Classroom visits – why they are a good idea and how to make them effective
Often the first step to improving your teaching is reflection. Self-reflection can take you a long way. Sometimes it is better still to get feedback from somebody else. A fresh perspective can help you see things you do not notice yourself. When reflecting on your own teaching, there are various ways to get that fresh perspective. One of them is to take a didactics course, another is to invite a colleague for a classroom visit. Classroom visits are explicitly encouraged by LET and are part of the didactical training. They can be a beneficial experience for you and your colleagues.
My classroom visit
I recently had the opportunity to observe one of my colleagues giving a didactics course for postdocs and senior scientists at ETH (Foundations of Teaching and Learning), a course I will be teaching in the near future. My role as a visitor gave me the unique chance to observe another teacher in the process of teaching. I was able to observe her teaching style, her didactic toolkit in action and the reaction of the course participants while not being actively involved in the teaching/learning process. It was the perfect opportunity to observe the teaching of a course on a meta-level. I was able to put myself into the course participant’s shoes and get a feel for the course. I followed my colleague’s instructions and noticed which parts worked well and kept my attention level high and which parts needed clarification. What I took home from the classroom visit was a collection of ideas for my own course in the future. Discussing the observations I made with my colleague after the course (debriefing) can have beneficial effects for the visited teacher too.
Four eyes see more than two
My observations were a valuable source of feedback for my colleague and started a dialogue on several levels. We were able to discuss the course contents, their alignment and also their reception. We discussed what worked well in the course and what can be built upon for future improvements. And sometimes having a sounding board to discuss teaching issues can help clarify one’s view. Issues and stumbling blocks in the course content are resolved much more effectively.
Your colleague’s eyes can help you evaluate your own teaching from a meta-perspective. This perspective offers many additional benefits to reflecting on your teaching alone. It can be seen as a chance to improve and gather new ideas. A classroom visit can also be the chance to get into contact with your peers and start an exchange on the topic of teaching, everyone will benefit from that!
Peer feedback at ETH
At ETH a small scale pilot trial of facilitated classroom visits was initiated in the spring semester 2018 among the members of the lecturer’s conference (KdL). Stay tuned to learn about the results of this first trial run! The pilot is supported by LET in the form of preparative material containing the following:
- Recommendations for a pre-course meeting, in which the scope and the particular aspects of the lecture that the lecturer wants feedback on is defined.
- Observations during the peer visit can be noted on an observation sheet which can be adapted and agreed upon before the classroom visit.
- Suggestions for constructive feedback after the peer visit. Strengths of the lecture are emphasized and suggestions for the future can be given.
If you want to participate in a classroom visit, LET can help you with organizational as well as didactical questions ().