Intercultural Development Inventory
Overview
The Intercultural Development Inventory®, or IDI®, is a widely used and effective cross-culturally valid assessment for building intercultural competence. This tool is newly available to the Valparaiso University campus through the Language and Intercultural Learning Center. Valpo now has access to the IDI through the generous funding provided by Assistant Vice President Angela Vidal-Rodriguez of the Office of Multicultural Programs.
The IDI assesses intercultural competence, defined as the capability to shift cultural perspective and appropriately adapt behavior to cultural difference and commonalities. Items included on the IDI assessment are “culture-general” and do not refer to the culture of any specific community, ethnicity, or group. The IDI is used across a range of industries to engage individuals, groups, and organizations in understanding their approach to cultural differences. Within higher education, the IDI is used with faculty, staff, and students for a variety of programs including faculty and staff development; student assessment and development; and study abroad and other programming.
During the second half of the 2024 spring semester, the Language and Intercultural Learning Center initiated a small pilot of the IDI. During the pilot, select students and staff members completed the IDI as a means to explore and enhance their intercultural development.
If you are a faculty or staff member interested in learning more about the IDI for 2024-2025, you will work with Carol Goss, Director of the Language and Intercultural Learning Center, or Professor Stacy Hoult. Fully licensed by IDI, LLC, Director Goss and Professor Hoult are currently the two individuals at Valpo who can administer IDI the IDI assessment. Both have completed the IDI Qualifying Seminar training, generously funded by The Office of Multicultural Programs. To learn more about the IDI, complete the IDI Interest Form or contact Carol Goss or Stacy Hoult.
According to IDI, LLC, this tool is a cross-culturally valid and reliable assessment of intercultural competence. Because the items in the IDI have been found to have no cultural bias, the IDI is used in every sector across a wide range of demographics.
- This document provides a concise summary of the development and validity testing of the IDI.
- The extensive psychometric validation protocols used in developing the IDI are described in greater detail in a variety of publications and independent reviews.