Peer Observation – Doing it Online

Shirley Bennett & Jacqui Basquill

Why online?Why online?

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

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

How? Towards doing it (successfully) online …

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!

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 1-2 issues which you would like to explore through Online Peer Observation.

10

2

6

7

4-7

OL & BL Varied

4 of 5

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

Focus & ContextWho 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?

What?Issues of Perspectives 1

Understanding what your peers are aiming 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 cards

Sort your cards into 3 columns

- True for Me

- Unsure

- Not True for Me

Pick your TOP 5 cards!

Explain your decisions.

Pratt 1998, 2001 Transmission Apprenticeship Nurturing Developmental

Kember 1997Transmitting

Structured KnowledgeT-S Interaction

Facilitating Understanding

Conceptual Change

Gonzalez 2009‘The web for

individual access to learning resources’

The web for learning-related communication

The web as a medium for

networked learning

Goal in teaching Student grasp of

curriculum content

Student adoption of appropriate skills

& behaviour

Growth of student understanding &

confidence

Student autonomy & development of

new ways of thinking

Use of the Internet‘Supply channel’, access to learning

resources

Activities,simulations for

applying theory to practice

Support & sharing experiences

through online discussion

Space for studentcollaborativebuilding own knowledge

Role of the Teacher online

Provide information,

learning resources,web links

Guide & help students in working through structured

activities

Design & facilitate supportive online

discussion

Design, support open student-led activities to build

understanding

Role of the StudentOnline

Access & use the information &

resources provided

Follow guidance & examples to apply

learning to example situations &

contexts

Contribute regularly & actively

to the course online discussions

Actively collaborate with others on self-

driven projects & assignments

What?Issues of Perspectives 2

What TYPE of peer observation suits your needs?

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 ObserveeThe Observer

What is

observed?Teaching performance

Teaching 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

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Bennett, 2013

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

How? How do we do it online?

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)

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

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

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

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