peer observation – doing it online shirley bennett university of northampton
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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 performance Teaching performance, class, learning
materialsTeaching 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
RisksAlienation; 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
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