Learning and Teaching Centre

Evaluation

Evaluating learning and teaching can take a number of forms.  Typically, universities evaluate student experience internally (at Macquarie, through the Teaching Evaluation for Development Service) and externally through national surveys such as the Course Experience Questionnaire or the Graduate Destination Survey. 

The findings inform our assessment of where we are succeeding and where we have opportunities for improvement. There is a need, therefore, to develop an institutional culture of evaluation that is formative as well as summative, one in which student feedback is valued and is linked to reflective practice, action and quality enhancement. 

The diagram below indicates other ways to evaluate the quality of our teaching, curriculum and learning and so enhance the quality of learning:

Evaluation

References and useful links

Chalmers, D. (2007) A review of Australian and international quality systems and indicators of learning and teaching The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Sydney online at Quality Learning and Teaching

Peer Observation and Learning and Teaching

Peer observation of teaching (POT) is a mechanism whereby our peers can observe and comment on some functional or qualitative aspect of the teaching we undertake and the learning we promote for the benefit of student learning. 
Here are some resources developed by the POT special interest group formed around the application of peer observation of learning and teaching in the sharing of excellence and enhancement of quality:

The Peer Observation and Learning and Teaching Special Interest Group

The group membership comprises colleagues from around the University who are interested in peer observation and includes the Associate Deans Learning and Teaching. The group meets once a month to discuss the progress of peer observation around the University. Now that this is underway, the group is broadening its focus to consider other aspects associated with quality enhancement within the changing context of Macquarie University's learning and teaching developments.

This is seen as a valuable opportunity for the sharing of ideas between colleagues from various subject areas and discipline backgrounds. It is hoped that though this approach we can go someway to a better understanding of the learning and teaching issues that affect us all and together develop capacity for dealing with those issues. We meet on the last Thursday of each month.

If you would like further details, please contact Dr Ian Solomonides, Chair of the group on 9850 9857.

 

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