Continuous feedback is necessary for improvement. Just as the feedback you provide to students helps improve their learning, feedback provided to you as an instructor can help you better gauge the effectiveness of your teaching and its impact on students’ learning. Below are options to gather feedback.
Teaching Observations
The Koehler Center offers a teaching observation process where you can request an instructional consultant to visit your class and observe your teaching methods and interactions with students. This process will provide you with supportive feedback based on high-impact instructional practices in higher education. Below you can find answers to some of the questions you might have about the observation process.
To schedule an observation, please email koehlercenter@tcu.edu.
What is the purpose of a teaching observation?
The purpose of a teaching observation is to support you in your instructional role by offering supportive feedback, ultimately enhancing students learning outcomes. The process is designed to be non-judgmental so that you can reflect on your teaching, recognize your strengths, and consider areas for improvement.
Who can request a teaching observation?
Any faculty member, instructor, graduate student, or adjunct teaching at TCU can request a teaching observation. This is a free service provided by the Koehler Center to support TCU’s teaching community.
How does a teaching observation benefit me?
Teaching observations provide you with insights into your teaching strengths and areas for development, help you reflect on your practices, and foster a culture of continuous improvement in teaching. In addition, if you are tenure-track faculty, you can use the teaching observation to document reflective teaching practices in your tenure and promotion dossier.
Is the teaching observation process evaluative?
No, the process is non-judgmental and designed to support your growth as an instructor. It is not used for evaluative or punitive purposes.
Who conducts the teaching observation?
Observations are typically conducted by instructional experts from the Koehler Center who understand the challenges and nuances of teaching.
What happens during a teaching observation?
The observer attends your class unobtrusively, observes various aspects of your teaching, and provides you with detailed feedback and support during a post-observation meeting.
Can I choose the focus of the observation?
Yes, you can identify specific areas or aspects of your teaching that you would like the observer to focus on, ensuring that the feedback is relevant to your needs.
How is the feedback from a teaching observation shared?
Feedback is shared in a confidential, supportive manner, through a follow-up meeting during which you can discuss the observation and collaborate on strategies for enhancement.
Will the observation results be shared with my department?
No, the results are confidential and are not shared with your department or used in any formal evaluations.
How much time does the teaching observation require?
We understand faculty are busy and times is limited. That is why we have designed our teaching observations to take as little time as possible. Typically, the observation process includes a 15-minute pre-conference with the instructional consultant, the classroom observation, and a 20 to 30-minute post-conference during which the feedback is shared.
How do I request a teaching observation?
Please email koehlercenter@tcu.edu to schedule a pre-conference meeting with an instructional consultant. During this pre-conference, you will schedule your observation.
Midsemester Student Surveys
The Koehler Center team is available to help you develop midsemester student surveys to collect feedback on your teaching. Administering student surveys in the middle of the semester means you have time to reinforce the instructional practices that are effective and make adjustments to improve learning before the class is over. One survey option is to implement a three-item “start, stop, continue” survey via the survey tool in D2L as shown below.
What would you like for me to start doing to help your learning experience?
What would you like for me to stop doing?
What would you like for me to continue doing?
For help setting up a survey in D2L, please feel free to request a virtual lab appointment.