Individual Development and Educational Assessment

Benchmarked Assessment Products for Higher Education

The success of your institution of higher education is the reason The IDEA Center exists. As a nonprofit organization, we have partnered since 1975 with colleges and universities across the country to reach the same goal — continuous individual and institutional improvement and achievement.

With a range of nationally normed, research-driven, flexible assessment services, The IDEA Center helps faculty members solicit feedback and evaluate teaching as it relates to curricular goals and the measurement of learning. We help faculty, deans, administrators, and department chairs assess how their own and the institution’s objectives are realized.

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News and Events

Award for Excellence in Assessment
Monday, June 21, 2010 - 9:30am

Congratulations to Dr. Chuck Phillips, Assistant Dean of Assessment and Associate Professor at Drake College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in Des Moines, IA.
 
Phillips was one of three individuals awarded the 2010 Award for Excellence in Assessment from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. His award was for Drake’s use of IDEA in their assessment work. His presentation, Assessment of a college-wide teaching goal and related curricular methods, will be made at their annual meeting this July in Seattle, WA. 
 

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IDEA is in the News
Monday, May 3, 2010 - 4:01pm

IDEA research was the focus of an article May 6, 2010. "Online Evaluations Show Same Results, Lower Response Rate," by Mary Helen Miller appeared in the online issue of Wired Campus - Chronicle of Higher Education. May 6, 2010. This research study was also presented at the 2010 AERA meeting in Denver, CO.
 
The April 30, 2010 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education features The IDEA Center’s work in article by David Glenn.  The IDEA Student Ratings of Instruction system is highlighted in “Rating Your Professors: Scholars Test Improved Course Evaluations.” Along with some comments from Bill Pallett, representatives from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania share some of the ways they use IDEA and how it has been valuable to them. 
 
 “Professors Who Focus on Honing Their Teaching are a Distinct Breed” by Peter Schmidt cites recent IDEA research about the role of department chairs across various disciplines presented at the AERA meeting on May 1, 2010. The article was available online on April 26, 2010.

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Steve Benton Honored as New AERA Fellow for Outstanding Research Accomplishments
Monday, March 8, 2010 - 11:58am

On March 8, 2010, the American Educational Research Association (AERA) announced that Steve Benton, Senior Research Officer for The IDEA Center, was selected as a 2010 AERA Fellow.  
 
The purpose of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Fellows Program is to honor education researchers with substantial research accomplishments, to convey the Association’s commitment to excellence in research, and to enable the next generation of emerging scholars to appreciate the value of sustained achievements in research and the breadth of scholarship worthy of recognition. The Program is intended to recognize excellence in research and be inclusive of the scholarship that constitutes and enriches education research as an interdisciplinary field. 
 
Fellows are nominated by their peers, selected and recommended by the Fellows Committee, and approved by the AERA Council, the Association’s elected governing group.  
 
Congratulations to Dr. Benton and all the 2010 AERA Fellows!

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Training

Video: Understanding Adjusted Scores

Bill Pallett, President of The IDEA Center, explains understanding adjusted scores. Tips for best viewing experience:

  • Click the "Understanding Adjusted Scores" link directly above
  • Have a report in front of you for reference
  • Click the button to the left of the volume control to switch to full screen
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Knowledge Base

Best Practices

The IDEA Center receives numerous inquiries from prospective and current clients alike. One frequent question is, “In what ways have other campuses effectively used the IDEA Student Ratings of Instruction system?” Some of those currently using IDEA shared some best practices from their experience.

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