Implementing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (IFATE)
To improve teaching, the goal of Implementing a Framework for Assessing Teaching Effectiveness (IFATE), is to introduce a new strategy for assessing teaching and to explore challenges to its adoption with the intent to inform policy, practice, and future development/implementation of the framework. We envision a university educational system in which learner-centered teaching is appropriately assessed, recognized, and rewarded. An evaluation system should not force faculty into a particular pedagogy, bias one philosophy of learning over another, and should be inclusive enough to capture multiple perspectives.
Therefore, we will lay the groundwork for institutional improvement and change across disciplines while enhancing the effectiveness of undergraduate education via effective assessment of teaching, instructor professional development, and adoption of effective pedagogical techniques. The adoption of a framework to assess teaching effectiveness serves to increase the transparency of this aspect of faculty evaluation by explicitly articulating criteria and performance standards; providing a more level playing field for all faculty members around tenure and promotion decisions.
Click on this folder to access user information for the framework and associated rubric.
About IFATE
Get Involved!
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) to participate or with any questions.
About the Framework and Rubric
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.
Grant Activities
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, School of Kinesiology and Director, Human Performance Laboratory, Center for Teaching and Learning Faculty AssociateÂ
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 PersonnelÂ
Brittnee Earl, Key Personnel, Instructional Transformation Project Manager for the Center for Teaching and LearningÂ
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 UniversityÂ
Karen Viskupic, Assistant Professor in Geosciences, Boise State University
Andy Goodman, Director University of Missouri Office of Academic Affairs