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Approval, Review and Version History
Approved by: Academic Board Date: tbc
Policy Owner: Deputy Head of Learning and Teaching
Enhancement Service: CELT
Dissemination: All Academic staff, Heads of School, Academic Deans
University and College Union (UCU) Director of HR, Governance and Legal Directors London / Hong Kong Directors Services
Student Journey Team Academic Registry
Programme Support Team
Technical Services / CELT Academic Development team
Review Date: tbc
V Revision
Version 1 November 2020 Page 3 of 8 Contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Policy Statement 4 3. Definitions 4 4. General Principles 5 5. Responsibilities 6 6. Data Protection 7
7. Retention periods and destruction 7
8. Policy Review 7 9. References 8
Version 1 November 2020 Page 4 of 8
Introduction
1.1 Purpose
This document sets out the policy for biennial observation of teaching and learning at the University of Sunderland. It is to be used with the accompanying guidance documentation (Learning and Teaching Observation – Guidance Document).
1.2
Scope
This policy applies to all those who teach or facilitate student learning in classrooms, laboratories, workshops or other learning spaces (such as online/ digital environment). Academic staff, including hourly paid or other contracted staff are expected to adhere to the policy. One of the main aims of undertaking learning and teaching observations is so that developmental feedback can be provided to academic staff to support and encourage professional self-reflection, enhance quality
improvement in student learning and foster innovation in teaching practice.
1.3
Related policy
This policy relates to the relevant sections of the Academic Standards and Quality Handbook particularly those related to quality assurance.
2.
Policy Statement
2.1 This policy exists to support the University in enhancing the teaching excellence of its academic staff and promote a culture of facilitating student learning. This will be achieved by reviewing and understanding the strengths and developmental needs of academic staff who teach students (foundation, under-graduate and post-graduate). Teaching and learning practice will be observed once every two academic years. The intention of this policy is to support staff to enhance their teaching practices by understanding how this influences the student learning experience, through a process of a reflective discussion between an observer and the academic. The policy is not related to the performance management and the evaluation of competence of academic staff which would be dealt with under the University’s Capability Procedure.
3. Definitions
Version 1 November 2020 Page 5 of 8 • CELT: Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.
• College of Learning & Teaching Review (COLTR): a collegiate group of academic staff from whom the observers are drawn. The COLTR is made up of staff who are members of the Learning and Teaching Academy e.g. individuals at Senior Fellow and above from across the Institution. In addition, to carrying out individual observations, the COLTR will review the information from Part 3 (Learning and Teaching Review Form) and advise the University (via CELT) about general development needs.
• LTA: Learning and Teaching Academy. Members of academic staff who have a category of Senior Fellow or above and Awardees of the Vice Chancellors Teaching Fellowship Award
• Learning and Teaching Observation (LTO): is used to describe observation of formal teaching in a classroom, studio, laboratory, workplace or fieldwork setting.
• Observer: the University employee, an academic member of staff who holds a recognised teaching qualification.
• Observee: the University employee, an academic member of staff who is employed by the university in a teaching capacity either part time, full time as a permanent member of staff, an Academic Tutor (contracted or salaried) or Post Graduate Research Student).
• Teaching activities: This includes all lectures, seminars, workshops, practical and laboratory sessions as well as pre-recorded teaching materials used for independent distance learning or a flipped classroom approach. Face-to-Face sessions with students/ colleagues or virtual teaching sessions e.g. Skype as part of distance or online learning.
• Review of Learning and Teaching (RLT): a purposeful process of collaboration between academics, which provides constructive feedback on the effectiveness of interventions to promote student learning. Review of Learning and Teaching is generally applied more widely than classroom-based teaching, and it encompasses all approaches used to support student learning including any/all pedagogical approaches used.
4. General Principles
4.1 Learning and teaching observations are the observations of a teaching session, or part such as a lecture, seminar, workshop, or practical by a nominated observer. These observations must include review of any supporting resources such as VLE (Canvas) and/ or classroom based materials.
4.2 The outcomes of learning and teaching observations may be used (with consent) as supporting evidence for contribution awards, teaching awards and other awards and titles such as the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award by applicants of such awards.
Version 1 November 2020 Page 6 of 8 4.3 The coordination of the learning and teaching observations will be operationalised by the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) and Observers will be members of the
Learning and Teaching Academy (LTA).
4.4 The Observee may wish to reflect on the outcomes of the observation as part of Annual
Appraisal, however line managers are not normally expected use the observation outcome as part of Annual Appraisal.
4.5 CELT will be responsible for maintaining a schedule for biennial teaching observation and for recording and reporting that this requirement has been fulfilled via the Student Success Committee.
4.6 An electronic database held by CELT of those staff requiring observations and a list of Observers from the (COLTR), will be matched to produce a schedule of who will be the Observer and Observee. Observers may be from outside of the Observee’s own Faculty.
4.7 Guidance on planning, undertaking, providing feedback and responding to the outcomes of an observation will accompany this policy (see Guidance Document – Learning and Teaching
Observation).
4.8 Where disagreement regarding the outcomes of the observation exist, Observers will liaise with CELT (Academic Development Team) and a second observation may be arranged with a different member of the LTA.
4.9 New academic staff will either be reviewed as part of the process of undertaking a formal
teaching qualification (the review forms part of the Post-Graduate qualification) or an initial teaching observation will be arranged within the member of staff’s probationary period.
5. Responsibilities
5.1 Observees are responsible for:
• Participating in the observation process and identifying suitable development opportunities with their line manager.
• Undertaking any development or sharing of effective practice, as determined with their line manager.
• May choose to discuss the outcomes as part of the Appraisal process or probationary review meeting, alongside other evidence of teaching practice/quality.
• Undertaking any training offered by CELT in relation to this policy and their role as Observee. 5.2 Observers are responsible for:
• Scheduling and undertaking teaching observation with the Observee.
• Informing CELT that the observation have taken place by forwarding copy of Learning and Teaching Review Form (Part 3 form – see Guidance notes)
• Liaising with Observees and ensuring that mutually-agreed outcomes and development needs are identified and recorded.
Version 1 November 2020 Page 7 of 8 • Undertaking any training offered by CELT in relation to this policy and their role as Observer.
5.3 CELT are responsible for:
• Offering professional development training and support to academic staff in their role as Observer or Observee.
• Maintaining a database that academic staff have been observed, the date and name of the academic staff and the name of the observer.
• Collating the Part 3 Review forms and collating key themes for the College of Learning and teaching Review (COLTR).
• Dissemination of identified good teaching practise and/or pedagogical approaches?
6. Data Protection
6.1 The Observee will retain a copy of their learning and teaching observation. Part 3 of the form, will be sent to CELT to allow for the identification of effective practice and to inform the focus of activities of the College of Learning and Teaching Review (COLTR).
6.2 The recording of teaching activities will not be used for teaching and learning observation purposes unless the Observee provides written consent to this, under their performer rights (see reVIEW policy, University of Sunderland).
6.3 Personal data is defined as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person (data subject). An identified person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly by either name, an identification number, location data, online identifier or one or more factors specific to the physical, psychological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that person.
7. Retention periods and destruction
7.1 Retention of learning and teaching observation forms will be kept for a period of 2 years, by the Observee. This will allow the observee to reflect on previous feedback during their next
scheduled observation. The electronic observations database will be kept by CELT until the academic member of staff leaves employment of the University of Sunderland. Access to the database will be granted by the Head of CELT or the Deputy Head of CELT to those staff working in the Academic Development team within CELT.
8.
Policy Review
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9
References
Evans, L. (2002) What is teacher development. Oxford Review of Education, 28, 1: p123-137. Peer review teaching team (2014) What is PRT? [Internet] Available from:
http://www.peerreviewofteaching.org/about-peer-review-of-teaching/what-is-prt.jsp [Accessed 25 November 2019].
Scott, M. Tucker, G Unsworth, J and Burgum, S (2017) Peer Review of Teaching: A rapid
Appraisal. York: Higher Education Academy.
Shortland, S. (2004) Peer observation: a tool for staff development or compliance? Journal of
Further and Higher Education. 28 (2), 219–28.
Swinglehurst, D., Russell, T. and Greenhalgh, T. (2008) Peer observation of teaching in the online environment: an action research approach. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 24 (5), 383– 93.