Purpose of Peer Teaching Observations
There are many benefits to conducting routine peer teaching observations, including:
- To provide continual feedback and give instructors an opportunity to consider, modify, and reexamine their teaching with the support of their colleagues.
- Peer review of teaching can be used to evaluate and assess as part of a formal reward system used in merit, promotion, and tenure decisions.
Frequency of Peer Teaching Observations
Faculty at the Assistant and Associate ranks (including non-tenure track faculty) should be reviewed in their 2nd and 5th years in rank. At the Full Professor rank (or equivalent non-tenure track rank), a peer teaching observation should occur during the 5th year of each 6-year post-tenure cycle.
Composition of Peer Teaching Observation Committee(s)
Peer teaching observation assignments will be determined by the Department Chair, in conjunction with the Faculty Annual Review Committee. Each faculty member under review will be given the opportunity to “veto” one of the recommended peer reviewers.
Overview of the Peer Teaching Observation Process
Each peer teaching observation consists of four steps:
Step 1: Pre-Observation. Pre-observation is a two-part process consisting of 1) closely examining the course materials an instructor has organized to support student learning, and 2) engaging in purposeful conversation with the instructor (a pre-observation interview) about class expectations and context; these will provide the necessary background for the observation.
Step 2: Observations. A focused and purposeful inquiry into observable individual and group behaviors in a specific class to help both instructor and observer “see” teaching and learning from a different perspective. More than one peer observation is expected. EDP expects multiple observations across multiple courses (at different levels), if possible. If the faculty member is only teaching one course during the year due to substantial buyout/administrative responsibilities, that course should be observed multiple times.
Step 3: Post-Observation. The post-observation is a follow-up meeting of the observer and instructor to bring impressions from the materials’ review and observation together in a mutual conversation about teaching and learning.
Step 4: Reflective Summary. A reflective summary is a brief, written analysis by the instructor and possibly the peer observer of what was learned about teaching and student learning. It is an opportunity to turn teaching experience into learning.
Components of a Peer Teaching Observation Report
Once the four steps listed above are completed, the peer observation committee is responsible for writing up a comprehensive assessment of their peer teaching review. These reports should cover the instructor’s presentation, course content, organization, clarity of written materials, rigor and fairness of written examinations, appropriateness of methodology, and student outcomes. In order to ensure that these peer teaching observations can be used for our University’s promotion process, they must include the following information:
- Number and title of courses observed
- Date of report
- Date of classroom observation
- Description of methods by which instructor engages students in learning
- Date on which the observation was discussed with the candidate
- Constructive advice
- Any specific improvement from previous peer observation reports
- Name and signature of observer
A copy of the Peer Teaching Observation reports should be delivered to the faculty member being reviewed, the Department Chair & the Executive Assistant.