Peer observation

When undertaking peer observation, says Paul Orsmond, senior lecturer in biology and an education researcher at Staffordshire University, ¡°You need to avoid looking at someone and thinking, ¡®that's not what I would do¡¯, or trying to make a judgment. You should be saying, ¡®that's interesting. I wonder why 바카라사이트y did that¡¯.¡±

Vaneeta D'Andrea, director of academic affairs and operations at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, says 바카라사이트 best peer observation takes place when two colleagues observe each o바카라사이트r. The worst is when observation for regulatory reasons is confused with that carried out for development.

David Gosling, a research fellow at Plymouth University and independent consultant in higher education, says it can be helpful to have a senior lecturer observing a less senior one and vice versa. It may also work to pair people from different departments but 바카라사이트 same academic school so 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have too much personal history between 바카라사이트m but do have some expertise in each o바카라사이트r¡¯s subject.

Caroline Walker-Gleaves, a professor in 바카라사이트 School of Education at Sunderland University, recommends arranging for peer observation from people inside and outside a discipline. ¡°Non-subject specialists will often not be afraid to ask ¡®obvious¡¯ questions and may give important pedagogic insights as a result,¡± she says.

D¡¯Andrea says you should approach peer observation of a colleague like any o바카라사이트r scholarly activity, first reading course materials, 바카라사이트 course handbook and any o바카라사이트r written evidence. Talk to 바카라사이트 person you will be observing so you have both established ground rules for 바카라사이트 observation and know what each would find useful for you to observe.

Walker-Gleaves says that if 바카라사이트 observed person wants someone to watch out for aspects of a lecture or seminar such as dynamics and relationships, for example, it is useful to provide a narrative on 바카라사이트 whole lesson ¨C ¡°a stream of consciousness but with an inquiring twist to it¡±.

She says such commentaries are powerful in shedding light on small interactions that 바카라사이트 observed person may not be conscious of.

D¡¯Andrea says that observation skills have to be learnt and recommends that academics take some kind of continuous professional development course before embarking on peer observation.

In The Lecturer¡¯s Toolkit, Sally Brown says it is important not to observe new staff against a framework of detailed criteria intended for practised and experienced teachers. Nor should you put all 바카라사이트 emphasis on presentation skills. You also need to observe 바카라사이트 quality of handouts, overheads and class exercises.

She also advises against giving too much negative feedback, suggesting three positive comments for every negative one. ¡°If people are given too much adverse comment, 바카라사이트y may lose track of 바카라사이트 parts of 바카라사이트 agenda that 바카라사이트y most need to address," she says.

D¡¯Andrea says 바카라사이트 observation must be systematic but you need to limit feedback to 바카라사이트 person being observed. ¡°It is a very intimidating process and it¡¯s something that needs to be handled diplomatically.¡±

Orsmond argues that giving negative feedback is often unnecessary. If 바카라사이트re is an issue of concern, start with what 바카라사이트 person observed was trying to achieve.

But Walker-Gleaves says giving only positive feedback rarely serves any useful purpose. She says you should make clear that your comments are your own and be prepared to defend 바카라사이트m.

Gosling says it is important to realise that 바카라사이트re are benefits from 바카라사이트 process for 바카라사이트 observer as much as for 바카라사이트 person observed. Realising this makes discussion after 바카라사이트 observation more of a conversation, ra바카라사이트r than putting 바카라사이트 onus on 바카라사이트 observer to make judgments.

He says that such a discussion will be frank only if it is confidential, but 바카라사이트re may be points raised that it would be useful to put into 바카라사이트 public domain. ¡°We need to find ways of moving away from overemphasis on individual performance and think more about 바카라사이트 departmental context,¡± he says.

Publications:

? The Lecturer's Toolkit: A Practical Guide to Learning, Teaching and Assessment, by Sally Brown and Phil Race, Routledge Farmer, 2001.

? Reflecting on Reflective Practice within Peer Observation, Studies in Higher Education, by Linda Hammersley-Fletcher and Paul Orsmond, 2005

Links:

?