Assessment of Teaching - Peer Review
As part of the Faculty Assessment of Teaching Framework, the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs has announced that academic units need to update their peer review guidance during the 2023-2024 academic year. With feedback from the academic units, the Standing Advisory Committee for Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness has differentiated elements of peer review that will be the same across the university and those left to the descretion of the units.
University-Required
Content
- Penn State's research-based Elements of Effective Teaching should serve as a foundation for the peer review of teaching.
- Content of each summative evaluation should include only evidence-based observations about the teaching. The assessment (i.e., evaluations and conclusions) should be linked to corresponding evidence.
Process
- The administrator and the faculty member under review will collaboratively choose reviewers. Final selection is up to the administrator, ensuring consistent application of guidelines within ranks and appointment types.
- Every full-time faculty member must have at least one summative peer review of teaching every five years. Peer reviews conducted as part of the promotion process meet this requirement.
- Unit content and processes must be clearly communicateed to all faculty.
- Unit guidelines must address efforts to minimize bias (e.g., training, uniform shared protocol, evidence-based note taking).
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If guidelines include peer observation, there must be:
- Clear guidance on what constitutes an observation for different instructional modes (in-person, hybrid, online)
Unit-Discretion
- Process for choosing peer reviewers
- Sources of evidence (e.g., Canvas course content, observations, student advising, student mentoring, etc.)
- How evidence will be reviewed
- Who conducts peer reviews of teaching (e.g., whether reviewers are of higher rank or can be from a different unit)
- Whether the the process is the same or different for Tenure-line, Teaching, and Clinical faculty
- Units may incorporate both formative and summative peer reviews into their processes. But summative peer review is the only form of peer review referenced in Penn State policy AC40 and the Administrative Guidelines for AC 23.
If you would like to discuss Peer Review of Teaching with a SITE faculty member, please reach out to any of the consultants or email SITE@psu.edu. SITE also offers Peer Review of Teaching grants.
