Heather Smigiel

Paired peer review of university classroom teaching in a school of nursing and midwifery

BACKGROUND Peer review of university classroom teaching can increase the quality of teaching but is not universally practiced in Australian universities. AIM To report an evaluation of paired peer-review process using both paper and web based teaching evaluation tools. METHODS Twenty university teachers in one metropolitan Australian School of Nursing and Midwifery were randomly paired and then randomly assigned to a paper based or web-based peer review tool. Each teacher reviewed each others classroom teaching as part of a peer review program. The participants then completed an 18 question survey evaluating the peer review tool and paired evaluation process. Responses were analyzed using frequencies and percentages. RESULTS Regardless of the tool used, participants found this process of peer review positive (75%), collegial (78%), supportive (61%) and non-threatening (71%). Participants reported that the peer review will improve their own classroom delivery (61%), teaching evaluation (61%) and planning (53%). The web-based tool was found to be easier to use and allowed more space than the paper-based tool. CONCLUSION Implementation of a web-based paired peer review system can be a positive method of peer review of university classroom teaching. Pairing of teachers to review each others classroom teaching is a promising strategy and has the potential to improve teaching in teaching universities.

Perceptions of optimal conditions for teaching and learning: a case study from Flinders University

Effective teaching and learning in higher education is an important focal point of literature around the globe. Various models are presented as desirable and fostering optimal conditions for teaching and learning. However, each model must be examined within the context of its institutional culture, mission and strategic plan to ascertain if it meets the envisaged goals. The Reinventing Teaching Project survey conducted at Flinders University in 2009 provided a unique opportunity for academic staff and students across all faculties to respond to a survey that explored their perceptions of optimal learning conditions and assessed if the campus environment was conducive to effective teaching and learning practices. The exploratory study was designed to gather qualitative and quantitative data on the motivation of teachers and learners to engage with learning and learners (or not). The results of the survey present valuable insights into what teachers and learners consider to be important attributes of optimal teaching and learning and indicate a number of similarities and differences among teacher-student perceptions. This paper identifies and discusses some of the pertinent outcomes of the study to provide a framework for other similar studies.

Managing Competing Demands in the Delivery of Work Integrated Learning: An Institutional Case Study

University teaching is complicated by competing pressures on academic staff. Imperatives including research, and engagement with community are just two of the myriad pressures that academics balance in careers of full workloads and shifting external demands. This chapter highlights the tensions inherent in the introduction of new priorities, in this case, practice-based learning. It provides a case study of a single institution and offers a perspective on successful implementation that includes consideration of workload, resourcing and a shared vision for pedagogical change.