Peer Evaluation of Teaching (PET)
Dept. of Apparel, Interiors, Housing & Merchandising
Oregon State University
 Dept. protocol or process
 Guidelines for review of course materials
 Guidelines for classroom observation
 PET Evaluation
Dept. Protocol for PET
 Identification of faculty members to be evaluated in a
given year
– Tenure-track faculty in years 2-5
– Faculty scheduled for post-tenure review
– Faculty planning to go up for promotion in the next 2 to 3 years
 Dept. Chair designates PET team members and chair
of PET team
 PET team meets with instructor at the beginning of
the academic year to:
– Determine which courses will be evaluated during the year
• gradate/undergrad., studio/lecture/lab
– Determine number of courses to be evaluated
• maximum of two per year
– Explain the Dept. policies and process for PET
Dept. Protocol for PET (cont.)
 PET team meets with instructor at beginning of
the term to:
– Discuss purpose of the course
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Content in relation to overall curriculum (prerequisites)
Diversity of students served, average enrollment
Learning objectives/outcomes
Instructor’s teaching approach/philosophy
Basis for evaluation of student learning
– Exchange course materials
• text/readings, syllabus, exams, assignment guidelines, etc.
– Determine dates for classroom observation of
teaching
• Minimum of two classroom visits
Review of Teaching Materials
based on
Dept. developed guidelines for evaluation
 Course outline/syllabus
– Examples of evaluation criteria:
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Completeness
Appropriateness of content
Currency of content
Level of challenge
Evaluation of student performance/learning
 Text(s) and/or readings
 Copies of directions for projects/assignments and
evaluation criteria
 Course handouts
 Exams or quizzes
 Examples of student work
Observation of Classroom Teaching
based on
Dept. developed guidelines for evaluation
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Instructor organization
Presentation skills
Instructional strategies
Content knowledge
Clarity of presentation
Rapport with students
PET Evaluation
 Written PET team qualitative evaluation includes:
– Description of process followed
– Course context
– Evaluation of course materials and observations of
classroom teaching
 Written evaluation signed by all PET team members
– Copy submitted to Dept. Chair, becomes part of the
instructor’s personnel file
– Copy given to the instructor and team meets with the
instructor to discuss the evaluation
 For P & T dossier, the PET team chair reviews all
previous evaluations and writes a summary evaluation
Peer Review of Teaching Process
 Benefits:
– Both instructor and reviewer learn from the review
process
– Prompts one to reflect on the teaching/learning
process and curriculum
– Can build supportive relationships
– Can generate alternatives to address teaching/learning
challenges
 Challenges:
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Requires substantial time commitment
Some faculty members may feel threatened
Teaching is a complex process; difficult to evaluate
Making the review fair, evaluative, and helpful