College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences faculty members develop peer observation program for teaching effectiveness

Faculty in the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences (CBSHS) have developed an evidence-based peer observation program to enhance teaching effectiveness and improve student outcomes.

The CBSHS Teaching Effectiveness Community is designed to elevate the College’s reputation for excellence in teaching and equip early, mid- and late-career faculty members with tools to continually develop and improve their teaching practices.

Becky Tugman, senior lecturer in the Department of Public Health Sciences and senior faculty fellow for the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation (OTEI), identified an area of need among faculty members in the College and proposed the program as a way to measure teaching effectiveness for both lecturers and tenure-track faculty.  

There is a certain level of vulnurablity associated with peer observation, said Tugman. As a committee, our goal is to help our colleagues across the College improve as educators by providing evidence-based feedback without fear of judgement.

Now in its third year, the committee consists of faculty members from each of the College’s seven academic departments and offers a six-step program that assesses participants’ organization, presentation skills, classroom climate and teaching strategies. The committee does not make assessments based on course content.

Peer reviewers are trained on Teaching Effectiveness Community protocols by existing committee members with support from the Office of Teaching Effectiveness and Innovation director, Taimi Olsen.

Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, Faculty Affairs and Inclusive Excellence Denise Anderson said peer observations conducted by the Teaching Effectiveness Community benefit all CBSHS faculty members, as they are applicable to tenure and promotion and offer evidence-based feedback to improve teaching practices.

No other College on campus offers this level of peer-to-peer support in teaching effectiveness, said Anderson. Peer observations offer CBSHS faculty members the unique opportunity for teaching support and evaluation without the pressure of a formal review.

Interested participants can visit www.clemson.edu/cbshs to request an observation or learn more about protocols used by the Teaching Effectiveness Community.

The College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences is a 21st-century land-grant college joining together a unique combination of schools and departments: Communication, Nursing, Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health Sciences and Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice. These areas have distinctive characteristics and missions – all joined together by a common thread of service to people and communities.