Centre for Academic and Instructional Development - About ICE

What is ICE?

The Instructor/Course Evaluation system, introduced at Saint Mary’s in the fall semester, 2006, is designed to provide faculty with more effective student feedback on teaching.  Its underlying philosophy is formative (developmental) – the primary function of the new system is intended to provide feedback from students that identify teaching practices which contribute to student learning and to aid in the further development of those practices.  This feedback contributes to teaching quality when it is used by faculty as an opportunity for self-reflection.

The instrument to be used as part of this system is based on the Student’s Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) developed by Dr. Herbert Marsh, University of Western Australia (currently at Oxford University) and used in classrooms worldwide over many years.  It is a form used to obtain student feedback on teaching for both formative and summative purposes. 

When to Use it

At the end of each semester, the Senate Office will create an evaluation package for every course being offered in that particular semester based on information provided by the Registrar’s Office (Banner). Packages will contain ICE forms equivalent to the number of students registered for the course, a Statement of Procedures for faculty and student administrators, and an Instructor’s Acknowledgement Form.

Dates for Evaluation Week are posted on the Senate Office website. Faculty, who intend to evaluate their course(s), would do so within the dates provided.

Why Use ICE?

• ICE is the campus-wide student evaluation of teaching system adopted by Senate in May, 2006 for future use at Saint Mary’s.
• ICE is an easy way to get feedback on your teaching.
• It is based on an instrument (SEEQ) developed from years of research on teaching in higher education, and recognized in the research literature for the validity and reliability of the data generated from it.
• It provides formative information which can be used by faculty to reflect on and improve teaching.
• It provides summative information which can be included in documents (Annual Report, Teaching Dossier) developed by faculty to apply for tenure, promotion or review.
• The process developed at Saint Mary’s guarantees confidentiality of the data collected.
• Use of ICE each semester increases student involvement in the process.