Faculty Observation of Teaching
Thank you to all who have participated in 2024-25. We’ve exceeded expectations and are pleased that all the designated funds for this project have been allocated to faculty participants. The program will pause for the remainder of this year and begin again in the fall of 2025.
This initiative represents a collaboration between the Center for Faculty Excellence, UCAT, and Digital Learning. Each participant earns $300 upon completion.
Having a colleague observe your teaching or review your course can 1) advance teaching skills and confidence, 2) provide evidence of teaching excellence in the RP&T or annual review process, and 3) foster a culture in which teaching is openly and enthusiastically discussed amongst faculty.
Participants will identify a full-time faculty partner outside of their department/school. Each faculty member will observe one of their partner’s in-person or synchronous classes or review an asynchronous online course.
- If faculty want to be assigned a partner rather than identifying a partner, the registration will provide an opportunity for such a request.
What happens before and after the observation/review is as important, if not more important than what happens during the observations/review. The following suggestions are designed to help faculty members maximize collegial teaching observations/course reviews.
In-Person Observation
Before the Observation, Select and Meet with Your Observer/Reviewer: Select a colleague who has expertise and insights related to the purpose of your observations. Schedule a meeting with them to discuss 1) the purpose of the observation/review, 2) the context of your course, and 3) the optimal date and time for the observation/review.
Access detailed information about determining your purpose and tips for instructors and observers before, during and after your observation.
Online Observation
Before the Observation: The course instructor completes the Instructor Input Form to provide the peer reviewer with contextual information about the course.
During the Observation: The peer reviewer assesses how the instructor addresses each of the five categories using the Peer Review Guide for Online Teaching, noting strengths and areas for improvement.
After the Observation: The reviewer and instructor debrief the experience to discuss observations and how they can inform teaching enhancements.
Submit Your Observation
You will be asked to answer the following questions when you submit your observation:
- What are the name(s) of your class(es)?
- What were the date(s) observed?
- What are the name(s) of your partner's class(es)?
- What were the date(s) observed?
- What was the focus of your pre- and post- conversations (3-5 sentences)?
- Were your classes in-person, online or hybrid?
- Were your partner's classes in-person, online or hybrid?
- Please provide a reflection on student engagement in the observed classes and/or plans to enhance engagement based on your observations and discussions (3-5 sentences).