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Innovation, Learning, and Effectiveness

Online Teaching Guide: Peer Review

Peer Review Process

A Peer Review Guide for Online Courses at Chesapeake College

Background

In 1987, Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson published “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education,” a summary of 50 years of higher education research that addressed good teaching and learning practices. Their findings, and faculty and institutional evaluation instruments based on the findings, have been widely used to guide and improve college teaching.

The Seven Principles

Good practice:

  1. Encourages contact between students
    and faculty;
  2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students;
  3. Encourages active learning;
  4. Gives prompt feedback;
  5. Emphasizes time on task;
  6. Communicates high expectations; and
  7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

Chickering, A. & Gamson, Z. (1987). Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education. AAHE Bulletin (39 )7.

The Seven Principles provide a useful framework to evaluate the effectiveness of online teaching and learning. Therefore, this Peer Review Guide adapts the Seven Principles to facilitate the peer review of online courses at Chesapeake College.  Each principle is described in detail, including evidence of how a principle may be met. Examples of evidence and resources for additional information are also included.

 

While good practice suggests that all seven principles would be fully supported in some way in an online course, variations in course format, size, and faculty teaching experience can make reaching that ideal difficult. Use of this Peer Review Guide will help a peer reviewer discover areas of strength and room for improvement when examining a course through the lens of the Seven Principles.

Recommended Peer Review Process for Online Courses

Peer reviews of teaching are required for promotion and contract renewal at Chesapeake College. Reviews are also conducted for part-time faculty members who teach online.  To help facilitate the peer review of online courses, we recommend the following peer review process:

  1. Faculty peer reviewers are assigned through the FEP committee.
     
  2. The course instructor completes the “Instructor Input Form” and shares that document with the peer reviewer to convey contextual information about the course. 
     
  3. The instructor requests that the Faculty Development Center allow the reviewer access to the course in Canvas.
     
  4. After reviewing the completed “Instructor Input Form,” the peer reviewer uses the “Peer Review Guide for Online Courses” to work through the online course, observing how well the instructor addresses each of the Seven Principles. The reviewer notes the instructor’s strengths and areas for improvement for each Principle in the space provided.

    NOTE:  
     
  5. The peer reviewer summarizes the feedback in the form of a letter to that instructor.  The letter, as well as a copy of the completed Peer Review Guide, is shared with the instructor and submitted as part of complete peer review package.