Each semester, students have the opportunity to evaluate their courses using the IDEA evaluation system. The university uses course evaluations to make improvements in course offerings, course content, and course delivery. Faculty should also use course evaluation results to make changes and improvements in their course materials and delivery, creating a better student experience (from the Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation FAQ page).

Selecting IDEA Learning Objectives

Before evaluations open to students, you must select the IDEA learning objectives that are “Essential” and “Important” in their course. You are not required to mark any outcomes as Important provided you mark at least TWO objectives as Essential, but please do not select more than 3-5 total objectives. It is up to you to select which outcomes you consider essential or important in your course, but we encourage you to select those objectives that closely parallel the established 1010 and 2010 outcomes.

To access the learning objective selection page, go to your course evaluation page. Below are some recommendations for which objectives you might select, though you are not required to follow these recommendations:

Mark as Essential

• English 1010: Objectives 8 & 11
• English 2010: Objectives 8, 9, & 11

Mark as Important

• English 1010: Objective 9 (or another objective that you think is key to your course)
• English 2010: Objectives 1 and 3 (or a combination of one of these objectives and any other objective you think is key to your course)

If you fail to mark any objectives before evaluations open to students, ALL learning outcomes will be marked as Essential by default, and this may unfavorably skew the results of your course evaluations.

Survey Availability and Required Response Rate

Evaluations open to students toward the end of the semester and the results do not become available until after instructors have submitted grades. The Office of Analysis, Assessment and Accreditation expects each course to receive an 80% survey response rate for evaluations during this window of time. To increase response rates, the composition program expects GIs to set aside time in class at the end of the semester for students to complete course evaluations. When you do so, please ensure that you give students enough privacy that they feel confident their responses remain anonymous (i.e., stay at the front of the class and do not position yourself behind students where their computer or phone screens may be visible).

How to Interpret Evaluation Data

The IDEA Evaluations are designed to fit the instructor’s selected learning objectives and offer recommendations and resources for improvement based on research. Data can be aggregated for program assessment and accreditation. The included guide will help you interpret the results from your IDEA Evaluations.