Policy Statement Assessment of Instruction
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is pleased to offer a service to improve instructional quality in the Health Professions Division. That service is observation of classroom performance by trained educational professionals followed by feedback of results and strategies for improvement. The Center for Teaching and Learning is also offering a more detailed statistical analysis of multiple-choice tests than that ordinarily provided by the Testing Center. That service will be offered only for select, “high-stakes” tests, due to the time demands it would place on our staff.
The classroom performance observation and follow-up will be conducted by the Executive Vice Dean of the Health Professions Division. The detailed statistical analysis of multiple-choice tests will be performed by the Executive Director of Research, Evaluation, and Faculty Development using IRT/Bayesian statistical software.
This service is being offered to any faculty member in the Health Professions Division who does classroom teaching. Budget constraints allow the CTL to conduct observations and follow-ups for only four faculty members per college per year. Requests will be honored on a first come, first served basis.
In addition, some Health Professions Division deans may request this service for their faculty members.
Process
The classroom observation process will be initiated by a faculty member making a request to the Executive Vice Dean, HPD. A pre-assessment conference will be held with the faculty member. Working with the faculty member's knowledge and consent, the Executive Vice Dean, HPD will arrange times for a minimum of two classroom observations. Faculty will not be evaluated without notification by the Executive Vice Dean, HPD. After the observations have been conducted, the Executive Vice Dean, HPD will schedule a time to meet with the faculty member to discuss the results of the observations. At that time, if further follow-up is needed or desired, additional observations may be scheduled. Faculty members will be given copies of the evaluation forms and suggestions for improvement.
Materials Used
The forms used for classroom observation are attached. The forms detail the aspects of classroom performance that will be observed and the standards for performance. These forms are not static, but will be evaluated annually and modified when necessary.
Timeline
From the time of the initial request for the service to the final follow-up meeting may take as long as two months. Faculty members wishing to include the results of their classroom observation process in their portfolios will want to schedule accordingly.
Faculty members wishing to take advantage of this service should call or e-mail the Executive Vice Dean, HPD. (Dr. Stan Cohen at (954) 262-1523 or scohen@nova.edu)
The results of an instructor-initiated classroom observation process are confidential and belong to the instructor. A copy of the results will be archived with the Executive Vice Dean, HPD but will not be distributed in any way. When a dean requests a faculty member to be observed, the dean will receive a summary of the observational reports. The faculty member will receive a complete packet of information.
At the conclusion of the observation process, the faculty member will receive a copy of the forms used in the observation and any recommendations the observer has for the faculty member.
The primary goal of this service is to improve and/or strengthen instruction. Faculty members may choose to undergo the process to improve their instruction, to add to their faculty portfolios, or to work toward promotion. Deans may request this service for improvement of faculty instruction, for continuing contracts, or for promotion consideration.