Data Collection Methods
The following provide alternate methods to gathering evidence about teaching and learning.
Self-review
One of the most neglected methods of explicit evaluation is self evaluation. This should precede all other forms of evaluation. Self evaluation assists you to:
- improve the educational experiences you provide for your students,
- identify the professional education you need to further develop your capacity to teach well,
- prepare for your performance review with your supervisor, and
- assess you readiness to apply for promotion and tenure.
Once you have worked out what you need to know about your teaching you can then set about choosing the most appropriate source of evaluation.
Resources
Some self evaluation tools you might wish to use:
- Teaching Perspectives Inventory
The Teaching Perspectives Inventory can help you collect your thoughts and summarize your ideas about teaching. It can be useful in examining your own teaching as well as helping clarify the teaching views of other people.
- Questions for self appraisal (PDF, 37KB)
- Self Evaluation Inventory (PDF, 27KB)
This Self Evaluation Inventory evaluates your teaching practices in accordance with the principles laid out in Good Practices in Undergraduate Education (Chickering and Gamson, 1997).
Focus groups
Focus groups allow interviewers to question students about their experience in a more natural setting than a one-to-one interview. Focus groups usually involve 8 to 10 people but can be as small as 5 to 6.
They are highly structured and interactive and require the facilitator to be particularly attentive to group interaction. The focus group aims to attain a consensus view. Focus groups are recommended for:
- informing designing of survey instruments,
- drawing data on ‘sensitive’ issues,
- accessing the reluctant participant,
- drilling down to events as they unfold,
- addressing “why not” questions, and
- testing new ideas, products, services.
Focus groups are not recommended for:
- eliciting narratives,
- measuring attitudes,
- Obtaining statistically generalisable and representative data.
Resources
- http://www.griffith.edu.au/gihe/learning-teaching-resources/evaluation/teaching/focus-groups
A resource pack for using focus groups as a method of evaluation from Griffith University, Griffith Institute of Higher Education
- http://www.ca.uky.edu/agpsd/Focus.PDF (PDF, 138KB)
Using Focus Groups in Program Development and Evaluation: Guidelines on question development and ‘scripting’ introductory comments from University of Kentucky
Peer review
Peers are a very good source of information about the design and coherence of your approach to teaching and the appropriateness of your intentions and interpretation of the outcomes.
Peers are also a useful source of information about the quality of your planning and preparation for teaching and your capacity to critically review and improve and enhance your teaching. They are also good for providing formative feedback on whether you seem to be achieving your intentions in lectures and through the design of assessment tasks.
As a rule peer evaluations are poorly used. They are all too frequently based on a request to “come and observe me teach”. This could mean anything and what results is often poorly focussed and only dealing with surface aspects of university teaching.
If you invite peers and supervisors to evaluate your teaching it is important that they appreciate which aspect of your teaching you are seeking feedback and constructive advice. If they are going to observe your teaching, meet with them ahead of the class and give them materials so that they can appreciate you educational intentions. Let them know the kinds of feedback you want and if you are experimenting with different methods or strategies.
Resources
- Peer Observation of Teaching and Learning (PDF; 114KB)
Teaching and learning matrices developed to help identify key attributes of effective teaching in a higher education setting. Frequently asked questions and completed peer observation examples are provided to help establish this peer review process.
- Stepping Stones to Successful Peer Observation to Enhance Teaching & Learning (PDF; 60KB)
Practical guidance on teaching and learning observation strategies, including suggestions for establishing observation protocol, pre-observation, feedback and follow-up sessions. Peer observation might be set up in response to analysing student survey data, as part of a quality assurance review, or professional development activity.
- Guidebook for Individuals embarking on Peer Review of Teaching (PDF; 68KB)
An introduction to the peer review of teaching.
- http://www.teaching-learning.utas.edu.au/professional-development/self-peer-assessment
Comprehensive guide to Peer Review of Teaching with tailored observation schedules from the University of Tasmania.
- http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/Peer_Observation_of_Teaching_in_Australia
Paper outlining experience of peer observation across Australian Universities from the University of Wollongong.
- http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/FEEDBACK/gathercolfeed.htm
Gathering feedback from your colleagues from the University of Sydney, Institute for Teaching and Learning.
- http://www.unisa.edu.au/ltu/staff/practice/evaluation/peer-review.asp
Peer review of teaching from the University of South Australia, Learning Connection.
- http://www.utexas.edu/academic/cte/PeerObserve.html
Preparing for Peer Observation: A Guidebook from University of Texas at Austin, Center for Teaching Effectiveness.
- http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/firstwords/fw43.html
Getting feedback from your peers from Oxford Brookes University, Centre for Staff and Learning Development
