Spheres of Influence: Ventures and Visions in Educational Development*

3-6 July, 2002
The University of Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia

Abstract

Responding to the challenges of the university classroom

Tony Claydon, University of Northumbria at Newcastle, United Kingdom

In Teaching Process Recall, a small group of colleagues observe each other teach, through the medium of video recordings. They assist each other to 'unpack' the teaching experience, through structured enquiry into their classroom behaviours, and give and receive feedback on their practices.

The video or CD-ROM of classroom vignettes includes 'stem' and follow-up sequences showing some typical (and some exceptional) situations encountered by teachers in higher education, such as students who are emotionally upset, bored, unwell, or reluctant to participate. When completed, the CD-ROM will be accompanied by user support materials.

Key words:
Peer evaluation; Reflective practice; Staff training

Objectives, outcomes and activities:
The following items will be displayed:

• A ten minute video programme (PAL/VHS format) demonstrating Teaching ProcessRecall, a group-based technique of exploring and evaluating individuals' teaching performance.
• Either video extracts or, if completed in time, a CD-ROM of brief vignettes devised to stimulate discussion of appropriate responses to a range of classroom situations.

Tony Claydon began his professional life in town planning, which he practised for seven years and lectured for ten. He retrained and ran several management development courses for public sector clients, before becoming a full time educational developer in 1988. He runs Northumbria's Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice for members of the teaching staff. He was a specialist subject reviewer with the Quality Assurance Agency in 2000/01.

Contact: Tony Claydon, email: tony.claydon@unn.ac.uk