Peer review of teaching in Australian higher education : a handbook to support institutions in developing and embedding effective policies and practices

Peer review of teaching in universities involves academic colleagues giving and receiving feedback on their teaching practices and its effectiveness in promoting student learning. The focus throughout this resource is on the peer review of individuals’ teaching practice. This handbook is the result of a national project to develop a framework to support the effective introduction of peer review of teaching in ways appropriate to the higher education environment in Australia. The project involved extensive consultation with staff from institutions across the sector. It draws upon the experience of people who have developed and implemented peer review programs in their universities, and from people with particular insights into organisational policies and guidelines. The aim of the project was to develop resources to assist universities to design and embed peer review of teaching programs suited to their missions, priorities and contexts. The handbook is primarily intended for university staff who are considering the implementation of a peer review program at their institution. It does not offer a single prescription, rather a suite of information and resources to inform decision-making. The contents are: Section one: A framework for the peer review of teaching; Section two: Implementing peer review of teaching in universities; Section three: Practical guides for program design; Section four: Documentation and other support; Section five: Case studies from Australian universities.