Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference
Teaching, Learning, & Technology
The Challenge Continues
March 30-April 1, 2003
From the Course Standards Foothills to Peer Review Mountain and Beyond
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By: Mary Nunaley, Skip Sparkman, David Warner |
Abstract
While considering student evaluation, standards and peer review issues, institutions expect students on the physical or virtual campus to have similar learning experiences. Peer Reviews afford opportunities for instructional development, since reviews anticipate that faculty learn, both from evaluation "of" a colleague(s), and from evaluation "by" a colleague(s). Faculty and administrators may need to modify current approaches or establish similar tools for distance learning assessment. Participants will discuss a distance learning Peer Review process.
Description
Since institutions address the connected issues of student evaluation, course standards and peer review in the physical classroom, it is reasonable to assume that institutions will expect the presentation of a course on the physical campus and the virtual campus to have the same or similar learning experiences.
The differences between the physical classroom and the virtual classroom can affect the design and use of evaluation tools, particularly the Peer Review process. An institution that is developing distance learning courses, programs and academic degrees through distance formats will need to assess each of these three related issues for application to the virtual classroom. Faculty and administrators may need to modify current approaches or establish similar tools for distance learning assessment.
Peer Reviews are used by institutions to afford faculty the opportunity for professional development in the classroom instruction arena. Where the purpose of the Student Evaluation of Instruction instrument is to provide feedback from the student perspective, the purpose of the Peer Review is to provide feedback from a faculty perspective. Peer Reviews anticipate that faculty will learn from the evaluation "of" a colleague(s) and from an evaluation "by" a colleague(s).
Peer Reviews are evaluations of instructional methods, course materials and often, classroom climate. Further, faculty may assume that Course Standards, either published by the institution, or presumed by the reviewer (as unstated standards), are applied during the Peer Review process.
After assessing the application of existing student evaluation instruments and existing course standards, distance learning Peer Reviewers will find a discussion of questions surrounding the process of Peer Review to be a beneficial undertaking. Initial questions can be:
- What is the Current Peer Review Process?
- Who Will Appraise the Peer Review Process at Your Institution?
- How Will Peer Review Guidelines Be Established?
- What Guidelines Will Be Provided to Peer Reviewers?
- Who Will Be Used as Peer Reviewers?
- When Will Peer Reviews Occur?
- What Time Frame(s) Will Be Used to Complete the Peer Review Process?
- What are the Obstacles to Peer Reviews?
- What Incentives Should Be Offered to Peer Reviewers?
- What Materials, Supplies and Support Will Peer Reviewers Required?
Proceeding