IATL Peer Dialogue on Teaching Scheme

Background

The Peer Dialogue on Teaching Scheme (PDoT) has been established across Warwick in order to support the development of individual teaching practice. The new IATL Peer Dialogue scheme is well aligned with the expectations and guiding principles contained in the PDoT policy approved by Senate in July 2019.

Peer Dialogue on Teaching is intended to support initial and ongoing development of teaching practices with the ultimate goal of improving students’ experience. It provides teaching staff with an opportunity to:

Further details on the University's PDoT guidelines are available online at: https://warwick.ac.uk/services/od/academic-development/resources/peerdialogue

The IATL provision undergoes regular review and refresh to ensure that modules remain current, relevant and responsive to new and emerging interdisciplinary topics/themes. Existing modules are withdrawn and new modules introduced with much more frequency than in traditional academic departments. Furthermore, IATL modules are taught by staff from across a number of different departments and disciplines. Most of these staff members will engage in mandatory peer dialogue schemes within their own departments in addition to participating in the IATL scheme.

IATL has operated a system of peer observation and review for a number of years, which has now been incorporated within the new IATL Peer Dialogue in Teaching scheme. In compliance with the University's requirements in this area, the scheme is mandatory and became fully operational with effect from 2019/20.

Key Features of the Scheme

1. The scheme applies to all IATL modules (with module code prefix IL) and is intended to be formative and collaborative in nature.
2. The scheme is overseen by IATL's Director of Studies.
3. All of IATL's module convenors, including hourly paid staff, will be included in peer dialogue arrangements.
4. At the start of each new academic session, IATL's Director of Studies will identify the modules that will undertake Peer Dialogue. IATL modules meeting the following criteria will be selected automatically to participate in the scheme:
   • A new module running for the first time
   • An existing module that has undergone significant change since the previous session (including change of convener. Mode of delivery change, assessment change).
5. The reviewers will be selected from amongst the team of existing IATL module conveners, taking into consideration their area of expertise, general suitability and availability.
6. The requirements of the IATL Peer Dialogue scheme will be disseminated via the IATL Module Conveners Handbook and published on the IATL website.
7. The reviewers and reviewees will be notified of the timetable for the peer dialogue on a termly basis.
8. IATL PDoT scheme will be conducted in 3 stages:

   • At the pre-dialogue stage, the reviewee will be required to provide key information about their module including learning outcomes and pedagogical context and also identify any particular areas of teaching where they consider that peer feedback would be useful.

   • At the dialogue stage, there will be an opportunity for the reviewer to provide general feedback on the dialogue (what went well, what could be improved, how the current experience compared with any previous peer dialogues they have had).

   • At the classroom-based observation stage, the reviewer is required to provide feedback on various aspects of the teaching session and details of any recommendations/actions agreed.

9. A Peer Dialogue form will be used to record key information and outcomes; the form will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that it remains fit for purpose.
10. On completion of the peer dialogue, the completed form will be returned to IATL's Director of Studies for review. At this stage, any issues of concern will be discussed with the module convenor and support provided for developmental needs specific to interdisciplinarity.

The formal PDoT scheme will be complemented by monthly IATL Module Convener Workshops, where participants are encouraged to raise and discuss general teaching and learning issues with their peers.