I-Corps: Expansion of a Multidimensional Assessment Tool across Diverse Environments

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project involves a reliable on-line assessment pedagogical tool that provides an alternative to traditional course evaluations. Traditional instruction evaluation tools have been found to have skewed results depending on the gender or ethnicity of the instructor, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The project has the potential to add to the repertoire of commercially-viable assessment tools that offer ease of use, seamless data analysis features, and storage of pedagogical data. This tool will be marketed initially to higher education, particularly teaching institutions (e.g., community colleges and specialty engineering schools), university teaching and learning centers, or areas where teaching is emphasized. Natural extensions to this market include K-12 schools; extension and for-fee educational programs; high-end online professional programs; hospitals where teaching and training are primary emphasis; and corporate training programs. Typically, professionals in these environments are expected to operate at high levels of proficiency and often are expected to confirm this proficiency among clients, investors, and broader society. This I-Corps project builds on the Global Real-time Assessment Tool for Teaching Enhancement (G-RATE), an all-inclusive, online assessment tool that collects course data and analyzes this data in the form of pedagogical profiles in an easy-to-use platform. G-RATE consists of five components that collect course data real-time via direct observations, obtain instructor reflections of teaching and students' survey responses, and compiles data and profiles for researchers and administrators. Elements of the G-RATE have been validated from data across over a large number of courses with positive impacts on student learning in observed STEM classrooms.