Conducting Peer Review

Evaluation of teaching requires more than a single visit to classroom while a colleague teaches. These guidelines have been developed to support supervisor reviewers and peer reviewers in developing peer reviews suitable for both feedback on teaching practice and for performance review purposes.

Please note that there is a separate peer review process for participants in the Flinders Foundations of University Teaching (FFOUT). The process for FFOUT can be found on the FFOUT website http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/newstaff/resources/plp_template.doc

Policy related to peer review

Peer review can be done by a peer or by a supervisor.

The Policy on Evaluation of Teaching can be found at http://www.flinders.edu.au/ppmanual/policySecretariat/evalteach.htm

It is recommended that peer review follow the process suggested in the Suggestions for Peer Review of Teaching document available at http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/t4l/evaluate/resources/suggestions_for_peer_review_of_teaching.pdf

Sources of Information

You may wish to describe the sources of the information that you, as a peer reviewer, have used to construct your feedback. These could include

Course and Topic outlines and resources
interviews with the teacher
assessment materials and results
observations of teaching
interviews with students
re view of course and topic evaluations

Reporting the Review Results

There is no expected proforma for developing a peer review. You can find examples of peer review reports at http://www.flinders.edu.au/teach/t4l/evaluate/examples.php

Ensure that any peer review of teaching focuses only on teaching and does not read as a general reference which might comment on your administrative or research roles. This report should focus on the aspects of your teaching as suggested in the following guidelines.

Teaching Review Guidelines

These guidelines are not intended as a checklist and the process is not obligatory. They offer guidance to those conducting a peer review about the type of criteria that could be negotiated prior to peer review taking place. Peer review should actively engage the person being reviewed and proceed from an initial process of self- evaluation. For these reasons, the Teaching Review Guidelines frame reflective questions and include both self-evaluation and peer evaluation questions

These Teaching Review Guidelines address each of these aspects separately, although it is recognized that they all part of an interactive process. They are derived from and reflect the values embedded in the Flinders University Education Policy.

There are three interrelated aspects of designing and providing effective learning environments:

careful comprehensive planning,
effective program delivery and interaction with students, and
on-going evaluation, development and review.

Evaluation of these aspects of teaching requires more than a single visit to a classroom while a colleague teaches. The following Review Guidelines address each of these aspects separately, although it is recognized that they all part of an interactive process.

PEER REVIEW OF PLANNING AND DESIGNING FOR EFFECTIVE TEACHING

We believe that planning and designing for effective teaching is well organized, intentional and based on a clearly expressed personal approach to student learning in the discipline, grounded in the University’s educational policies and focused of on the learning outcomes.

To provide evidence of the extent to which planning and designing for teaching and learning, you may choose to consider some of the following questions:

Is teaching based on a clearly explained and evidence-based personal philosophy of teaching and rationale to supporting learning?
Does the teaching promote coherence between the course and topic aims and desired learning outcomes and the approach to learning teaching and assessment methods?
Does the teaching focus on desired learning outcomes for students, in the form of knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes?
Does the teaching entail adequate preparation?
Is the teaching well organized?
Does the teaching produce assessment methods and tasks appropriate to the desired learning outcomes of the course and topic and to the capabilities of the students?
Does the teaching include reference to development of generic capabilities that are to be gained (e.g. communication skills, analytic skills) as well as to capabilities associated with the discipline?
Does the teaching attend to matters of cultural inclusiveness in teaching strategies and content inclusion?

PEER REVIEW OF MATERIAL DELIVERY AND STUDENT-TEACHER INTERACTION

We believe that effective educational delivery and interaction with students is typified by well explained learning activities that focus students’ attention on clearly communicated learning outcomes and provide students with the opportunity to gain and demonstrate the desired knowledge, understanding and skills.
Consider to what extent the selection and delivery of teaching strategies:

are authentic to the desired learning outcomes
are innovative and varied
communicates enthusiasm for the discipline
demonstrates the application of the discipline to real world issues
motivates students to continue to study the discipline

Consider to what extent to which the interaction with students:

engages students in discussion and negotiation about ways in which study tasks can be undertaken
utilises instructional strategies and tools to support different styles of learning and proceeds from an understanding of students' knowledge, capabilities and backgrounds
engages students as active participants in the learning process with a complex interplay of active and receptive processes
incorporates a concern for the welfare and progress of individual students
encompasses a range of perspectives from groups of different ethnic background, socio-economic status and gender
acknowledges and attempts to meet the needs of students with disabilities

Consider to what extent the organisation of teaching:

is fairly, carefully and systematically administered
clear records of student attendance and progress are kept

Consider to what extent the assessment strategies:

adopts interpreting and grading procedures that do not discriminate against an individual or group of students.
provides students with adequate and timely feedback on progress towards achieving the desired learning outcomes through formal assessment and other means and with advice on how they might improve.

Consider to what extent the engagement with the discipline:

provides students with an appreciation of the broad field and develops an awareness of the limited and provisional nature of much current knowledge in all fields utilising up-to-date research
provides students with the opportunity to identify and area of interest and explore it in depth
encourages the informed and critical questioning of accepted theories and views and respects students' rights to express views and opinions
provides students with and understanding of how ideas evolve and are subject to challenge and revision
introduces the students to experts in the field and teachers share their insights from the conduct of their own research
encourages awareness of the ethical dimensions of problems and issues

PEER REVIEW OF EVALUATION PROCESSES

We believe that effective teaching includes a disposition towards systematic reviews of teaching and learning process. This involves self-reflection and regular feedback from students about their learning and colleagues about the effectiveness of teaching procedures.
You will need to provide commentary on the extent to which the evaluation and review processes utilised demonstrate:

evidence there is on-going critical self-reflection on the quality of teaching and learning
evidence that current teaching and assessment practices and topic design have been adjusted based on reflection on student and peer feedback
innovation in curriculum design and course and topic delivery
leadership in teaching and curriculum development in the AOU, faculty and/or university
a scholarly understanding of teaching in this discipline
attempts to keep up-to-date in teaching and curriculum issues
engagement in scholarship or research in teaching
an informed adherence to university policies
cooperation with colleagues
provision of mentoring support of new teachers in the discipline
attempts to keep the curriculum up-to-date in the field