The authors describe several types of classroom assessment techniques (CATs) and cognitive scaffolding procedures that they have developed over the years. They then bring the procedures together in a sample lecture/group learning class presentation.

Student evaluation of instruction in college and university courses has been a routine and mandatory part of undergraduate and graduate education for some time. A major shortcoming of the process is that it relies exclusively on the opinions or qualitative judgments of students rather than on assessing the learning or transfer of knowledge that…

The authors investigated the effect of midterm student feedback on final ratings of college teaching and courses. Five classes including 142 students participated in pre- and posttests with the intervention of a midterm group feedback process known in the literature as Bare Bones Questions (or BBQ). Three of the four hypotheses tested were…

North Country Community College (New York) implemented a model of general education specifying competencies to be achieved in liberal arts courses. Introductory psychology students were pre- and posttested on competencies of knowledge (objective and subjective), critical thinking, and writing, using an objective test and essay. Significant gains…

Although teaching portfolios are now used widely in North American colleges and universities, origins can be traced to an initiative of the Canadian Association of University Teachers in the 1970s. Reasons for development of the teaching dossier are outlined, and the evolution of the concept is chronicled. Some unresolved issues in their use to…

Questions raised frequently by college and university faculty about use of portfolios to document effective teaching are answered. The questions address such issues as how the portfolio is organized, what it should reflect, how and by whom it is used, preparation time, the mentor's role, reliability, subjectivity, maintaining the portfolio's…

Based on the idea that the skills needed to mentor a college faculty member in development of a reflective teaching portfolio are similar to those a composition teacher uses for student consultation, the process and guiding principles used by one mentor are described. Issues of portfolio organization and sources for objective feedback are also…

Drawing on experiences of a Concordia University (Ontario, Canada) task force in considering the teaching portfolio as an instructional evaluation tool, several issues are discussed: the place of teaching in an academic culture; how teaching is and should be evaluated; and possibilities for changing the status quo. Issues in implementation and…

Circumstances leading to 1992 adoption of teaching portfolios for faculty evaluation at the University of Kentucky are outlined, the implementation process is described, and results of a faculty survey following the first round of portfolio development are reported. Despite some obvious difficulties, responses to the portfolio approach were more…

The three-year Miami University (Ohio) project to develop teaching portfolios is described. The department-based approach acknowledges that departments and disciplines have different cultures, and that departments are where rewards are determined. Issues in portfolio development and use, including benefits and problems, are discussed and…

At the University of Maryland University College, teaching portfolios are used for professional development of adjunct faculty in continuing education, and for determining annual teaching awards. The faculty development program offers workshops, information packets, and sample portfolios to potential award recipients and other faculty, provides…

An alternative method for college faculty to develop teaching portfolios is outlined, with the objective of minimizing professional risk. It is recommended that faculty work on course portfolios privately rather than in an organizational project, and that teaching philosophy be written last, not first. A two-year curriculum for developing a…

Discusses problems with summative peer evaluation of college teaching, looking at conflicting interests and mixed metaphors of faculty evaluation that obscure its process and principles. Issues related to five kinds of evaluation (judging, critiquing, assessing, appraising, rating) are examined. Argues that peers can contribute to faculty…

Examines use of collaborative college faculty peer review for instructional improvement. Establishes rationales for formative evaluation of teaching, peer review in instructional improvement, and comprehensive faculty evaluation that includes peer review. Examines roles faculty might play in assessing colleagues' teaching; describes five methods…

Proposes a broader concept of college faculty peer evaluation, in which perspectives of teacher, learner, and observer are considered. Argues that three basic principles (intention/interpretation, advisement/appraisement, acceptability/accessibility) must necessarily and minimally guide peer evaluation. Presents a four-part, multidimensional peer…