Implementing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (IFATE)

We’re looking for participants! To establish how the framework could be used across campus, we’re looking for teachers to either (1) create a teaching portfolio to demonstrate your effectiveness through the lens of our framework or (2) serve as an evaluator in applying our criteria to assess the portfolios.  Early career and pre-tenure faculty members are especially encouraged to participate in creating a teaching portfolio as it can be used as part of the annual review and tenure application processes. Please contact Shawn Simonson (shawnsimonson@boisestate.edu.edu) to participate or with any questions.

The current Boise State T&P policy says faculty members must demonstrate their commitment to effective teaching without providing guidance on how to do so. The associated framework and rubric are intended for formative and summative assessment of teaching effectiveness. The rubric was developed to address current gaps in our institutions teaching evaluation process by:

• Establishing a definition of what constitutes effective teaching
• Providing a framework for effective teaching to monitor growth and provide feedback for improvement
• Suggesting evidence with which a faculty member might demonstrate their commitment to effective teaching
• Considering multiple facets of teaching; it is flexible enough to accommodate different approaches to teaching

Programs are encouraged to consider how to this framework and rubric might be phased into departmental practices.  Please note, this rubric is appropriate for evaluating all course instructors, i.e., adjunct, clinical, lecturer, and tenure track.

To ensure that participants (both those creating and evaluating the portfolios) understand the framework and to support faculty members in being able to adopt the teaching practices described therein, we will offer three different types of workshops throughout the course of the project (offered via the Boise State CTL). The goals of each type of workshop are as follows:

Creating a portfolio: Introduce FATE, foster dialogue and understanding among participants, and support faculty members in compiling the teaching portfolio;

• 1-2 page teaching philosophy statement
• Variety of evidence of teaching practices that is aligned with the rubric criteria
• Description of how the collected evidence supports the criteria

Implementing the rubric: Introduce FATE to the evaluators, foster dialogue and understanding among evaluators, calibrate and use the rubric;

Adopting effective teaching practices: Introduce a variety of EBIPs, help instructors identify and implement those that will be effective in their classrooms, provide ongoing support of instructors in adopting EBIPs.

Project Personnel:

• Shawn Simonson, (PI) Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Director, Human Performance Laboratory, Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Associate 
• Megan Frary, (Co-PI) Associate Professor, Associate Director – Undergraduate Programs Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty Associate
• Julia Broderick, Key Personnel 
• Brittnee Earl, Key Personnel, Instructional Transformation Project Manager for the Center for Teaching and Learning 

Advisory Board Members:

• Tony Roark, Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Boise State University; Advisory Board Chair
• Amy Moll, Professor, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise State University 
• Karen Viskupic, Assistant Professor in Geosciences, Boise State University
• Andy Goodman, Director University of Missouri Office of Academic Affairs