43)
• Comments

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Why assess motivation and work habits of students?

• Strong correlations of motivation and work habits
  with learning
• Provide corrective measure for raw scores

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Short Form

• Assess learning objectives only
• No teaching methods surveyed
• Student information effort, work habits,
  motivation
• Back of form for comments

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Report Overview
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The IDEA Diagnostic Form Report

• What were students perceptions of their progress
  on my learning objectives?
• What are overall assessments of the course and me
  as a teacher?
• What might I do to improve my teaching?

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Smaller courses (lt15) have less reliable results.

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Page 1 Global Assessment

• A.Weighted average of progress on instructor
  selected (relevant) objectives
• B. Overall, I rate this instructor an excellent
  teacher (41)
• C. Overall, I rate this course as excellent (42)

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Page 2 Student Progress

• Report of progress on Essential or Important
  objectives
• Student perceptions of course demands
• Student self-assessment of motivation, academic
  effort, and work habits

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Page 3 What might I do differently?
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Page 3 What might I do differently?

• Most important teaching approach for all learning
  objectives
• Stimulating Student Interest

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• Relationship of Learning Objectives to Teaching
  Methods
• See handout

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IDEA Resources

• Classroom Consultants can help with
• Choosing objectives and integrating them into
  your course
• Filling out Faculty Information Forms
• Interpreting results
• Providing formative suggestions and teaching
  resources
• 10 consultants have been trained on the IDEA
  system see FD website
• http//www.stthomas.edu/fdc/facultyResources/class
  roomConsulting.html

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IDEA Website Resources

• http//www.theideacenter.org/
• Support Student ratings Faculty Information
  Form
• pdf files on Choosing Objectives
• Video training
• Knowledge base IDEA papers, POD-IDEA Notes on
  Instruction (Teaching Behaviors 1-20) and
  Learning (Objectives 1-12)

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Questions?