M. Peer Observation

1. Purpose

Faculty at College of Western Idaho (CWI) are committed to teaching excellence, and faculty peer observation is a valuable method for purposeful engagement in continuous improvement of teaching. The peer observation process is an opportunity for the observed and observer to learn from one another and share ideas, experience, philosophies, strategies, and resources. The process is to be formative and collegial in nature, rather than evaluative.

2. Standards

The peer observation process has standards that all faculty must adhere to. There are, however, some standards that are tailorable by department, which are noted below.

3. Procedure

The peer observation process consists of a faculty member being observed at least once and doing an observation at least once. The process must meet the standards described below, and the process must follow the procedure that was approved by Faculty Senate, appropriately customized by the department, and provided through the Faculty FPAR, Promotion, Evaluation SharePoint site.

4. Frequency

At minimum, faculty must participate in the peer review process, including doing an observation and being observed, with the following frequency:

  • Faculty new to CWI must be observed and do an observation within the first two (2) semesters of their teaching at CWI.
  • Ongoing faculty must be observed and do an observation a minimum of once per five (5) years. The five-year period applies regardless of whether a faculty member has taught each semester of that five-year period.

Departments will more narrowly define frequency expectations for themselves. Below are example models for frequency.

  • Model where frequency is consistent across the department:
    • Once a year
    • Every other year
    • Every three years
  • Model where frequency is based on instructor’s time with the College:
    • Faculty new to CWI [0 – 2 semesters/0 –1 years] participate in the full observation cycle a minimum of once per year.
    • Ongoing faculty at CWI [3+ semesters/1 – 3years] participate in the full observation cycle a minimum of once every five (5) years.
    • Established faculty at CWI [5+ semesters/over 2 years] participate in the full observation cycle a minimum of once every five years. Established faculty may be called upon to observe new faculty more frequently.

5. Deliverables

  1. Required Deliverables: Two (2) deliverables are required as part of the peer observation process: 1) the Peer Observation Form and 2) the Observer Information. The Peer Observation Form approved by Faculty Senate must be used. Departments may choose to add to the forms but may not remove contents/sections. The Observer Information is collected via the Faculty FPAR, Promotion, Evaluation SharePoint site. Departments may require additional deliverables.
  2. Delivery: Faculty will deliver a completed Peer Observation form and complete the Observer Information through the Faculty FPAR, Promotion, Evaluation SharePoint site.
  3. Use of Deliverables. Deliverables and any other material generated through peer observation cannot be used in evaluations of any type. They are formative only. The purpose of the collection of the deliverables is to ensure completion of the peer review process, maintenance of the process standards, collection of general data, and maintenance of records for use by the faculty who participated in the observation. Only supervisor observations may be used in the management of faculty.

6. Observations

Observations should be focused on pedagogy rather than solely on course content; as a result, there is a great deal of flexibility regarding who may be observed. Departments may set limitations on or set goals for who should be observed. Populations it may benefit faculty to observe include:

  • Instructors in department
  • Instructors in other departments within the school
  • Instructors in other schools
  • Instructors at other institutions
  • Instructors in learning situations in the workforce/outside of traditional academia
  • Instructors based on experience (e.g., new faculty need to observe veteran faculty)

7. Arrangement of Observations

Department chairs or their designees will assume responsibility for connecting observers to people to be observed. Faculty may request to assume responsibility for arranging to be observed and/or do an observation.  Departments will provide information on the exact procedure they expect their faculty to use.

8. Length of Observation

The observation should last roughly the same period as one (1) credit hour of time (50 minutes). This observation work may be completed synchronously, asynchronously, or any combination of the two. This 50 minutes' worth of work may include observation of course materials, lecture, lab, online course, etc.

9. Elements of Course Observed

The observer and observed must agree to the portions of the course that will be observed. Observations should be focused on pedagogy rather than solely on course content.

10. Required Meeting

The observed and observer are required to meet after the observation to discuss the observation. The meeting should be roughly 30 minutes.

11. Burden Limitation

Faculty may be asked to participate in peer observation more frequently than required. Faculty are not required to participate more frequently than the standard set by the department. However, faculty are encouraged to participate as often as they would like and that their schedule reasonably allows

12. Communication of Department Tailored Standards

The decisions made by departments on frequency, who may be observed, and how observations will be arranged must be posted in the Faculty Evaluation Repository Peer Observation section using the Department Standards for Peer Observation form. The notification needs to include the decision, the dates decisions were made, and the date the decision will be reviewed again.