Peer Review and Enhancement of Teaching

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Peer Review and Enhancement of Teaching

• Ginny Saich Ruth Watkins
• (DAICE)

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Context

• QAA Enhancement Agenda
• Enhancement Themes (Linking Research and
  Teaching?)
• HE Academy Professional Standards Framework
• HE Academy CPD Framework
• QAA ELIR feedback
• Academic advancement and promotion

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Peer Review Purpose

• In your opinion, what is the purpose of peer
  review of teaching?

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Peer Review Personal Experiences

• What personal experiences of peer review have
  you encountered (in teaching or elsewhere?)
• have you been through peer review
• As a reviewer?
• As the reviewed?
• why did you participate in peer review?
• what did you find were the benefits and
  drawbacks?
• What were the outcomes for you and your peer?

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Peer Review Potential Benefits

• Encourage reflection on the teaching process
• Provide mutual feedback on the teaching process
• Encourage collaboration/partnership working
• Encourage innovation in teaching methodology
• Develop the curriculum
• Enhance the students learning experience
• Enable individuals to become aware of the
  strengths and weaknesses of their teaching
  practice and provide a means through which
  individuals can improve the effectiveness of all
  aspects of their teaching.

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Peer Review Types

• What does Peer Review of Teaching mean to you
  now in your current context?

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Peer Review Range

• Peer observation
• External examining
• Departmental review
• Learning and Teaching committees
• QAA ELIR
• Team teaching
• Programme/module development teams
• Mentoring/Senior colleague
• Workshops/conferences/seminars
• Co-supervision of students
• Analysis and discussion of student evaluations
• Interviews/discussions with students on a
  programme
• Preview of teaching materials
• Double marking/moderation of assessments
• Review of student feedback
• Retracing teaching
• Teaching portfolio
• Much of this occurs in departments, but it is
  rarely made explicit or public (except during
  probation)

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Peer Review Sources of data

• Multiple sources of data
• Peer observation
• Student evaluations
• Teaching materials
• Written feedback to students on their work
• Module and Programme design documentation
• Review Papers
• Critical friend
• Portfolio?

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Requirements for Peer Review

• From your experiences/expectations, what kind of
  environment/context promotes participation in
  peer review?
• What would your role be in peer review
• as a reviewer?
• as the reviewed?

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Peer Review Requirements

• Critical reflection and self-assessment
• Collaborative environment of mutual trust
• Colleagues willing to explore, share and develop
  their views on what constitutes good (effective?)
  teaching
• Is learning taking place?
• Is the intended learning taking place?
• What else is happening?
• A collaborative, team process that is supportive
  and informative (avoiding mutual back slapping)
• Personal ownership of the scheme and its outputs
• Developmental and supportive rather than
  judgemental process
• criteria for assessment (what is
  good teaching?)

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Peer Review Schemes Example 1

• University of Gloucestershire
• Review of Professional Practice focuses on peer
  development of an aspect of teaching/student
  learning rather than focusing on performance.
• Collaborative process
• Designed to improve the quality of student
  learning
• Informed by, and promotes the scholarship of
  learning and teaching

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Peer Review Schemes Example 2

• University of Tasmania
• Comprehensive scheme
• Recognises differences in diverse contexts within
  which learning and teaching takes place
• Provides a range of schedules and outlines for
  differing contexts

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Peer Review Schemes Example 3

• Interviewing students
• providing an evidence-base (what are students
  doing/learning, rather than what are they
  supposed to be doing/learning?)
• what and how students are learning
• More immediate feedback mechanisms
• One minute papers
• Stop, Start, Continue

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Next Stage

• What activity (if any) would you be interested
  in pursuing further?
• Do you have any specific requirements for
  assistance, support, guidance for this?
• How will you proceed from here?