Teaching Effectiveness Defined

Teaching effectiveness goes beyond delivering content; it includes fostering student learning, supporting equitable opportunities for success, and demonstrating commitment to professional growth. Effective evaluation should:

• Align with institutional goals and values.
• Recognize the diversity of teaching practices across disciplines and modalities.
• Promote both formative (improvement-focused) and summative (decision-making) uses.

Principles of Effective Evaluation

1. Triangulation: Combine multiple sources of evidence to capture different dimensions of teaching.
2. Transparency: Clearly communicate evaluation processes and expectations to faculty.
3. Equity: Address biases and ensure fairness across different teaching contexts and populations.

Core Measures of Teaching Effectiveness

1. Student Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness (SRTs)

   • Known as Student Assessment of Instruction (SAIs) at ETSU
   • Widely used but often criticized for bias (e.g., related to gender, race, or discipline).
   • Best practices for SRTs/SAIs:
     • Focus on well-designed, research-based questions.
     • Interpret results in context (e.g., class size, student demographics).
     • Use alongside other measures, not as the sole indicator.
   • See the following sections for more on interpreting and using SAI results.

2. Peer Observations

   • Allow colleagues to provide insights on classroom delivery, interaction, and pedagogy.
   • Effective peer observations require:
     • Training for observers to ensure constructive and unbiased feedback.
     • Use of standardized rubrics to focus on specific teaching behaviors.
     • Opportunities for pre- and post-observation discussions.
   • See the following sections for more suggestions on peer observations.

3. Self-Evaluation

   • Encourages reflective practice and personal accountability.
   • Tools for self-evaluation:
     • Teaching journals or logs.
     • Narrative statements highlighting teaching philosophy and goals.
     • Analysis of one’s own teaching materials and student outcomes.
   • See the following sections for more suggestions on self-evaluations.

Advanced Measures for Teaching Effectiveness

1. Teaching Portfolios

   • Comprehensive collections of artifacts that document teaching practices, student outcomes, and professional growth.
   • Essential components:
     • Statement of teaching philosophy.
     • Sample syllabi and assignments.
     • Evidence of student learning, such as anonymized work or testimonials.

2. Videos of Teaching

   • Provide a dynamic view of classroom interactions and instructional strategies.
   • Effective use involves:
     • Recording multiple sessions for a balanced perspective.
     • Analyzing recordings with a focus on specific teaching goals or challenges.

3. Alumni and Employer Ratings

   • Offer long-term perspectives on the impact of teaching.
   • Questions can explore:
     • Preparation for careers or further education.
     • Transferable skills and knowledge gained from courses.

4. Learning Outcomes Measurement

   • Tracks how well students achieve course and program objectives.
   • Tools include:
     • Pre- and post-assessments.
     • Capstone projects or portfolios.
     • Embedded assessment tasks within courses.

5. Teaching Awards and Recognition

   • Can highlight exceptional teaching contributions.
   • Institutions should:
     • Ensure clear and inclusive criteria.
     • Use awards as a way to share best practices across the faculty.

Promoting a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Learn More

• Register for the online asynchronous workshop from the Center for Teaching Excellence at ETSU: Providing Effective Peer Teaching Feedback. Turn your collegial course “peer reviews” into something more useful and formative for teaching development. In this online workshop led by Dr. Patrick Brown, learn how to give and receive useful feedback that helps us become better instructors – instead of giving just a moment-in-time “thumbs-up/thumbs-down” to a course observation. This type of peer course review is far more effective for teaching development and should stand up to the purpose behind the requirement for peer reviews in our dossiers.

Leveraging Data for Growth

• Integrate findings from multiple measures into actionable feedback.
• Provide faculty with professional development resources to address identified areas for growth.

Building Faculty Buy-In

• Chairs and Deans should involve faculty in designing and implementing evaluation processes.
• Emphasize evaluation as a tool for growth, not punishment.

Addressing Challenges

• Recognize time and resource constraints in implementing robust evaluations.
• Ensure consistent application of evaluation criteria across departments.

Using Humor and Engagement in the Evaluation Process

As Ron Berk reminds us, teaching evaluation doesn’t have to be dry or punitive. Humor and creativity can transform the process:

• Use light-hearted examples and analogies in evaluation training sessions.
• Celebrate successes and share faculty stories of innovative teaching practices.
• Acknowledge the stress of evaluation with empathy and a touch of levity.

Evaluating teaching effectiveness requires a thoughtful, multifaceted approach that balances rigor with humanity. By adopting multiple measures, fostering transparency, and building a supportive culture, institutions can ensure that their evaluation practices drive meaningful improvement and celebrate the art of teaching. Inspired by the comprehensive work of experts like Ron Berk, this chapter offers a roadmap for making teaching evaluation a dynamic and empowering process.