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4 |
Monitoring and evaluating feedback |
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4.3
Getting feedback from your peers
Introduction
Your peers, whether they are new or experienced teachers, can give you valuable feedback on your teaching. And you can do the same for them. Wide-scale peer observation of teaching is not a common feature of any university, even Brookes. Nonetheless, here are some possible approaches.
What will this first word do?
It will help you to receive and use feedback from your teaching colleagues.
Advantages and uses of peer feedback
- You can choose your peer: whom would you trust to give you the kind of feedback you'd value?
- You can agree with your peer the aspects on which you will give each other feedback.
- You can also agree who else will see or hear the feedback you give each other Ð this could well be no one at all.
- As well as giving and receiving feedback, you can discuss the feedback you give each other. You can ask things like 'You said I lost them. Where exactly did I lose them? How could you tell I'd lost them? Why do you think it might have happened? How might I prevent this?'
- You can have peer feedback sessions as often or as rarely as you both agree Ð just one session each way can be very useful.
- The receiver of the feedback benefits, because they receive close supportive critical attention on their teaching from a colleague. They can then review the feedback, and decide how to use it.
- The giver of the feedback benefits through paying close critical attention to someone else's teaching, asking themselves questions about it (as suggested below). Inevitably, the person giving the feedback will also think about how the teaching they have observed might relate to their own -- what was good that they could learn from, what was less good that they should avoid?
Arranging for feedback
- Locate a colleague, another part-time teacher, preferably but not necessarily one who is teaching a similar discipline to you. They should be someone you respect and trust.
- Persuade them of the value of peer feedback. Use the arguments suggested above!
- Settle on a peer feedback agreement. This should cover at least:
- what the feedback should cover. Make your own list, but, for starters, how about: clarity of organisation and structure; clear statement of teaching session purpose; audible presentation; visual aids clear and helpful; good rapport with and responses to students; legible and useful handouts; use of appropriate in-class activities; clear and reasoned account of work to be done outside class; and, of course, whatever else the person receiving feedback is interested in.
- date and time of session(s) to be observed,
- observer behaviour in class (i.e., participant in the class or silent observer)
- feedback arrangements -- written (how long, in what form, by when) or oral (how long, when),
- confidentiality of feedback and discussions.
- Undertake the observed class (telling the students who the mysterious stranger at the back is and what they are doing there).
- Undertake the planned feedback or debrief session.
- Arrange a return match. By agreement, this may not have the same ground rules or topics.
Concluding comments
The person who asks for and receives the feedback must stay in charge of the feedback -- the process is being undertaken for them, for their benefit. And the intent and the process must always be constructive. Observe these two rules, and peer feedback will be very valuable, and will help you to improve your teaching faster than you could without it.
Last modified: Friday, 24-Jul-09 09:29:30 BST