The purpose of this peer teaching evaluation process we call Teaching and Learning Consultations (TLCs) at ETSU’s Center for Teaching Excellence is to provide instructors with formative feedback on instructional practices - in the areas of interest or need that the instructor identifies - from the unique perspective of someone outside the instructor’s department . Give your teaching some TLC!
See the Teaching & Learning Consultations page to request a TLC and learn more about the process.
Goals of Teaching and Learning Consultations from the CTE
- To provide unique perspective on instructional practices from someone outside the instructor’s department (or even college)
- To provide instructors insights into positive practices they are already using and are encouraged to continue
- To provide instructors insights into a manageable number of strategies or practices they can incorporate to strengthen their instruction in a course
- To provide instructors with formative, rather than summative, feedback about their
instruction – in the areas of interest or need that they identify
- To provide instructors with a sense of support and encouragement with their instruction
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To build, through the process of peer reviews, a community of practice and support around [student-centered] instruction at ETSU.
Parameters of TLCs from the CTE
Peer Reviewers will:
- Be provided only by fully trained individuals
- Include, when possible, a pre- and post-meeting
- Focus on 1-3 identified areas of need, as identified by the instructor (and possibly using a checklist as a guide)
- Be requested specifically by the instructor
- Review pedagogical practices
- Include a brief report with targeted recommendations likely to yield the most benefit and notations of the instructors’ existing positive practices
- Use a common report template and possibly a common recommendations checklist with related sources
- Be provided in a tone of support and encouragement
- Be only one part of an overall review of teaching
Peer Reviewers will not:
- Be requested by a Chair, Dean, or other administrator
- Be used as a tenure/promotion primary review (although it can be used as evidence of progress or efforts in teaching in a T/P portfolio)
- Review content
- Require more than one class visit for on-ground classes (or more than 1 hour of observation time for longer classes)
- Be exhaustive
- Be provided in a tone of critique
- Provide an overall course “score” or evaluative ranking
- Use college/departmental course review templates
See the Teaching & Learning Consultations page to request a TLC and learn more about the process.