Assessment of Teaching

1. Assessment of Teaching Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research Director of Faculty Development and Assessment Programs Monica A. Devanas, Ph.D.

2. Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research • Over 20 years of support for teaching • Faculty, graduate students, adjunct instructors • Pedagogy • Instructional Design • Digital tools for teaching • Course management • Information management

3. Faculty Development • Pedagogy, classroom teaching strategies • Course design, curriculum design, programs • “Best Practice” in teaching, large classes • Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) • National Science Foundation Grants • Model course, general education courses • Assessment of Teaching

4. Center for Teaching Advancement and Assessment Research http://ctaar.rutgers.edu Higher Education Issues Blog Supplemental Materials Wiki http://ctaar.rutgers.edu/groups/workshops/

5. Assessment of Faculty • Important for Institution • Good quality evaluation fosters good quality faculty • Clear Expectations for Role of Faculty • Teaching • Research/scholarship/creativity activity • Service to department, program, school, community • Support for improvement in all areas

6. What are your questions? Write questions that you have about assessment

7. Assessment versus EvaluationAssessment and Evaluation • Document • Collect Evidence • Knowledge • Skills • Attitudes • Judge • Decide action • Improvement (formative) • Reappoint/tenure/promotion (summative)

8. Background for Assessment • Expectations for teaching, research, service • Policies • Department, peers • Document • Collect materials from many sources • Students and peers • Judge • Stay and become permanent in University • Or find another position with one year extension

9. Expectations for Teaching • Subject expert • Course fits into curriculum of department • Course designed to guide students to learn • Classroom methods encourage learning • Students tested fairly in various ways • Accessible to students • Responsible management

10. Expectations for Teaching • New Faculty Orientation and other programs • Institution • Department • Colleagues • Mentoring for Teaching, Research, Service • Departmental programs • Faculty Council, Faculty Union, University Senate

11. Assessment of Teaching • Describe Teaching Responsibilities • State “Teaching Philosophy” • Collect Evidence • Self • Students • Others • Create a narrative document describing “teaching effectiveness”

12. Collect Evidence The Professor: • Describe courses, topics and methods used • Explain “why” using certain teaching strategies • Use examples • Course materials • syllabus, learning goals, handouts, exams, graded essays • Class notes, slides

13. Indirect Evidence from Students • Student Instructional Rating Survey • Ratings on questions about class • Open-ended “opinion” questions • Reported to department • Informal methods • Mid-course feedback on learning • Survey, interviews • Student letters • Unsolicited • Requested by department

14. Direct Evidence of Student Learning • Copies of student work • With grades and comments • With grading rubrics • Scores on standard content area exams • Success in advanced courses, graduate studies • Success in careers

15. Evidence from Peers • Colleagues with knowledge of subject • Review course material • Discuss leaning goals for class • Visit class, observe teaching, student responses • Provide feedback from visit • Constructive suggestions • Careful structure and training for “Peer Review”

16. Basic Format of Teaching Portfolio Popularized by Peter Seldin Important to present “Best Work” -- FORMAT -- • Describe teaching (2-3 pages) • Explain “Teaching Philosophy” (1-2 pages) • Provide evidence described in narrative (5-7 pages) • With documents in appendix • Follows format for personnel decisions

17. Student Instructional Rating Survey • Ratings on questions about class • First 8 questions “formative” use for improvement • Questions 9 and 10 used for personnel decisions • Rate the Quality of the Instructor • Rate the Quality of the Course • Open-ended “opinion” questions • Used by department and in portfolio • Reported to instructor, department • Statistical reports to University Community

18. Student Instructional Rating Survey • Students are anonymous • Reports only after all grades submitted • Paper-based system done in class • Online survey delivered to student email • Administered in last two weeks of class • Some departments add unique questions • Data consistent over time

19. STUDENT INSTRUCTIONSAL RATING SURVEY SAMPLE SURVEY

20. STUDENT INSTRUCTIONSAL RATING SURVEY SAMPLE SURVEY

21. STUDENT INSTRUCTIONSAL RATING SURVEY SAMPLE REPORT

22. Rutgers “Best Practices in Assessment of Teaching” • Committee of Faculty • Study, review, interview • Policy for University • Recommendations – • Mentors • Peer Observation • Peer Evaluation • Teaching Portfolio • Teaching Philosophy • Compare only within department • Department keep data 10 year minimum • Use data for internal analyses of similar kinds of courses, seminars, large classes