Contact
Address
Normal Hall 301
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN 47809
Phone
812-237-2676
Fax
812-237-8446
Email
cirt@indstate.edu
Hours
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Classroom Observation Program
- Confidentiality
- Sequence of Events
- Student Observers
- Options for Faculty and/or Graduate Teaching Assistants
It is often difficult for faculty to receive
constructive feedback from their students during the course of a
semester. Students can be reluctant to give their opinions because
compliments could be viewed as attempts to improve their grade, and
constructive criticism could insult the instructor and jeopardize their
grade. The Center for Instruction, Research, and Technology has addressed these problems
through the Classroom Observation Program.
The Classroom Observation Program provides an impartial and
confidential service for faculty to
evaluate the learning process of their classroom from the student
perspective. This constructive feedback can either be personally offered
or systematically collected by trained student observers. The faculty
member selects which
observation system
will be used, and the information collected is often detailed and
useful. Student observers are offered
for all classes at all times of the day, and observations follow a
structured
Sequence of Events in order
to give faculty feedback quickly without disrupting the class schedule.
Requesting a consultation can be done by contacting the CIRT at 237-3053.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is the number one concern of the Classroom Observation Program. All identifying information is either destroyed or coded after the observation is finished. Student observers are trained to keep professor identities, student identities, and all other information pertaining to the consultation secret. Only the CIRT Student Associate and the student observer will have knowledge of the classroom observation. When the student observer and the faculty member meet to discuss the observation before it occurs, the professor decides what will be said to the students regarding why the student is in the classroom. The Classroom Observation Program attempts to provide a totally confidential environment to preserve faculty privacy and avoid involvement with university job evaluations.
Sequence of Events
Instructor contacts CIRT student associate and requests consultation.
Student associate then matches instructor with a student observer.
- as a general rule the observer and instructor are from different disciplines, so as not to get involved with subject matter
The student observer then contacts instructor for pre-observation conference.
- this can either be done over the phone or in-person
- interview is recommended, especially if specific information is needed
The student observer then visits classroom.
- instructor introduces the student to the class, and explains why they are there
- observer then performs the option of observation that was decided upon during the pre-observation conference
The student observer meets with instructor for post observation
conversation in order to provide and discuss feedback.
CIRT Student Associate sends instructor an observation questionnaire.
- at this point a follow-up consultation may be requested
Student Observers
Student observers are honor students and/or education majors. These students have been trained in the consultation process and understand the importance of confidentiality. Faculty may choose to use the observer in the manner that will best fulfill their needs. Observers are not experts in the field of teaching and learning, but by being students they provide advantages in the consultation process. They have experience as lifetime students and are not a member of the class that they observe so the feedback that is generated is from the student's perspective and unbiased. The student observer can also perhaps get more honest information from other students in the class interview process since they are viewed as a peer and not as an authority figure. The student observer provides descriptive information regarding the concerns of the professor rather than an evaluation. The student can also serve as a link between faculty and the vast teaching style information located at the CIRT.
Options for Faculty and/or Graduate Teaching Assistants
Recording/Observing
The student observer records in writing what went on in the classroom. The person would describe the chronology of classroom activities, the time spent in questioning, board work, small group discussion, and other activities.
Videotaping
The student will videotape the instructor either in the classroom or within a micro-teaching setting. The instructor will identify the tool which would be most useful in analyzing the videotape.
Interviewing
The instructor leaves the classroom for the last fifteen minutes of the class while the student observer conducts interviews with the students to assess how well they are learning and what their perceptions are regarding the class. The observer asks the students to respond verbally or in writing to the following questions:
- What helps your learning in this class?
- What hinders your learning in this class?
- What suggestions do you have for this class?
- Also, the instructor may identify questions based on key concerns within the classroom.
Other
The Classroom Observation Program is open to alternatives.