With the results of the Individual Development and Educational Assessment (IDEA) evaluation in, Texas A&M University-Commerce is starting to analyze just where improvement among the different departments, faculty and courses is needed.
In the pilot evaluation given at the end of the Spring semester last year, students were asked a series of questions in which they evaluated the content of each course and the methods their professors used.
“I believe the pilot was successful because the process provided information that can be shared with the university community so that they can determine what will be useful and what will not,” Mary Hendrix, Provost of Academic and Student Affairs said.
The IDEA student rating system itself takes a positive approach to soliciting student input. Rather than emphasizing just the instructor’s teaching techniques or personality, the evaluation focuses more on what the students have learned throughout the course as a whole.
“The purpose of the instrument is not to just assess professors’ effectiveness, but to help professors determine if what they believe is
important is aligned with what students believe they were taught. The focus is on improvement,” Hendrix said.
Originally, the IDEA evaluation went through a process of approval with former Interim Provost Frank Ashley and the Dean’s Council. It has been decided that the evaluation will be given at the end of each Spring semester.
The IDEA center was founded in 1975 and is a national leader in faculty evaluation and development. Research has shown that there is no one correct way to teach, so the results are deciphered and tailored to fit the instructor’s teaching objectives.
In comparing results to other institutions nationwide, the University exceeds all others in the database. In order to make decisions about which areas the different departments need improvement on, the results are still being analyzed.
“I am proud of our faculty and the quality education this institution provides to students. This will assist us in determining those areas on which faculty development will focus. We are good, but we will be great,” Hendrix said.