Embedding peer review of learning and teaching in online and blended learning environments

Project Leader: Associate Professor Jo McKenzie, University of Technology Sydney

This two-year project funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council has been developed using an action research approach involving teams of academics in each of the five ATN universities with a core cross-university project leadership team. The aim has been to create, trial and evaluate flexible materials and processes that support academics in peer reviewing teaching and learning in blended learning environments (BLE), and enable the use of peer review for both formative feedback and recognition and reward (promotion, awards etc). Some key focuses for the project have been:

  • An emphasis on good teaching as a form of scholarly work, focusing at a holistic level on the qualities of excellent scholarly teaching.
  • Developing a process that accommodates the huge diversity of teaching and learning practices in blended learning environments, balancing this with core qualities of good teaching.
  • Inclusion in peer reviews of all parts of the Biggs (1999) 3P model of teaching and learning, so we have focussed on both the processes and outcomes of teaching and learning.

The teams developed, trialled, evaluated and refined a framework, processes and resources for peer observation (formative) and peer review (for recognition). The framework is based on the Glassick et al (1997) qualities of scholarly work, adapted to reflect promotions criteria from the five ATN universities, the literature on good teaching and on teaching and learning in blended learning environments. Each university team undertook at least one cycle of action research involving peer observation using the framework, completing documentation, developing case studies and providing ongoing feedback on the developing framework and resources. Some teams have completed two cycles and, in a few cases, cross-disciplinary fourth cycles of peer review.

Final project report (pdf 1.1MB)

Project page (ALTC) (opens an external site)