PROGRAM PRESENTATION

Appendix T: PEER OBSERVATION GUIDELINES


Purpose. The purpose of the peer observation program is to contribute to the continual improvement of the SILS educational environment by helping faculty members develop their teaching abilities and by providing observing faculty members with a broader understanding of the SILS curriculum. Observation reports will be provided to the faculty member. Nontenured and associate professors will select at least one report to include in his or her reappointment/promotion/tenure review materials; tenured full professors will provide a copy of the report to the dean..

Procedures

Team composition. Teams of two faculty members will form visitation groups for the evaluation procedure. The teams will be appointed by the Dean, in consultation with the faculty member being observed. At least one member of each team will be knowledgeable in the area being taught and at least one member of each team (preferably both) will be an associate or full professor. Each team is responsible for observing one person for the duration of at least one semester.

Observation schedule. Each non-tenured faculty member will be observed during the second, third and fourth semesters of his/her initial appointment. If a non-tenured faculty member is reappointed, he or she will be observed in the spring semester of his or her fourth year and both semesters of his or her fifth year. Tenured faculty members will be observed every third year. The observation team will observe at least one class per semester (and preferably two), by prior arrangement with the faculty member being observed. Each observation will last for one full class period (for biweekly classes) or one-half the class period (for weekly classes).

Pre-Observation Conference. (optional at the discretion of person being visited) Prior to the observations, it is the responsibility of the teacher to provide observation team members with a syllabus for the course and any other materials he or she deems appropriate. Team members will meet with the faculty member being observed to arrange times for their visits and to obtain information about instructional goals, methods, style, and other aspects of the course that provide context for the observation. Among the questions that are usually asked during pre-conference interviews are:

  1. What are your goals for the classes we will observe? (What will students gain from the sessions?)
  2. What teaching methods do you expect to use in each of these classes? (Describe what we can expect to see in each class.)
  3. How would you characterize the typical student in your course (motivation, ability, interest in the material, etc.)?
  4. What will students be asked to do to prepare for these classes?
  5. How will you assess what they learn in these classes?
  6. How do these classes relate to previous (and subsequent) classes?
  7. Will these classes represent a typical sample of your teaching? If not, what will be different?
  8. Is there anything in particular you would like the team to focus on in these classes?

Observation. Observers may choose any method they like to record their impressions on the classes they visit. Many observers have found that taking "narrative" notes (often including lecture content) roughly simulates the students' experience in class while allowing for marginal notations of a more evaluative nature. In any case, good practice dictates that observers should familiarize themselves with the categories on the observation report form before visiting the class. The form has six categories under which the team will be expected to report their observations: content, instruction, instructor-student interaction, presentation/style, student behavior, and general comments. The form (attached) includes "prompts" under each of these categories as guides to specific behaviors that might fall under them.

As soon as possible after an observation is completed, each member of the team should review the observation notes and outline his/her impressions. If there will be two observations, the team should offer to give informal feedback between the sessions.

Post-Observation Conference. As soon as possible after the last class observation, the team should meet to compose its observation report and arrange to meet with the teacher to share the report. In any event, the post-observation conference should occur no later than two weeks after the last class observation. To be useful as a guide for development and as an evaluative tool, the report should reflect a balanced picture of the instructor's teaching, specifying areas of particular effectiveness as well as areas that could be improved (and suggestions for carrying out the improvement).

In the post-observation conference, the team can initiate a discussion with the teacher using questions such as these (to lead up to their report):

  1. How did you feel these classes went?
  2. Did students accomplish the goals you set for them?
  3. What do you think worked well, or not so well, in these classes?
  4. What do you think are your teaching strengths? -Weaknesses?
  5. Do you have any suggestions or strategies for improvement?

The observation report should be given to the teacher and discussed. If there are still disagreements between the team and the teacher after the conference and this is a report that the teacher chooses to submit for reappointment or promotion review, the teacher can attach his/her own report to the observation form.

Use of the Observation Reports Three observation reports will be completed prior to the non-tenured teacher's reappointment review, at least one of which must be included in his/her reappointment review materials. An additional three observation reports will be completed prior to review for promotion/tenure. At least one of these reports, selected by the faculty member, must be included in the faculty member's promotion/tenure review materials. Tenured associate Professors should submit at least one teaching observation report in their promotion review for full professor. Teaching observation reports on full professors should be shared with the dean.

 

UNC-CH School of Information and Library Science
Peer Observation Report Form

The following questions are simply suggestions to help define each category. The questions are illustrative; they are not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive.

  1. Content. Does the instructor exhibit mastery of the content? Is the depth and breadth of material appropriate to level of course and students? Does the material relate to the syllabus and the goals of the course? Does the instructor emphasize conceptual grasp of material, incorporate recent developments in the field, relate the material to real-world applications? Does the instructor enrich the material by making intellectual connections with related material and placing it in a broader theoretical/academic context? Does the instructor distinguish between fact and opinion and present divergent viewpoints when appropriate?

  2. Instruction. Was the instructor well-prepared for class? Does the method of teaching seem appropriate for the material? Was the method used effectively? Were the various parts of the lesson (and the teaching strategies) well-integrated? Was the overall organization of the day's session logical? Does the instruction match the instructor's goals for the lesson? Did the day's lesson build upon past presentations and set expectations for future classes?

  3. Instructor-Student Interaction. Was there evidence of instructor-student rapport? Were interactions conducive to learning? Was the instructor effective in facilitating class discussion? If discussions occurred, were the purpose and guidelines made clear? Were student questions handled effectively by the instructor? Was the instructor sensitive to student confusion or difficulty in understanding? Did the instructor teach to the whole class or a select group?

  4. Presentation.Style. Did the instructor show enthusiasm for teaching? -For the subject? Did the instructor seem friendly and relaxed? Did the instructor's presentation style contribute to effective teaching in the context of this course? Were the instructor's quality of voice and audibility appropriate for lecturing and/or discussion?

  5. Student behavior. Were students attentive and engaged? -Confused? -Actively involved? Did the instructor create expectations that challenged the students? -That required the students to be prepared for the class discussion? Were there student behaviors that fell outside the mainstream of class activity (reading newspapers, random conversations, etc.)? What are the implications of observed student behaviors for the instructor?

  6. General comments. Were there inadequacies in the physical surroundings (lighting, seating, acoustics, etc.) that might have affected the teacher's choice of method or interfered with instruction? What did you like most about this class and/or the instructor's approach? What part of the class seemed particularly to enhance the learning process? Did you learn anything in the pre- or post-observation sessions that influenced or modified your responses?


Revised 9/26/00