Dimensions of Teaching

The following dimensions of teaching practice are intended to be used as a guide for your peer review sessions.

They can assist you in finding your focus before completing a PARD-P and they also form the basis of your review when completing a TRP.

The ten dimensions of teaching outlined below are not independent; inevitably there is overlap across different dimensions. It is unlikely that any one teaching session would demonstrate all of the outlined teaching strategies to the same, significant extent.

We suggest that you choose one or two dimensions only as the focus for your first PARD-P observation and then you will need to choose a minimum of four and a maximum of six for your TRP observation.

The following dimensions are based on the 2009 ALTC project聽Peer Review of Teaching for Promotion Purposes.

  • 1 - Ensure students are actively engaged in learning

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • fostering a supportive, non-threatening teaching/learning environment
    • encouraging students to express views, ask and answer questions, and allow time and opportunity for this to occur
    • using questioning skills which encourage student engagement
    • providing immediate and constructive feedback where appropriate
    • demonstrating enthusiasm for teaching and learning
    • providing opportunities for self-directed learning and/or collaboration
    • (for smaller groups) fostering extensive interaction
    • (for very large groups) presenting in such a manner as to achieve maximum engagement

  • 2 - Build upon students鈥 prior knowledge and experience

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • being fully aware of and/or determining students鈥 prior knowledge and understanding
    • building on students鈥 current knowledge and understanding, and taking them conceptually beyond this level
    • where appropriate, using and building upon student contributions and preparation

  • 3 - Teaching caters for student diversity

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • demonstrating an appreciation of the different levels of knowledge and understanding in a group
    • addressing, as appropriate, different learning needs and styles within the group
    • focussing on building confidence, enthusiasm and intrinsic motivation
    • fostering students鈥 responsibility for their own learning, encouraging them towards being self-directed learners, (as distinct from teacher-directed learners)
    • using appropriate strategies for different needs, balancing discursive interactive strategies with those that are more didactic (where simple transmission of knowledge is needed)
    • recognising, at times, the need for teacher-directed strategies such as explaining, and being able to implement these effectively
    • exercising balance between challenging and supporting students
    • designing activities/tasks that allow students of differing abilities to participate/engage and demonstrate/enhance their learning
    • providing examples or opportunities for discussion that cater for cultural diversity

  • 4 - Encourage students to develop and/or transform conceptual understandings

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • helping students bridge the gap between their current conceptual understanding and the next 鈥渓evel鈥
    • helping students become aware of what the next levels are
    • encouraging students to become self-directed learners by using a 鈥渓ecture鈥/presentation as the stimulus for individual study/learning
    • challenging students intellectually e.g. by extending them with question/answer/discussion components where students鈥 conclusions must be justified to the teacher and peers. This usually involves questions such as 鈥淲hat do you think is going on鈥; 鈥淲hy鈥; 鈥淲hat if鈥?鈥 etc
    • encouraging students construct their individual conceptual understanding (ultimately the learner must be responsible for his/her own learning)
    • encouraging deep (intrinsic) rather than surface (extrinsic) approaches to learning
    • working cooperatively with students to help them enhance understanding
    • clearly demonstrating a thorough command of the subject matter

  • 5 - Make key learning outcomes explicit

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • ensuring students are progressively aware of key learning outcomes
    • providing clear explanation of learning outcomes
    • providing explanation of how learning activities facilitate achievement of learning outcomes
    • focussing on learning outcomes at key points in the presentation
    • ensuring a synthesis of key learning outcomes is emphasised towards the conclusion of the session so that individual student follow-up work is well focussed
    • encouraging each student to accept responsibility for learning issues to follow-up and consolidate
    • ensuring students are aware of the link between key learning outcomes and assessment (formative and summative), as appropriate.

  • 6 - Encourage students to make links between disciplinary and/or inter-disciplinary theory and practice

    Indicative teaching strategies for demonstrating this dimension may include:

    • emphasising, where appropriate, links between theory and practice
    • providing opportunities for students to make their own connections between theory and practice
    • using research links appropriately, given the level of student conceptual development
    • raising students' awareness of what constitutes research and how it applies to practice

  • 7 - Make effective use of learning environments, resources and technologies