The kind of teaching we can observe
We interpret teaching very broadly, so we can observe any type of educational encounter, and in any environment where this is practical.
We think we can be of most help to you if we observe the kind of teaching that you are most often involved in.
Examples of the kinds of teaching that we have observed include:
● pre-clinical lectures to large groups of students
● small group tutorials with students/trainees
● ‘Problem Based Learning’ sessions
● simulation sessions
● one-to-one clinical teaching at the bedside
● teaching in surgical theatres
● teaching to multidisciplinary teams and to patient groups
● one-to-one clinical or educational supervision sessions
How to arrange to have your teaching observed
Email the CEP administrators at cep@ed.ac.uk. If you give them as much notice as possible it will be more likely that they will be able to accommodate your request.
Our administrators will liaise with you directly to arrange the date, time and location of your teaching. They will also allocate a CEP tutor to carry out your observation. It is helpful if you can give the tutor a phone number that you can be contacted on in case there are any last minute changes or problems.
Because of the demands on our Programme, we will only arrange a teaching observation and feedback session once you have consistently participated in the CEP by registering and attending workshops.
How to prepare for your observation session
There is no specific preparation required. However, we recommend that you reflect on the CEP workshops that you have attended to help get you thinking about your practice. For example, our ‘Planning and Evaluating your Teaching’ workshop will help you think about how you are structuring your teaching, and our ‘Small Group Teaching’ workshop could give you ideas about how to make your teaching more interactive.
Teaching observation and feedback session: guidance and template
● Teaching Observation and Feedback Guidance
● Teaching Observation and Feedback Template
● Teaching Observation Guidance for Simulation Sessions
On the day of the observation and feedback session
The CEP tutor will come to your location just before your session start time. They will observe your teaching and make notes. The template of the document they will use reflects the requirements of the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
The template document can be used flexibly and our tutors use the same version for all the types of teaching they observe.
The tutor will complete pages 1 to 4 during your session and leave pages 5 and 6 blank. There will be a feedback discussion after your session. This is not something to worry about. It is informal and its purpose is to help you think about what you do well, and if there is anything that you could improve.
The feedback discussion usually takes about 30 minutes. If there is not enough time after your session, it is usually possible to arrange for a phone call at another time.
After the observation and feedback session
The CEP tutor will email you your teaching observation and feedback document. Pages 5 and 6 contain questions for you to complete in your own time. They are designed to help you think about the session in more depth and they reflect the UK Professional Standards Framework requirements.
It is helpful for you to answer the questions, but you do not have to. Your answers will be useful if you are completing Level 3 of the CEP, because the same questions appear in Part 2 of the Reflective Portfolio Assignment.
You do not need to email us your answers and they will not be assessed.