Course evaluation matters: improving students' learning experiences with a peer-assisted teaching programme

Angela Carbone, Bella Ross, Liam Phelan, Katherine Lindsay, Steve Drew, Sue Stoney, Caroline Cottman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In the rapidly changing global higher education sector, greater attention is being paid to the quality of university teaching. However, academics have traditionally not received formal teacher training. The peer-assisted teaching programme reported on in this paper provides a structured yet flexible approach for peers to assist each other in reinvigorating and refining their teaching practice. Academics participated in this national, multi-institutional trial for varied reasons: the majority voluntarily, others to increase low student evaluation of course scores and some as part of a graduate certificate teaching qualification. Here we report on how academics used the scheme, and the teaching areas they focused on. Student evaluation of course scores increased in the majority of courses, suggesting the changes made had a positive effect on students? learning experiences. The experiences of the multi-institutional trial reported here may benefit others considering such a scheme to reinvigorate and refine teaching practice and improve course evaluation scores
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)165 - 180
Number of pages16
JournalAssessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
Volume40
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2015

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