Academic Medicine Open Forum

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  • 1.  Peer Observation of Teaching

    Posted 11-19-2023 08:49:00 PM

    Appreciate your advice - I am trying to start a Peer Observation of Teaching (POT) program at our medical college. It is likely that the spent by both the observer and faculty member observed will need to be paid for somehow as it will take away from clinical time, which is unlikely that the departments taking part will fully fund, despite the benefits to the institution and individual teachers. Does anyone have any suggestions?



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    William Bachman
    Physician
    Albany Medical College
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  • 2.  RE: Peer Observation of Teaching

    Posted 11-20-2023 11:08:00 AM
    Hello,
    Have you considered working with your faculty development team?
    Also if you have a faculty support team with instructional designers, curriculum developers, etc they could be valuable resources (depending on their experience) in providing observations on teaching as many ISDs have teaching experience. 

    Finally, you might want to develop a program that trains your faculty (and possibly give faculty CME) on doing observations on teaching and build a cadre to support this type of program.  

    Let me know if you would like to discuss these ideas further. 
    Dina Kurzweil, PhD

    Senior Director - Education & Technology Innovation Support Office (ETI)

    Associate Professor of Medicine 

    Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences




    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Peer Observation of Teaching

    Posted 11-21-2023 09:00:00 AM

    Hi - I agree with Dr. Dina. If you have a fac dev department, they are a valuable resource. If you do not, hopefully you have at least instructional designers who can help provide valuable insight. Many years ago at the UIC College of Medicine, I partnered with a clinician where we would both attend teaching sessions. My focus was more on quality of delivery and effective use of ed tech while her focus was more on the content. Unfortunately, she was unable to continue with this partnership for various reasons and I was not really able to find another clinician or basic scientist to join me (even if it was a revolving door situation). I did quite a number of observations myself and modified a RIME checklist for these observations. I would sit in on the class and develop my comments in real time. I have attached a couple examples of the checklists (hoping the author of The Checklist Manifesto, Dr. Atul Gawande would be proud!). During case-based teaching, when the facilitators would have groups discuss a case, I might pull the facilitator aside to discuss a different strategy. 



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    Max Anderson
    Dir of Instructional Design and Learning Innovation
    University of Illinois College of Medicine
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Peer Observation of Teaching

    Posted 11-21-2023 09:01:00 AM

    Hit Post too quickly :-) 

    Here are two other docs we have used. Full disclosure for all four forms - we haven't used them in a few years but during the time we did, faculty generally looked forward to these observations.



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    Max Anderson
    Dir of Instructional Design and Learning Innovation
    University of Illinois College of Medicine
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Peer Observation of Teaching

    Posted 11-21-2023 10:53:00 AM

    Such great suggestions! I want to add one more "teaching triangles" This was an initiative of our University and one of my own personal best experiences of peers observing me. Faculty were intentionally placed in "triangles"..three of us from very different disciplines (philosophy, engineering, art history) and observed one another, providing feedback. The idea was to have individuals who did t "know" one another's discipline and could intentionally on the teaching (and assessment) strategies...bringing of course their unique perspectives. I really benefitted from participating and learning how they taught and their feedback on my teaching.  The University has had several "interprofessional" faculty development opportunities....and I have learned a lot with my Med school colleagues of course..and also getting out into the broader world of University Teaching.

    of course, ACGME has the "Clinician educator milestones" https://www.acgme.org/milestones/resources/clinician-educator-milestones/

    through my older daughter who teaches k-5 music and is "Board certified" in teaching..https://www.nbpts.org/ (created in the 1980s)  I have learned of a terrific "assessment" (and voluntary certification) program  of faculty teaching.... I think med ed would have huge opportunity to use or adopt some of these models. Their 5 core principles are 1) Teachers are committed to students and their learning; 2) Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students; 3) Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning; 4) Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience; 5) Teachers are members of learning communities



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    Kathryn Andolsek
    Professor [Family Medicine & Community Health] and Asistant Dean
    Duke University School of Medicine
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    Original Message