One of the things I love most about Cornell is our diversity of study. In my role as an instructional designer, I may work with a neuroscientist, then a writer; a historian, then an artist; an Artificial Intelligence (AI) expert, then someone highly opposed to AI–and each person adds to the richness of our campus. What an opportunity it is to be able to work and evolve with such an incredible spectrum of professionals across a multitude of disciplines!
Managing our Big Red Teaching Days, I get to provide a similar opportunity to faculty in Ithaca–though class observations. Here, a number of professors and lecturers open their classrooms for other faculty to observe their teaching and the student experiences they facilitate. This collaborative peer observation approach ideally aims to inspire reflection, promote peer connections, and spark conversations on good teaching in a constructive, non-judgemental way (Fletcher, 2018, Gosling, 2002).
This collaborative peer observation approach ideally aims to inspire reflection, promote peer connections, and spark conversations on good teaching in a constructive, non-judgemental way.
Fletcher, 2018, Gosling, 2002
Inspired by a similar program at Yale, our program is focused on the collegial opportunity for faculty to observe one another by choice. As the scope of teaching widens and the needs of our students increase, faculty are looking for new and different ways to engage their class (Patfield et al., 2022). Peer observation can help. It also goes beyond feedback in terms of connecting faculty with one another, providing a supportive way to improve teaching while fostering community (Hendry & Oliver, 2012; Martin & Double, 1998).
This semester, Big Red Teaching Days runs October 16 – October 25. Cornell instructors can register to observe one or more classes from September 23 – October 4, 2024.
My colleagues at the Center for Teaching Innovation and I participate in Big Red Teaching Days as well. As a participant, I have learned from each class I’ve observed.
Fridah Mubichi-Kut, Professor of Practice in Applied Economics and Policy opened one of her class sessions to about 30 students in the spring. She and fellow faculty members facilitated an engaged learning showcase, spotlighting several projects abroad led by student teams from various fields of study in her Research and Strategy in Emerging Markets class. This provided insight into community-engaged learning, student groups, fieldwork, and a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to problem-based learning (Nilson, 2010).
In the studio class Monograph with Andrea Simitch, Professor and Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellow of Architecture, I took note of the power of feedback, as she and her students (about 15) shared updates on monologues, creatively capturing the essence of past projects. In seminar fashion, students shared their updates on their work and partnerships then engaged in open feedback discussions exploring many aspects of their work and the story each student aimed to tell.
A commonality existed among these classes despite their varied areas of focus. Each faculty member in these classrooms led students to recognize their achievements and also challenged them to look further–mostly through effectively prompting questions as these students sought to communicate about real world problems. However the intricacies of how each designed their students’ learning experiences was unique and could best be observed firsthand.
This is merely a glimpse into the offerings of our teaching days program that can be an enriching window into the teaching our faculty members provide on campus. At times, the strategies I witness have reinforced how I’ve taught others. Other times, I walk away with new ideas on how to engage students, create safe learning spaces, and promote collaboration (Patfield et al., 2022). There are also occasions I observe approaches that may not apply to the teaching I provide but I still find value in seeing what’s done across our campus and may have the opportunity to share it with faculty partners who could apply a strategy applicable to the learning experiences they work to create. It also helps me better understand more of what our students and faculty face today as I get a brief glimpse into their world through each class I witness.
What do you know about your peers’ classes?
How might seeing someone else’s approach to teaching inform your thinking and possibly what you do?
What are you teaching?
I hope you join us for our Big Red Teaching Days this fall! Let’s learn from one another!
References
Fletcher, J. A. (2018). Peer observation of teaching: A practical tool in higher education. The Journal of Faculty Development, 32(1), 51-64.
Gosling, D. (2002). Models of peer observation of teaching.
Hendry, G., & Oliver, G. (2012). Seeing is believing: The benefits of peer observation. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 9(1).
Martin, G. A., & Double, J. M. (1998). Developing higher education teaching skills through peer observation and collaborative reflection. Innovations in Education and Training International, 35(2), 161-170.
Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Patfield, S., Gore, J., Prieto, E., Fray, L., & Sincock, K. (2022). Towards quality teaching in higher education: pedagogy-focused academic development for enhancing practice. International Journal for Academic Development, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2022.2103561