Embedding sustainable peer observation and peer assistance for improving teaching practice at Griffith University

Peer Observation of:

Academic’s name:

Teaching Profile: (Sessional, Continuing, Fixed Term, Other)Please circle

Faculty:

School:

Course name:

Year level:

Session type:

Number of students in course:

Number of students in class:

Date and time of session:

Length of session:

Part of session observed:

Observers’ Names and Faculties:

Learning and Teaching expert:Faculty:

Discipline expert:Faculty:

Form completed by:

For details of indicative teaching and learning strategies for each dimension/category please see the reference document:“Observable Dimensions of High Quality Teaching: A Reference for Classroom Observations”

Key points:1 aims & objectives2 content knowledge3 teaching techniques

4personal characteristics5formative assessment6deep learning outcomes7curriculum structure

8learning environment9teaching aids and materials10 scholarly approach

Observation Notes

–What are your impressions as the session unfolds?

–What activities seem to work well?

–What suggestions do you have to make activities work better?

–How do students appear to be engaging with activities?

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Evidence is not about “good” or “bad” it is about amount of evidence that was observed.“Not Applicable” may be an entirely appropriate outcome in a particular circumstance. In others it may be able to be increased or developed in collaboration with peers. This metric should be justified with qualitative statements in the comments section following.

Observation dimension 1:Clear learning aims and objectives / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher clearly define explicit, realistic and challenging yet achievable aims and learning objectives?
Do the students appear to understand the learning aims and objectives such that they engage with activities in a productive and meaningful way?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 2:Advanced content knowledge and expertise / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher demonstrate advanced content knowledge to create clear explanations and address student questions?
Do the students appear to have confidence in the teacher’s knowledge and understand explanations and answers to questions?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 3:Effective pedagogy / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher demonstrate a teaching style supported by appropriate strategies for creating interest and effectively engaging students in learning activities?
Do the students appear to be interested in the learning activities and become effectively and productively engaged in them?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 4:Personal characteristics and approach to teaching / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher exhibit a generosity of person, benevolence toward students, humility in their role, interest in teaching, and availability to students to render assistance?
Do the students appear to respond positively to the teacher’s personal approach?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 5:Use of formative assessment practices / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher engage with activities in class that test student understanding and adapt or adopt teaching strategies to further develop that understanding?
Do the students engage with activities designed to test their understanding in a way that improves that understanding?

Formative assessment can be formal or informal but will involve a step of determining present understanding (assessment), challenging the veracity of incorrect understanding, helping students develop a new understanding, testing that new understanding (assessment of development). Examples may be Q&A in discussions; or minute tests, concept tests, clicker results, verbal multiple choices, but each should have a development step and retesting step.

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 6:Encourages deep learning outcomes / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher encourage students to reflect and share what they already know about the topic, discuss how it relates to other things that they know, and hypothesise about its implications for particular problems and cases?
Do the students reflect and share what they know about the topic, relate their new understanding to knowledge in other domains, and hypothesize about implications for new problem areas?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 7:Coherent, structured curriculum design / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher organize learning activities and assessments in a structured and coherent manner that assists students to achieve the stated learning objectives?
Do the students appear to engage with the structure and sequence of activities in a manner that assists them in reaching learning objectives?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 8:Effective use of features of the learning environment / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher make effective use of the available features of the environment to enhance their teaching and the student learning experience?
Do the students appear to be positively affected by effective use of features of the learning environment?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 9:Use of teaching materials and aids / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacher use appropriate teaching materials and aids and make use of them in an appropriate manner that assists students to reach the learning objectives?
Do the students appear to take advantage from the use of teaching materials and aids to assist their learning?

Comments and examples:

Observation dimension 10:Scholarly approach to teaching / Some Evidence / Moderate Evidence / Significant Evidence / Not Applicable
Does the teacherreveal a scholarly approach to teaching and seek to improve teaching performance?
Do students engage in activities to provide data for course, teaching, or assessment improvement?

Comments and examples:

NOTES

Things that worked well

Points for consideration

Agreed development ideas

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