Stage 1 : Preparation for ObservationWithin effective Peer-to-Peer observation, preparation is vital - to help clarify the learning goals for the process & to ensure the observer has key information to understand what they observe.

DO THIS NOW WHILE YOU WAIT! 1. Think about the following questions:

What aspects of student ONLINE learning would be most interesting for you to explore or investigate?

Is there an aspect of your ONLINE teaching / support / assessment practice which you would like to change or develop?

What are your goals in your ONLINE teaching / support work? Are they being achieved?

The questions are taken from Gosling and O’Connor 2006 and slightly adapted.

2. Select 2-3 issues which you would like to explore through Online Peer Observation.

Peer Observation – Doing it Online

Shirley BennettUniversity of NorthamptonHead of Academic Practice

Why online?Why online?

• Why are you here? – why are you interested in online peer observation?

• What did you come up with in answer to the opening questions?

Why move peer observation online?…

“The online learning environment is significantly less familiar … than the classroom”

Tonkin and Baker, 2003

http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/15/knFUZZ_wideweb__470x287,0.jpg“the majority of tutors new to online teaching do not have that background of online learning experience upon which to draw in the same way as trainee teachers starting out in classroom teaching can draw upon their personal classroom learning experiences which will date back from their early years at school.”

Bennett & Marsh, 2002

What?What is Peer Observation anyway?

http://www.sstd-dataweb.clrc.ac.uk/Activities/Gallery/rfq.accelerator.jpg

http://129.79.22.9/linear/tandem/kevin_kelly_tandem.jpg

The primary purpose is that teachers, one acting as observer and one being observed, engage in mutual reflection on a teaching session in order that both can learn from it in order to inform future practice.

(McMahon, 2007: 502)

Models of Peer Observation – Coherence between aim & process

Model of Peer Observation

Evaluation model

Development model

Peer Review model

Apprenticeship model

Performance model Development and Training models

Purpose or Aim of observation?

Quality Assurance; Assessment of practice. Appraisal; Confirm probation; Promotion; Identify under-performance.

Demonstrate competency; Improve teaching competency.

Engagement in discussion about teaching; Individual and shared reflection; Enhance teaching + learning.

Broaden awareness & understanding of teaching practice e.g. new methods, online practice; witness good practice;

Who benefits? Institution The Observee (the Observed teacher)Mutual between peers – Benefit for both Observer and Observee

The Observer

What is observed?

Teaching performanceTeaching performance, class, learning materials

Teaching performance, class, learning materials.

Teaching performance, class, learning materials.

Who observes whom? Senior staff observe other staff

Educational developers observe practitioners; or expert teachers observe others in department

Teachers observe each other as equals

Teachers observe expert teachers, academic developers, staff with specialist experience, early adopters of new practice.

Relationship between observer and observed

Power, Authority (One-way)

Outcome = Report or Judgement – Pass/fail, score; or Quality assessment

Expertise (One-way)

Outcome = Expert diagnosis and/or action plan, constructive guidance to improve practice

Equality/mutuality, Peer shared perception (Two way dialogue for learning)Outcome = constructive feedback, Analysis, discussion, enhanced experience / understanding of teaching

Expertise, Expert demonstration (One-way)

Outcome = Analysis, discussion, new awareness / deeper understanding of teaching methods

Focus of observation

Pre-determined schedule identifying criterion for ‘excellence’ or ‘competence’

More open-ended, but pre-determined criteria for performance

Shared participant-ownership of focus

Participant-ownership of focus – Observer choice of focus; Observee choice of context

ConfidentialityBetween Observer, Observee & Manager; Institutional control of information flow.

Between observer and the observed – possibly shared within a wider learning set, or as example of good practice, but importantly Observee retains control of information flow

Risks

Alienation; unfair / inaccurate judgements; Lack of co-operation; Compliance; Opposition

Perceived inaccurate judgements; No shared ownership; Lack of impact.

Complacency, conservatism, unfocused

Spread of poor practice; mis-understood practice

Distinction from Bell 2002

Original model Gosling 2002

Key factor from McMahon, Barrett & O’Neill,2007

Alignm

ent between purpose and process, G

osling 2002

Gosling 2002 Gosling 2002Gosling 2002 Cosh 1998

Bennett, 2013

Which model of peer observation is

McMahon portraying?

Which model of peer observation fits

your ONLINE peer observation goals?

How? How do we do it online?

A structured process ...3 Stages

DiscussionObservationPreparation

Feedback

Reflection + Discussion

Points for the Future

Observation

Notes in line with

“Contract”

Scene-Setting

DiscussionOf Objectives

“Contract”

Faculty of HealthLevel 4 module - Social Inclusion

Team identified typical problems with students’ engagement: The ‘yes man’ format. The ‘post and run' or mini-

essay, format!

•3 semi-synchronous discussions•Blackboard Discussion Forum•Team-based engagement in observation project•Team discussion of past experiences > individual agendas > observation

Sometimes it’s difficult to know where to begin if the group has already started. Sometimes I wonder if they actually need me to say anything at all but I feel compelled to make a posting just to highlight that I am here.

Could you look at the level of interaction between tutor and student group? – i.e. is the facilitator effectively absent or over-bearing?

Stage 1

Stage 2 - The Observation itself

http://www.successgis.com/images/success2.JPG

“Observee” choice over:

- Participation √- Choice of observer √- Focus of

Observation √- Form of feedback √- Information flow √- Future action √

(McMahon, 2007: 502)

DOING Peer Observation Online – How will it be the same? How different?

In groups • What will be different

about doing Peer Observation online?

• What will be the same?• What could be

‘observed’?

5 mins

102

6

7

4-7

OL & BL

Varied

4 of 5

Opportunities?Online observation offers flexibility of • Context - cross boundaries of place,

discipline and technology• Focus - different aspects of the OL

teaching and learning process and roles

• Timing of observation - Predictive / Retrospective / Concurrent

• Depth of observation - Overview / Drill down

Challenges?Challenges

• Time works differently • Context is more fuzzy• Seeing less YET seeing more – Important to identify a clear focus • Understanding what the teacher

is TRYING to DO online

The POOL ‘agenda’ - Choice of Focus area

Materials, Instructions + Broader ‘design’

Site Structure / Materials Presentation

Content of online materials - level and clarity

Overall Course Design

Tutor online activity

Management of the Online Activity

Tutor input into / contribution within student online discussion

- Quantity

- Quality

Student engagement in online activity

Amount of student participation

Quality of student interaction

Depth of student discussion

How? Addressing the challenges …

Stage 1 : Preparation for ObservationWithin effective Peer-to-Peer observation, preparation is vital - to help clarify the learning goals for the process & to ensure the observer has key information to understand what they observe.

1. Think about the following questions:

What aspects of student learning would be most interesting for you to explore or investigate? (Note: this might be to understand better why something works well as much as something that is not working successfully.)

Is there an aspect of your teaching / support / assessment practice (face-to-face or online) which you would like to change or develop?

What are your goals in your subject teaching / support work? Are they being achieved?

The questions are taken from Gosling and O’Connor 2006 and slightly adapted.

2. Please take your own notes.

3. Select 3-4 issues which you would like to explore as the focus for Peer Observation of your practice.

4. Decide what the observer will need to know about the context of observation.

Who will observe and be observed?

Practitioner: Department/School:

Observer: Department/School:

Observation Agenda:

Issues selected as observation focus:1.

2.

3.

4.

What will the observer need to know about the context they will observe?

Course / Module – e.g. Title, Level and any other key information

Topic of the session/element of the course to be observed And where does this fit into the overall learning / teaching process on the module?

Teaching aims / focus:

 

The group: Size/nature of the group; are there any particular factors which the observer should be aware of?

Material: What handbooks and/or learning/teaching material will you provide for the observer? 

If the observation is to take place online, which elements of the NILE site (or other tool) will the observer need to look at? e.g. a particular forum? part of the wiki? eTivity instructions? 

How? Understanding what the teacher is TRYING to DO online

In your use of the VLE …

What do you do?What do you hope?What do you believe?

Each take a pack of cardsSort your cards into 3 columns- True for Me- Unsure- Not True for Me

Pick your TOP 5 cards!

Explain your decisions.

Conceptions of, + approaches to, teaching online, (Gonzalez 2009)

Conception 1 The web for individual access to learning materials and information; and for individual assessment

Conception 2The web for learning related communication (asynchronous and/or synchronous)

Conception 3The web as a medium for networked learning

TeacherProvides structure

information; directs students to selected website

Sets up spaces for discussion; facilitates dialogue

Sets up spaces for communication, discussion

and knowledge building; facilitates/guides the process

Students Individual study materials provided

Participate in online discussion Share and build knowledge

Content Provided by the lecturerProvided by the lecturer but

students can modify – extend it through online discussions

Built by students using the space set up by lecturer

Knowledge Owned by the lecturer Discovered by students within lecturer’s framework Built by students

Reflection on Online Peer Observation

During this workshop …..:

I noticed ….

and I thought …..

I noticed ….

and I wondered …..

I noticed ….

and I wanted to ask you …

Adapted from Scrivener, J. Learning Teaching Task 9, p.211