Links and References

Policy Documents

The University of Reading, in UK, has a detailed rationale and description of the processes involved, includes a checklist of what constitutes ‘good teaching’. Contains useful guidelines for establishing department wide peer observation.

Warwick University, UK, also provides a rationale for peer observation. Checklists are included.

Cardiff University in Wales has a clear policy for observation of teaching. They include in their policy the possibility of observation being either summative or formative – for appraisal or CPD.

A Scottish University policy document from Dundee University, this stresses the confidentiality of peer observation, but also includes examples of forms showing how peer observation processes can be reported, and ‘tracked’ for records. At the end there is a useful series of extracts from the quality review processes of different funding bodies.

Forms, Guidelines and Checklists

Northern Carolina University: UNC Intercampus Dialogue on Peer Review of Teaching: Results and Recommendation. a peer observation form which looks quite useful. Gives some guidance about ways of doing feedback sessions. Appendices E to H focus on aspects of other observation process from observation to feedback

Many of us will be undergoing evaluative observation for the Review of learning and teaching in our departments in the next eighteen months. This note from the Quality Assurance Agency for HE (QAA) on observation as part of the review processes.

QAA Review Reports

See also the University of Dundee document which has other review bodies’ checklists.

The University of Washington webpages contain much information on teaching and learning: peer observation is among the advice they post. Note that they call course evaluation course assessment.

This extract from the University of Nottingham, UK, outlines some of the values of peer observation, and contains a useful reference from the Higher Quarterly.

Discussion Lists

Deliberations Forum conducted a discussion about peer observation in 1999. Contains quite a lot of anecdotal experience from staff who have participated in peer observation.

Papers

This ERIC digest from 1995 outlines nine key points emerging from surveys of peer observation.

Links to Projects

The Nottingham Trent University was host to the Fund for the Development of Teaching & Learning project‘Peer Review and the Development of Teaching Excellence’ ‘The project helps to look at ways of managing change in the University by involving staff at all levels to share their own examples of good practice in areas of teaching, learning and administration.

Another FDTL project, DEVELOP , based at Leeds Metropolitan University, revolves around mutual learning and continuing professional development for language teachers through Tandem (Peer) Observation.