Peer Review of Teaching is a form of assessment in which instructors give feedback to one another on teaching and learning in their courses. Combined with other sources of information such as student learning outcomes, instructor self-assessment, and student feedback, peer review of teaching can be an important component of an overall assessment of teaching.
Peer Review offers the unique perspective of another instructor who knows the course and the material well, and who has experience working with students who take the course. This perspective positions the peer reviewer to focus on features of teaching and learning that are distinct from features that might be identified from other perspectives such as student feedback or a CIDR consultant's observations.
For many instructors, Peer Review of Teaching can be a challenge: Even though they know the subject matter well and think carefully about their own teaching, they may be less comfortable giving constructive, systematic feedback on someone else's teaching. For instructors who are planning to participate in peer review, CIDR is available to consult on determining peer review procedures, conducting effective classroom observations, and following up on the peer review in a meeting and/or in writing. Conducting Peer Review of Teaching
Peer Review of Teaching can be based on a number of different sources of information:
Classroom Observations: Classroom Observation is often a part of the peer review process. The peer reviewer observes how the instructor conducts class, interacts with students, and presents material. The peer reviewer may attend class in person, or may observe a video recording of the class.
Review of Materials: In some cases peer reviewers may review copies of instructional materials such as the course syllabus, assignments, exams, or other classroom materials in order to make judgments about the usefulness of the materials for helping students learn.
Review of Other Feedback: At times the peer review process may revolve around other feedback the instructor has received through midterm student feedback, student ratings or other student feedback. In this case, the peer reviewer helps the instructor analyze, interpret, and learn from feedback on the instructor's teaching.
Interviews:
Peer reviewers may conduct interviews with the instructor as a way of learning the instructor's perspective on course content, learning objectives, teaching methods, ways of assessing student learning, commitment to teaching and student learning, and/or support for departmental and institutional instructional efforts. Improvement vs. Evaluation of Teaching
Peer Review of Teaching may be used either for improvement of teaching or for formal evaluation of teaching effectiveness, but most find that when they try to use it for both purposes at the same time, then it is not as effective for either purpose. Peer review for improvement has its primary audience the instructor him or herself, to inform his or her decisions about teaching. However, the audience for evaluative peer review is someone else who is using the peer review to make decisions about an instructor's future roles in the department.
Characteristics of Peer Review for Improvement:
Peer review for improvement of teaching is highly collaborative: the instructor and peer reviewer work together to determine together what to focus on in the review, what type and amount of feedback will be useful, and what record (if any) to keep of the reviewer's observations.
Peer review for improvement of teaching is also confidential: Discussions, documentation, and actions taken as a result of the peer review are for the reviewer and instructor, and not intended for a wider audience.
CIDR is available to help instructors plan for ways to benefit the most from the experience and also to consult on ways to address issues identified through the peer review.
Characteritics of Peer Review for Evaluation:
Peer review for evaluation of teaching may still be highly collaborative, involving the instructor in decisions at each step throughout the process, but the outcomes are no longer confidential. Since others will use the peer review to make decisions about the quality of the instructor's teaching, which may affect the instructor's future roles in the department, a number of factors need to be considered in order to demonstrate that the review is a reasonable representation of the instructor's overall teaching effectiveness:
- How many class sessions should be observed in order to provide an adequate sample of teaching by the instructor?
- What additional information and supporting materials should be documented to provide context for the report on classroom observations?
- What will be the role of the instructor in determining the focus of classroom observations?
- What will the peer reviewer use as a basis for conclusions about the quality of the instructor's teaching?
- What opportunity will the instructor have to shape the final report that goes on file?
Consulting with CIDR
CIDR is available to consult with instructors on using peer review for the purpose of improvement, including how to address the issues identified through peer review and how to benefit most from the process. CIDR can also offer workshops and resource materials for groups of faculty or TAs who are interested in engaging in peer review.
CIDR is also available to consult with departments, reviewers, and instructors about structuring peer review procedures for the purpose of formal evaluation. Consultations may range from exploration of peer review methods to ongoing follow-up on issues identified through the peer review process.
For faculty, TA Coordinators, or Lead TAs who are responsible for review of new instructors in their departments, CIDR is available to consult on developing plans for peer review, conducting systematic observations, writing summaries of observations, planning for post-observation follow-up, and addressing issues identified through the peer review process.
Additional resources to help you plan for Peer Review of Teaching can also be found in CIDR's collection of Classroom Observation Tools.
To schedule a meeting with a CIDR consultant, call 206-543-6588, or contact us by email to arrange an appointment. Peer Review of Teaching at UW
Examples of policies and statements by UW departments, schools, and colleges related to peer review of teaching:
|
