Peer Teaching Network UBC Faculty of Science

1
Peer Teaching NetworkUBC Faculty of Science

• Jack Lee Leah Macfadyen
• Science Centre for Learning Teaching (Skylight)
• Contributors S. Harris S. Wolfman

2
Agenda

• Birth of an idea
• Theoretical Frameworks
• Similar Programs
• PTN process
• Feedback from Participants
• Future Considerations

3
(No Transcript)
4

• We frequently tell our students not to study in
  isolation, yet we continue to teach in
  isolation.
• -Participant in California State Universitys
  Teacher Observation Program
• Pedagogical Solitude
• Lee Shulman
• President Emeritus
• The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
  Teaching

5
Birth of an idea

• The Peer Teaching Network has evolved from an
  original idea developed by two UBC Science
  faculty members
• Sara Harris -- Earth Ocean Sciences
• Steve Wolfman -- Computer Science

6
Existing Peer Review Programs at UBC

• Department-specific Programs
• Part of promotion tenure process, HR decisions
• Peer Review Program (developed by UBC Dentistry
  2005, soon TAG)
• 2 reviewers internal external 1-way
• Reviewers must have an Education
  degree/certificate must complete 4hr training
  workshop
• www.peerreview.ca
• Teaching Partnership Program (TAG 2000-01)
• 2-way review 8 month commitment

7
Concerns about Peer Review

• Power imbalance - really a peer? (Gosling,
  2002)
• One-way (non-reciprocal)
• Criticisms - inhibit learning (Gosling, 2002)
• Mandated
• Tied to HR decisions (Bell, 2002)
• Control of process (McMahon et al. 2007)
• Mysterious
• Summative assessment

8
Key Goals of the Science PTN

• Reciprocal classroom visits
• Informal
• Collaborative / Collegial
• Cross-disciplinary
• Confidential
• Formative
• Not time consuming (no reports!)

9
Formative vs. Summative

• Formative
• Developmental
• Informal
• Personal use rather than public inspection
• Summative
• Evaluation
• Comparative to performance of other peers
• Personnel decisions
• End point

(Chism, 2007)
10
Bell (2002)
ISW ITA
teaching squares
11
The PTN Process
Initial Meeting
12
University College Dublin Graduate Diploma in
University Teaching Learning
Decision to participate
Next step?
Access ownership of data
Choice of observer
A study of this program reported that effective
peer review programs gave participants
control in each of these areas.
How feedback is given
Focus of observation
13
PTN Guidelines for the Initial MeetingQuestions
for instructor

• What can you tell me about your course/class?
  (e.g. mandatory? challenges?)
• What is your plan for the class session?
• What strategies will you use to engage your
  students?
• Are there particular aspects of your teaching
  that you want feedback on?

14
PTN Guidelines for the Teaching Observing
SessionsQuestions for the observer

• What worked well?
• Surprises? Confusions?
• Do you have any ideas to share with your partner
  to increase student engagement?
• Did the lesson go as planned?
• New ideas for your own teaching?

15
PTN Guidelines for the Debrief MeetingQuestions
for the instructor

• How do you think/feel the class went?
• If you were to teach this again, what would you
  do differently?
• How do you feel that your choice of teaching
  strategies contributed to your students
  learning?
• What will you work on next?

16
Similar Programs

• Nottingham Trent University, UK
• 400 participants over 2yrs, voluntary, clusters
• California State University (Dominguez-Hill)
• 20 faculty
• University of Wollongong, Australia
• 4 observations 3 1
• Triad instructor, observer, ed. developer

17
Pilot Study (since Nov 2008)
Zoology
ComputerScience
EOS
Biology
10 participants
18
Participant Feedback

• It's too easy to get caught up in the standard
  teaching practices of our own discipline and
  forget to look elsewhere
• It was great to have someone come to your class
  not to criticize you but just to learn together.
• Definitely positive and not threatening, very
  supportive.

19
Process vs. Content

• Our Dept has formal PR, but sometimes the
  comments are not useful. e.g. my reviewer
  criticized my definition of a new term in our
  field. Does it really matter?
• Working with a partner from a different
  discipline was actually a perk. There are meta
  level things you can talk about. You dont get
  caught up in the content!

20
New Ideas

• I was reminded of how much our department is
  lacking in TA training.
• I had no idea Vista can do all these other
  things!
• I got to see another class that was
  fascinatingsomeday I hope that our department
  can emulate it.

21

• I want to know how to teach large classes better.
  My partner suggested that I visit COURSE X to
  see some of the new developments theyve made
• I got to see interactive activities that I could
  use in my own class.

22
Feedback on PTN Guiding Questions

• These Qs are biased toward interactive classes.
  Could make people feel defensive if theyre used
  to lecturing.
• Need clear expectations goals for PTN.
• I particularly like the question What would YOU
  like me to give feedback on?

23
Time Timing

• It was late in the term and not easy to do. We
  were both very busy.
• I know a colleague who would love to participate,
  but he simply doesnt have the time!
• Multiple visits would be great, but not realistic.

24
Further Considerations

• One-off
• Expert vs. Novice
• Multiple observation time points
• Trios or quads
• Periodic meeting of all participants
• Visibility
• Not reaching instructors uninterested in change

25
Sign-up!

• Please fill out the form on your table if you
  would like to participate in PTN.
• www.skylight.science.ubc.ca/PTN
• jack.lee_at_ubc.ca