On January 19 and 21, 2010, the Committee on Teaching Development hosted two informal sessions on effective peer classroom and studio observations. These conversations were facilitated by panelists with training and experience with classroom observations (Stewart Purkey [Education], Laura DeSisto [Education], and Dominica Chang [French and Francophone Studies]), as well as members from the Tenure Reappointment, and Promotion committees (Jeff Collett [Physics] and Joe Gregg [Math]).
Panelists were in full agreement on at least three specific points:
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Classroom and studio observation visits have many professional and pedagogical benefits. Pre-tenure faculty members and Fellows in particular should try to be observed as early and as often as possible, but all panel participants stressed how valuable the process can be for the observer as well.
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The primary intent of these visits should be observational, rather than evaluative. Although peer observation is often thought of as a purely evaluative exercise, the primary motivation for these should be continued pedagogical development. Hopefully this will encourage newer faculty members to invite such visits early and often, and even tenured faculty members will make use of them for their own professional development.
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Ideally, visits should be approached as a three-step process:
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Pre-visit communication. Information is shared about the form and content of the class to be observed.
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Classroom visit. Panelists strongly suggested that the observer take as detailed notes as possible during the visit. A comprehensive observation might include verbatim transcription of classroom comments, a visual representation of the classroom and discussion patterns, as well as meta-commentary from the observer.
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Post-visit discussion. All panelists agreed upon the absolute importance of a post-visit discussion.
Resources
The following resources are provided to help maximize the benefits of classroom and studio visits for both instructors and observers.
