Information Peer Obs

8/12/2019 Information Peer Obs

1/9

tHE Scheme. Information on Peer Observation at UWB

University of Wales, Bangor Teaching Observation

Schools are expected to implement a policy of peer observation of teaching as part of the process

of critical evaluation and continuing development of the student learning experiences offered in

programmes of study at the University.

The attached forms should be used in the absence of any other scheme in a teaching programme. Itshould be noted that the Teaching and earning !ommittee has agreed that every member of the

teaching staff should arrange for feedbac" from a peer observer at least once every academic year.

The #$ !ommittee should be informed of the scheme adopted in each School.

%orms & and ' should be copied to the (ead of School or the person designated in the School.

%orm ) should be retained by the teacher of the class observed.

Peer observation arrangements.

*eer observation of teaching may be underta"en in actual class time or by using a video tape

recording of a particular session. *lease consult the *eer Observation *ro+forma.

In each of the folloing possible structures, pairings for observation may be arranged ith

complete freedom of individual choice or ith pairings allocated by the (ead of -epartment or

proxy/. !ommon arrangements include0

1eciprocal pairs

Observation in existing team teaching arrangements

21ound robin2 observation groups of )+3 people ho observe each other

$ panel of designated observers ith hom others can sign up this may or may not be a

reciprocal arrangement/

Training in 2!lassroom Observation2 ) hour session and on+going support/ ill be available fromSeptember '44&. Schools ill have to decide hether individuals may act as an observer ithout

such training and declare their policy.

1eciprocal pairs.

The most usual arrangement is for pairs of colleagues to underta"e observations for each other.

Observation in existing team teaching arrangements.

!olleagues in 2Teaching Teams2 may act as a collective group for observing teaching. This can

allo them to capitalise on their common experience of the class, the ob5ectives , expected

learning outcomes and assessment outcomes.

21ound robin2 observation groups of )+3 people ho observe each other.To avoid the possibility of conflicts of interest hen or"ing ith close colleagues small

groups of staff may form 2observation2 teams in hich no to teachers are expected to observe

each other.

$ panel of designated observers ith hom others can sign up this may or may not be a

reciprocal arrangement/The School may ish to appoint a team of 2observers2 ho have received special training or

ho have ac6uired expertise through other activity.


2/9

tHE Scheme. Information on Peer Observation at UWB


3/9

Peer Observation of Teaching 3

Form 1 Please complete this page and discuss it with the observer before the session

School *rogramme 7odule8course unit

evel8year 7ode, eg %T8*T !omposition of the student group

Type of activity, eg lecture, !$ Topics/ 9umber of students

Observer Session length Observation hours mins

What are the ob5ectives planned for this session eg "noledge and understanding, "ey s"ills, cognitive s"ills, and

sub5ect specific, including practical8professional s"ills/: Indicate ho they contribute to supporting students in

achieving expected learning outcomes in the session or module.

(o do these learning ob5ectives relate to the *rogramme Specifications and other 7odules:

On hat particular things ould you li"e feedbac":

&

'

)

*eer Observation of Teaching


4/9


Form 2 Peer Observation : Reflection & Discussion

This form should be completed by the lecturer folloing discussion ith the observer. $ copy should be given to the

observer.

&. What did you feel ere the most important points in your discussion ith the observer:

'. Will you ma"e changes to any of the folloing: If so hat are they:

a/ the particular or similar sessions.

b/ the module or programme.

c/ to your teaching more generally.

). $ny other comments about the observation.

%eedbac" to be given to the class members.

%eedbac" to help the observer to be more useful:



5/9


Form Observation and Feedbac!

Observation notes 0 *lease comment on the session in relation to the learning ob5ectives0

Prompts Strengths and Points for Improvement

!larity of ob5ectives

!ontent currency, accuracy,

relevance, use of examples,

level, match to student

needs/

*lanning, organisation and

structure. in"s.

7ethods8approach

-elivery and pace

evel of 2challenge2 to

students

Student participation8

engagement

Use of resources0 eg Time,

space, e6uipment

Other points as re6uested

&

'

)



6/9


%orm ) ctd. *lease summarise the "ey points from your observation for discussion ith the teacher

Overall 6uality and the strengths of the teaching in relation to the ob5ectives0

Suggestions aimed at enhancing the teaching and learning.

Observer:

9ame Signature -ate0



7/9

!!en"i# $ tHE Scheme Best Practice %o"e&s

Peer Observation in the Process of Personal "valuation of #eaching

$t Bangor e recognise the need for some peer or expert confirmation of competent teaching

performance in the Teaching in (igher ;ducation Scheme tHE Scheme/. $ll participants are

expected to sho that they have obtained and acted upon expert, peer, and student feedbac" about

their teaching.

It is li"ely that in Sub5ect 1evie variations of the process presented in %igure &. ill be ta"en as the

model of best practice. If Schools can sho that they are doing things that approximate to the model

then teaching activity ill not come under such close scrutiny.

Some Schools have introduced a formal re6uirement for all teaching staff to be observed by another

member of academic staff at least once a year as a simple 6uality chec" and, in part as preparation

for any future external observation that may be re6uired. These Schools have also operated

variations of the *ersonal -evelopment 1evie *rocess for three years./

*eer Observation can be seen as an essential source of confirmatory information in the overall

evaluation of teaching effectiveness. The others are student learning outcomes, student evaluations

and other feedbac", examiners2 and moderators2 comments and personal observations and

interpretations.


8/9

!!en"i# $ tHE Scheme Best Practice %o"e&s

Peer Observation in the Process of Personal "valuation of #eaching

The most useful evaluation in ensuring teaching and learning effectiveness is probably the diagnosis of

student needs in terms of hat students "no and hat they are expected to "no at the beginning or

during the module. This can include hat they can do and hat they are expected to be able to do

during the course as ne or practiced s"ills. Such a diagnostic test can confirm, or otherise, hetherteacher and student expectations are ell matched.

Informal feedbac" about teaching, and the learning ta"ing place, can be obtained through regular use

of a variety of techni6ues. 1evie and revision discussions at the end and beginning of sessions,

anonymous 2post+its2 on alls after sessions, a 2postbox2 for comments or re6uests on ay out, feedbac"

from postgraduate assistants, use of a feedbac" form all provide important information.

*eer observation may be a colleagues/ visiting a session or helping to revie a recorded session.

Several models are employed. 7ost are based on good practice developed in the supervision of trainee

teachers or #$$ T#$. Some rely on collaborative groups of peers or reciprocal pairs. *eer

observation should loo" for effectiveness in terms of methods used, style and approach, interaction and

support for learners.

%ormative and summative assessments provide progress and achievement information. Short problemsolving activities, multiple choice tests, underta"en individually or in small groups, as"ing students to

construct multiple choice or other 6uestions about a topic, stimulate deeper engagement ith material

and issues and provide almost instant feedbac" to the class teacher in lectures and seminars. $n

example is the 2entrance2 test for seminar meetings here preparation may have included a text to read.

Students ho cannot anser the 6uestions/ are only alloed to stay ith the consent of the rest of the

group. -iscussions in seminars and tutorials provide good information.

Student performance in examinations provides detailed 6ualitative information in addition to

performance scores. Teachers can consider the correlation beteen particular 6uestions and the

overall performance of students.

Student evaluations should contain information about achievement of intentions, and, ho the module

content, structure and level of the 2challenge2 contributed to the outcomes, ho the teacher contributed

to learning, ho the group and the individual contributed and hat barriers to learning ere

experienced. $ generic student experience evaluation form hich can be adapted for use in differentmodules is being prepared./

!omments from external and internal examiners and moderators in all assessments.

7odifications to the proposed folloing interpretation of all the information are fed into proposed

changes to the module or course (recor"e" in an" comm'nicate" to st'"ents thro'gh han"boo) entries

an" mo"'&e "escri!tion*and decisions about continuing professional development (thro'gh !ersona&

"eve&o!ment revie+ !rocesses*.

Best Practice in the Eva&'ation of Teaching Effectiveness

%igure &. *rocess of integrating feedbac" and evaluations. Overa&& eva&'ation

Information gained from teaching and evaluation processes

!hanges and other responses feeding bac" into teaching in the module

*rogress of Teaching and earning in 7odule

Start ,inish 7odule

-escri tion

!hanges to module

and personal !*-

-iagnostic

assessment of

Student needs=

understanding

of intentions

*rogress info.

based on

formative and

summative

courseor" and

class responses

*eer Observation

of teaching

Student

;valuations

Internal = externalexaminers, = moderators

comments

Informal

repeated

Student

;xams.

Informal

*eer

Observation of

teaching

*rogress

info. based on

formative and

summative

courseor" and

class responses

Student

;valuations

;xaminers,

= moderators

-iagnosis of

student needs0understanding

of intentions

!hanges to

module and

personal !*-

Student

;xaminations.


9/9

!!en"i# $ tHE Scheme

Best Practice %o"e&s

Peer Observation of #eaching

*eer Observation *O/ as a critical revie of teaching activity is one of

the elements of the Best *ractice 7odel for the ;valuation Teaching

effectiveness. It is being used at Bangor in the folloing ays0

&& !artici!ants in tHE Scheme are re-'ire" to 'se !eer fee"bac) from at &east t+o observe"

sessions in their ref&ections on their o+n teaching "eve&o!ments.

Some Schoo&s have inc&'"e" Peer Observation in their 'a&it/ ss'rance (* !rocesses an" as

!re!aration for S'b0ect 1evie+ (S1* !rocess +hich inc&'"es teaching observation.

*eer Observation at Bangor is designed for use in *ersonal *rofessional -evelopment

rather than as a management tool or for programme development although the process

may have implications for the latter.

To be effective, *eer Observation practices are expected to include0

Before the session to be observe"2 the teacher an" the observer +i&& agree the fo&&o+ing

The purposes/ of the observation.

The intentions/ of the teaching8learning session.

The relationship beteen the session and the rest of the module and programme.

$ny particular features on hich the teacher ould particularly li"e the observer

to focus.

In hat ays the Observer might participate in the session.

In some circumstances participant observation, team teaching, or other forms of

involvement may be preferred to simple observation./

When and ith hom the observations ill be discussed.

St'"ents in sessions sho'&" be ma"e a+are that PO ta)es !&ace as a norma& !art of an"

'a&it/ Enhancement rather than as a reactive or corrective !rocess.

recor" of observations sho'&" form the basis of a conversation in +hich the teacher can be

!rom!te" to reca&& as!ects of the session.

The recor" of the observe" session be&ongs to the teacher.

In Schools using *O as part of their #$ processes an agreed statement that the

observation has been completed is sent to the (ead of School or person

responsible for #$./

,ee"bac) on observations sho'&" fo&&o+ the Best Practice Princi!&es for ,ee"bac) ens'ring

that strengths are highlighted,

suggestions are made about ho specific ea"nesses may be overcome,

possible lines of development are identified and achievements are recognised.

The teacher sho'&" in"icate to the observer +hat actions are !&anne" fo&&o+ing the fee"bac) an"

eva&'ation.

Observers +i&& share their e#!erience of observing an" their 'n"erstan"ing of the !rocess inSchoo& or +i"er meetings of !eer observers.

Best Practice in the Eva&'ation of Teaching Effectiveness

*eerObservation of

teaching

Information Peer Obs

Documents

Transcript of Information Peer Obs