1. Stage 1 : Preparation for Observation Within 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.

2. Peer Observation – Doing it Online Shirley Bennett University of Northampton Head of Academic Practice

3. 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?

4. 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

5. What? What is Peer Observation anyway?

6. 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)

7. Models of Peer Observation – Coherence between aim & process Model of Peer Observation Evaluation modelDevelopment modelPeer Review modelApprenticeship model Performance modelDevelopment 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? InstitutionThe Observee (the Observed teacher) Mutual between peers – Benefit for both Observer and Observee The Observer What is observed? Teaching performance 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 Confidentiality Between 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 Alignment between purpose and process, Gosling 2002 Gosling 2002 Cosh 1998 Bennett, 2013 Which model of peer observation is McMahon portraying? Which model of peer observation fits your ONLINE peer observation goals?

8. How? How do we do it online?

9. A structured process... 3 Stages DiscussionObservationPreparation Feedback Reflection + Discussion Points for the Future Observation Notes in line with “Contract” Scene-Setting Discussion Of Objectives “Contract”

10. Faculty of Health Level 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

11. Stage 2 - The Observation itself

13. 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)

14. 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

15. 10 2 6 7 4-7 OL & BL Varied 4 of 5

16. Research Base Facts 10 ‘observees’ (One module team + other participation as individuals) and 7 courses as observation focus – Across 4 of the 5 faculties of the university, and Levels 4-7 of the UK FHEQ – Range of discipline areas: chemistry, education, engineering, health, languages, and politics – Observation in two institutional VLEs in recent use. – Varied experience of using a Virtual Learning Environment within teaching – OL and BL teaching, extent and role of the online component within overall course design varied. NB – data included Obs Forms, Recorded Pre- / Post-Obs discussions, recorded focus groups, interviews with individuals

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. How? Addressing the challenges …

21. Stage 1 : Preparation for Observation Within 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.

22. Who will observe and be observed? Practitioner:Department/School: Observer:Department/School: Observation Agenda: Issues selected as observation focus: 1. 2. 3. 4.

23. 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?

24. How? Understanding what the teacher is TRYING to DO online

25. 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.

26. 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 2 The web for learning related communication (asynchronous and/or synchronous) Conception 3 The web as a medium for networked learning Teacher Provides 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 StudentsIndividual study materials provided Participate in online discussion Share and build knowledge ContentProvided by the lecturer Provided 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

27. 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