Online learning and teaching has certainly become the core of teaching and education in HE. More importantly during the pandemic we were engaged in Unit delivery and student pastoral tutorial mainly through online medium. However it is also important to be conscious of the new media tools that could be a challenge for lesser experienced teachers in these platforms. Online peer observation can certainly be a useful tool for helping institutions to maintain their standard of teaching (Bowskill, 2018).

Staffing arrangements continue to evolve in line with increasingly flexible models of learning and teaching. Online peer observation allows part-time, on-demand and remote teaching staff to develop and to feel a greater sense of institutional belonging.

Online peer observation can also provide a means of sharing good practice. This will aid online innovation can impact the classroom learning in a positive way (Bates and Donaghue ,2021).

How can Online Peer-Observation be applied?

This can be applied by addressing one single session/ or by looking into a Unit delivery as a whole. The PGCert programme delivered by our Tutor Dr. Marsden considered a Single session approach. The positive aspect of it is the diverse background of peers who get together to observe each other. Main focus is on delivering a concise message whilst not compromising student learning process and the engagement (Bowskill, 2018).

As I reflect on my own observation of my colleague and peer , Mr. Alex Campbell, who teaches technical video creation workshops , it makes me to consider the differences between online and onsite observation and upon reflection I come up with the following list.

As I reflect upon the practice ahead of our Peer observation online I can think of challenges and opportunities ahead:

Opportunities of Peer observation online:

Online observation offers flexibility of context cross boundaries of place, disciplines and technology. As the flexibility of listening, rewinding and reflecting before hitting the play bottom again gave me a lot of food for thought whilst listening to Alex’s session.

Focus :

Timing of observation- predictive, retrospective, concurrent;

Depth of Observation:

Challenges of peer observation online:

Time works differently: and from that perspective that could be a challenge. In my particular case it was not as it was delivered by Alex originally designed for online delivery and I could see his screen and interactions whilst delivering the lecture. Not all online lectures have such context.

Context could be more fuzzier as you are missing a live session and you might not capture the atmosphere.

Seeing less , yet seeing more (keeping the focus is the key), as I noted in real onsite observation I could have witnessed students interaction and their reaction to the lecturer responses. Through the new medium you only judge their response through chat box.

Understanding what the teacher is trying to do online, which made me as a non technical person to go back and forth and try to listen (not due to lack of clarity but overall to keep up with the flow of the session.

I finalised my observation and sent it off to Alex, and whilst conducting this it made me to think being onsite would have helped me and Alex to discuss and interact.

Further reflection:

Online observation still an emergent discipline, although offer a lot of benefits and opportunities, yet still might entail its challenges (Bowskill, 2018). Bates and Donaghue (2021) discuss the shortcoming of peer observation online and how the standard observation can turn out to be repetitive, and might impact the reflection to be mechanical and not so very authentic. Trainees like us reflecting and responding on those observations on their own can find the process uninspiring. in their article they propose Synchronous computer mediated communication (adopting social media tools like whatsapp) to interact and conduct the observation with peers. In their qualitative analysis of comments left whilst group peer observation they decided using these tools can help observers to use positive critical and deeper comments on each other’s practice.

Observers also found the online tools a more engaging tools than observing the work on their own. The authors conclude their article as a possible positive tool to be adopted for a cooperative, collaborative, democratic ways to communicate and reflect on peer observation.

Here is a short video on this publication:

References:

Bates, P., and Donaghue, H., (2021), “Synchronous Computer-mediated communication as a peer observational Tool”, ELT Journal, Volume 75, Issue 4, October 2021, Pages 407–417, Accessed on 3rd march 2022: https://academic.oup.com/eltj/article/75/4/407/6352795?login=true

Bowskil, N., (2018), “Online peer observation in teaching: new practices and new possibilities for development” accessed on 3rd March 2022: https://www.cobis.org.uk/blog/online-peer-observation-in-teaching-new-practices-and-new-possibilities-for-development

Video Reference:

Oxford University Press ELT (2021), ” Synchronous computer-mediated communication as a peer observation tool | ELTjournal Editor’s Choice”, Accessed at 3rd March: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7i8nBiuI68