Promoting Peer Observation of Teaching in Higher Education
Abstract
A major goal of peer observation in the classroom is to provide instructors with formative feedback that will improve teaching effectiveness and enhance student learning. Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) offers a voluntary “Teaching Partners Program,” in which two faculty members meet, observe a period of each other’s class, reflect, and then discuss strengths and areas where improvements may be warranted. Any faculty member, full-time or part-time, tenured or nontenured, that is teaching at least one section of one course at SPSU is eligible to participate in the program during a given semester. Faculty members are typically paired with someone from outside of their own discipline. This session will present the results of a research study designed to identify which faculty members are most likely to participate in SPSU’s program and to understand the impact of the program. A discussion on faculty members’ perceptions on which aspects of the “Teaching Partners Program” at SPSU are most beneficial will also take place. Results from this study may be used to help participants develop their own peer observation programs or strengthen their existing programs and eventually improve faculty teaching effectiveness and enhance student learning.
Session Format
Presentation
Location
Rooms 113 & 115
Publication Type and Release Option
Event
Recommended Citation
Lowder, Loraine; Vandenbussche, Jennifer; Ferreira, Daniel R.; Khalid, Adeel; Karim, M. A.; Singh, Rajnish; Chin, Craig A.; Acharya, Keshav; Colebeck, Donna; Sweigart, John; Atiqullah, Mir M.; Das, Sandip; and Yee, Tien, "Promoting Peer Observation of Teaching in Higher Education" (2015). SoTL Commons Conference. 21.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2015/21
Promoting Peer Observation of Teaching in Higher Education
Rooms 113 & 115
A major goal of peer observation in the classroom is to provide instructors with formative feedback that will improve teaching effectiveness and enhance student learning. Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) offers a voluntary “Teaching Partners Program,” in which two faculty members meet, observe a period of each other’s class, reflect, and then discuss strengths and areas where improvements may be warranted. Any faculty member, full-time or part-time, tenured or nontenured, that is teaching at least one section of one course at SPSU is eligible to participate in the program during a given semester. Faculty members are typically paired with someone from outside of their own discipline. This session will present the results of a research study designed to identify which faculty members are most likely to participate in SPSU’s program and to understand the impact of the program. A discussion on faculty members’ perceptions on which aspects of the “Teaching Partners Program” at SPSU are most beneficial will also take place. Results from this study may be used to help participants develop their own peer observation programs or strengthen their existing programs and eventually improve faculty teaching effectiveness and enhance student learning.
