Assess Your Own Teaching Quality

Sally Brown, Phil Race

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781135354978
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Containing over 100 checklist grids of performance indicators on a wide range of teaching elements, this guide allows teachers to assess their own work, uncovering strengths and weaknesses. The text can also be used for formal peer assessment or as a basis for gathering feedback.

Chapter 1

Teaching and Learning in Large Groups

1 Co-ordinating teaching with large groups

2 Lecturing to large groups

3 Asking rather than telling

4 Providing a frame of reference for learners

5 Handling questions from large groups (part 1)

6 Handling questions from large groups (part 2)

7 Inducting students

8 Using the blackboard or markerboard

9 Using overhead projectors

Teaching quality seems to be directly associated with the things we do publicly, particularly our performance when dealing with large groups of learners. It is relatively easy for quality assessors to sit in during lectures, and to observe those parts of our work which focus on how we handle the one-to-many teaching-learning situation.

Working with large groups of learners is for many novices (and for many old hands too!) the most frightening and demanding part of our work. With large groups we are exposed, vulnerable, and dependent on our skills in the public performance domain. Furthermore, because large-group sessions are considered cost-effective, they are likely to seem to be the most significant part of our workload. Because we may be called ‘lecturers’ it would be damning if we were to be found lacking in the art of giving lectures! In recent years, we have been called upon to work with larger and larger numbers of students, usually with no increase in resources to help us. This is occurring just at a time when other pressures are being thrust upon us, such as the need to be actively involved in research and publication, and the requirement to adjust our curriculum to fit modular credit-rated schemes.

The fact is that most of the real learning which our students experience happens in all sorts of situations other than lecture theatres or large classrooms. However, such is the tradition that we need to be seen to be able to give convincing performances in such places to be deemed competent teachers. This chapter provides a range of criteria which we may use to assess our skills and approaches to this side of our work.

We start with several checklists which deal essentially with lecturing, and in particular ways of making lectures interactive learning experiences for our learners. We include checklists about one of the most demanding aspects of lecturing – handling learners’ questions. If we can get these parts of our work right, we are likely to be deemed competent teachers by quality assessors and appraisers.

In these checklists, we are not so much concentrating on the quality of the teaching performance, but on the quality of the learning which can be effected, even in very large group lectures. The secret is simple: not to concentrate on exposition as such, but rather to concentrate on getting the audience to think, make decisions, formulate questions, and learn.

We would like to emphasize that we are not anti-lecture as such; really good lectures can be powerful learning experiences. We all remember brilliant lecturers; indeed our own development may well have been influenced significantly by such individuals. We may have left such lectures inspired to learn more, and to give our best efforts in associated coursework or assignments.

However, we all remember not-so-brilliant lecturers too. In fact, most of us are not people with that special gift or aura to change our students’ lives simply by the way we address them, certainly not every time we perform. That is why this chapter concentrates on things that any of us can do to help our students to learn.

Induction is a word found near the beginning of many a course timetable (and a new lecturer’s programme too). Yet all too easily, induction (for staff and students alike) can seem an artificial rigmarole for which the relevance and purpose may only become apparent much later. We provide some checklist statements which aim to make student induction more valuable than this. Checklist criteria about the quality of induction may seem more relevant to Chapter 4, ‘Helping learners individually’, but we have included our thoughts on it here since many colleagues seem to be forever needing to induct larger numbers of students.

Also included in this chapter are some checklist questions about using hardware: if we make a mess of this, our performance may be downgraded by assessors or appraisers, and it is one of the key areas that students comment on when they complete evaluations. It is also an area where, if things go wrong, lecturers can lose confidence and students can become disruptive.

As with all the checklists in this book, we wish to remind you that we have absolutely no vision of the Perfect Teacher being able to claim ‘I do this often’ for each of the checklist statements! Such people do not exist.

For you as an individual, we invite you to use the checklists as a mapping device, to help you recognize which processes you already use to achieve successful learning for your students, and also to give you ideas of other approaches you may choose to experiment with as and when you find them appropriate or relevant to your own work.

1 Co-ordinating teaching with large groups

I develop appropriate administrative systems to keep effective records for large groups of learners, using the most appropriate technology available to me.

I plan that lecture programmes are built round learning-by-doing activities, rather than learners simply listening to my input.

I clarify and explain the links between lecture programmes and other elements of courses, such as practical work, projects, tutorials and seminars.

I plan to ensure ‘equivalence of experience’ when running parallel or repeated seminars or discussion groups.

I treat learners in large groups as individuals, for example by making sure that I know and use at least some of their names on each occasion.

I maintain regularly updated noticeboards (traditional or electronic) so that large groups of learners can keep abreast of course information and developments.

I facilitate opportunities to help members of large groups to get to know each other better, formally and informally.

I recognize and acknowledge the breadth of experience and knowledge that is already present in the learners themselves.

I make time available for learners in large groups to see me individually with queries or problems, for example by using an office-hours slot and a ‘book your own appointment’ process.

I ensure that feedback on assessed work done by large groups is sufficiently rapid to be of value.

2 Lecturing to large groups

I prepare and publish in advance an outline of the aims and content of each lecture session.

I clarify the aims or objectives of each lecture at the start, explaining the intended learning outcomes associated with the lecture.

I check how many learners already have some experience of the topics, and use their experience when possible in the lecture.

I devise tasks and activities to be done during lectures, by learners both in buzz-groups, and individually.

I prepare clear briefings for the tasks which learners will do during each lecture, for example by making overhead transparencies of the tasks.

I gather from learners the products (for example on Post-Its) of their work on in-lecture tasks, for reports from buzz-groups, and explore matters arising.

I clarify assessment criteria relating to the topic of each lecture, and explain to learners what would be looked for in exam answers.

I put each lecture into perspective in ‘the big picture’, showing how each topic relates to those covered already, and those to come next.

I gather feedback from learners regularly in lectures, for example using short questionnaires, or Post-It exercises inviting learners to tell me what I should stop, start or continue doing.

I prepare handout materials which save learners having to copy down things they see and hear, and which contain activities and exercises.

3 Asking rather than telling

In lectures, I pose questions and ask if anyone can suggest answers, rather than simply give learners information they may already know.

In small group sessions, I draw from learners everything they can tell me, rather than supplying information they may already know.

I give due credit and acknowledg...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface and Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Teaching and Learning in Large Groups
• 2 Designing and Using Resources for Teaching and Learning
• 3 Independent Study Tasks, Feedback, Groupwork and Assessment
• 4 Helping Learners Individually
• 5 Personal and Professional Qualities and Skills
• Appendix: The SEDA Scheme
• Further Reading