I-E-O Model

Cross Sources:  Student development Definition:  Astin's Input-Environment-Outcome model of student development. This model describes the development of students as being an interaction of the college environment and the characteristics students bring in with them. Reference:  Astin, A. (1970).

Impact data

Cross Sources:  Standard setting Definition:  Summary data that describe the likely results of a decision (e.g., number of students likely to fail to meet a given cut score). Reference:

Independent variable

Cross Sources:  Dependent variable, Environmental variable, Treatment group Definition:  A variable that is considered to be a cause or variable that is used for prediction Reference:

Indicators

Cross Sources:  Performance indicators Definition:  Measures for individuals or organizations that provide information about measurable traits, situations, knowledge, skills, performances, resources, inputs, outputs Reference:  Komives, S.R., & Woodard, D.B., Jr. (1996).

Indirect measures

Cross Sources:   Definition:  Indirect methods such as surveys and interviews ask students to reflect on their learning rather than to demonstrate it. Reference:  Palomba, C.A., & Banta, T.W. (1999).

Information Skills

Cross Sources:  W Definition:  The ability to acquire evaluate, organize, maintain, interpret, and communicate knowledge Reference:

In-house instruments/software

Cross Sources:  Computer-based testing Definition:  Non-proprietary instruments/software are tools developed by institutions for internal use, not researched, or purchased from an outside source. In-house assessment tools are sometimes preferred because they are designed to exactly match an institutional purpose. Reference:

Inputs

Cross Sources:  Student development, Definition:  The personal, background, and educational characteristics that students bring with them to postsecondary education that can influence educational outcomes. Reference:  Astin, A. (1970).

Institutional effectiveness

Cross Sources:  Assessment, Performance funding, Accreditation Definition:  Broadly refers to the extent to which an institution meets its unique mission. Typically includes functions associated with assessment and institutional research. Reference:  Komives, S.R., & Woodard, D.B., Jr. (1996).

Institutional outcome

Cross Sources:  Student outcome, performance indicator Definition:  Benefits or changes in a population, organization, or community due to program activities; typically expressed in aggregate form. These benefits may include research, economic, civic, service, community, as well as student learning. Reference:

Institutional performance

Cross Sources:  Organizational effectiveness, Measures, Productivity, Effectiveness Definition:  The degree to which institutions and organizations of higher education have achieved their goals and objectives as evidenced by student outcomes and efficiency indicators. Reference:

Institutional research

Cross Sources:  Assessment Definition:  Applied study of a college's functioning in terms including measures of resources, inputs, and outputs and occasionally outcome assessment Reference:

Internal consistency

Cross Sources:  Reliability Definition:  One of many types of reliability coefficients in classical test theory; a measure of the degree to which items on an instrument are inter-correlated Reference:  Crocker, L.M., & Algina, J. (1986).

Interpersonal communication

Cross Sources:  Communication skills Definition:  Interpersonal communication occurs when two people engage in voluntary, ongoing, interdependent interactions, which involve meaningful interpretation of their verbal and nonverbal behaviors. Reference:  Galvin, K.M., & Wilkins, C. A. (2000).

Interpersonal skills

Cross Sources:  Psychosocial development; Communication Definition:  The personal ability to create unique shared meaning with others. Reference:  Griffin, E. (2000).

Inter-rater reliability

Cross Sources:  Reliability, Constructed response, Rating scale, Scoring rubric Definition:  The level of consistency among raters using a constructed response format Reference:

Interviewing

Cross Sources:  Qualitative research, Survey research, Participant observation Definition:  Asking questions in a systematic way as to determine another’s perspective. Reference:  Patton, M.Q. (1987).

Involvement

Cross Sources:  Student Learning Definition:  Involvement may be defined as participating in or being engaged in an activity or relationship. In higher education, we might speak of student, faculty, administrator, alumni, or employer involvement in the teaching and learning enterprise. Reference:  Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, (1993).

Ipsative Scale

Cross Sources:   Definition:  Assessed or measured by comparison with self; involve the individual using his or her values or behaviors as the yardstick by which comparisons are made. Reference:  Stratton, P., & Hayes, N. (1993).

Item banks

Cross Sources:  Item pools Definition:  A collection of test questions with known statistical properties from which a sample of items can be drawn to create a measure Reference:  Roid, G.H. (1989).

Item characteristic curve (ICC)

Cross Sources:  IRT Definition:  The graphical representation of item characteristics determined through the application of item response theory Reference:  Hambleton, R. K., & Swaminathan, H. (1985).

Item pools

Cross Sources:  Item banks Definition:  See item banks. Reference:  Roid, G.H. (1989).

Item response theory (IRT)

Cross Sources:  Test theory Definition:  A modern test theory approach based on the observation that the probability of an examinee correctly responding to an item is determined by an interaction of examinee ability and item characteristics Reference:  Hambleton, R. K., & Swaminathan, H. (1985).

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For any comments regarding new terms or suggested definitions for this Dictionary, please write to :   assessment@jmu.edu. Thank you.