Introduction: The Quest for Teaching Excellence
There are several sources faculty can access to improve our teaching: end-of and mid-semester student evaluations; peer observation and feedback; self-reflection; and informal student assessment.
Multifaceted Approaches to Teaching Improvement: Evaluations, Peer Feedback, and Self-Reflection
Award-winning faculty look to improve from end-of-course evaluations (Golding & Adam, 2016). No matter your scores, look for common threads in numbered responses and comments. Identify areas that several students cite and develop a strategy to help students work through those difficult concepts. Mid-semester student feedback gives faculty a chance to change and improve their students’ experience. Hoon et al. (2015) showed improved quality with a start-stop-continue format: “What should I start/stop/continue doing?”
Voluntary and formative peer observation from a colleague in a different discipline can yield useful insights. The observers view from the student perspective and offer feedback as an individual who understands the teaching role (DiVall et al., 2012).
Conclusion: Continuous Improvement as an Academic Imperative
Your own reflections about your teaching are important too. Ask yourself, “What worked in today’s class” and “What could I improve and how?” Also, an informal student learning assessment (e.g., a “minute” paper) can furnish information on what aspects students understood or misunderstood, and provide a starting point for the next session.
Adapted from Maryellen Weimer, PhD; references available on request.