Improving Teaching with Student Observations

Consulting on Teaching

Consulting on teaching goes back at least to the 1970s and coincides roughly with the rise of ethnographic forms of research in education, as well as the shifting of paradigms in ed. psych. from a Skinnerian-dominated worldview to cognitive and then constructivist psychologies. The basic premise is that teachers can learn a lot from being observed by peers and other guests, especially if they are the sole recipients of the feedback.

One branch of teaching consulting asks students to observe teaching. Brookfield's weekly "Critical Incident Questionnaire," for example, seeks anonymous feedback from students enrolled in the course for the sake of refining the course in progress.

Two institutionalized forms* of student observation offer guidance about what colleges might do to improve teaching. SCOT at Brigham Young University is a '90s initiative lets faculty choose from several options for student observers in Students Consulting on Teaching.

	The recorder/observer visits a class on request to describe what happens during the class.
	The faux student visits a class to take class notes as if enrolled and preparing for a test.
	The videotaper tapes a class, delivers the tape to the instructor, who may invite comments or invite the student to watch the video, [presumably as the instructor stops the tape at certain points to seek feedback].
	The interviewer questions students in a course without the instructor in the room; the purpose is to get feedback about the learning experiences for the course for the sake of refining them.
	The primed student meets the instructor before class so that the instructor can tell the observer what to watch for, such as methods of questioning used in the class by teacher and students.
	The student consultant does much of what any teaching consultant might do--observes a class, maybe interviews some of the students, and gives feedback to the instructor. If the instructor plans a change, for instance in the way demonstrations occur during class, the instructor may invite the student consultant to return, observe again, and continue to help the instructor analyze wise changes as the course progresses.

[Of course, peers could provide much the same feedback and there are many programs in which they do, such as the two-decade consultation program in the University of Kentucky community colleges, but students often a different and valuable perspective.]

The Miami University of Ohio Teaching Scholar program includes many initiatives. One is climaxed annually with a dinner session on the theme "Sharing Faculty and Student Views of Teaching and Learning." About a dozen faculty select one student each to prepare for and attend the session, each listing what they see as 5 keys to teaching well. In addition, the instructor and the student each design a couple questions for the other participants to discuss regarding teaching and learning. Sample questions from students--

	How often do you change your teaching styles?
	What person was key in shaping your teaching philosophy?

Sample questions from faculty--

	How does one convince students to study systematically?
	How important is classroom climate?

* Maryellen Weimar, "Students Can Help Us Improve Our Teaching," The Teaching Professor 14.2 (February 2000): 1,3 is a summary of Cox, Milton D., and D. Lynn Sorenson, "Student Collaboration in Faculty Development: Connecting Directly to the Learning Revolution." In To Improve the Academy, volume 18. Matthew Kaplan and Devorah Lieberman, eds. POD, 2000: 97-121.

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