In addition to individual consultations, the CTL offers other services to help faculty get feedback on their teaching - classroom observations, online course reviews, and creating mid-semester surveys. These services provide confidential, formative feedback and assist faculty to make strategic decisions to further improve their course.
Classroom Observations
NOTE: Classroom observations conducted by the Center for Teaching and Learning’s instructional design consultants are in high demand. We strive to accommodate as many classroom observation requests as possible. However, our instructional consultation team can accommodate only one classroom observation per faculty member annually. Priority will be given to instructors who:
- are in their first year of teaching at IU Indianapolis.
- will be seeking promotion.
- have a formal teaching development plan.
- are required by course directors to include classroom observations to facilitate their development and document their teaching.
Please sign up early so that we can provide you with an excellent classroom observation experience from start to finish. To request a classroom observation, please complete the consultation form as early in the semester as possible (or even prior to the start of the semester). We will do our best to accommodate your request.
In a classroom observation, an instructional design consultant will work with you as you reflect on and develop your in-class teaching practices. The classroom observation process begins with a discussion to frame the meaning, purpose, and goals of the observation, and usually follows these steps:
- The consultant meets with you to discuss the observation process and to establish the contexts, scope, goals, and date of your class-meeting observation.
- The consultant observes you during a class-meeting, either for the entire class period or for only part of it.
- The consultant compiles notes from the observation into a report, addressing your questions and concerns, and sends it to you.
- You and the consultant meet to talk about the report and to identify steps and approaches that may improve teaching practices and the course
We use a standardized CTL Classroom Observation form to observe class sessions but can provide feedback on other aspects of teaching not included on the form, depending on your teaching goals.
Online Course Module Review
If you are teaching an online or hybrid course, a CTL digital learning consultant can review a section of your course in a manner similar to a classroom observation of one course meeting. The review will normally focus on a single week or module that your students have already completed for the semester so student activity is present. In addition, it will provide feedback on overall course usability and accessibility.
The process begins with a meeting with the consultant to discuss your course, your questions, and your goals for course improvement, as well as to review pertinent course materials. You and the consultant determine what week or module of your class will be reviewed. After the review, the consultant will compile their notes into a report to address your questions and concerns and provide additional feedback on what they observed during the review. You and the consultant will then meet again to walk through the report, discuss the feedback, and identify next steps you may wish to take.
Feel free to request a review to be conducted at any point after the completion of the module you would like to focus on. Requesting a review as soon as possible after the module ends allows more time for you to incorporate the feedback into your current course as well as future offerings. Please fill out our consultation request form or email us at iuictl@iu.edu as soon as you decide that you would like to schedule an observation.
If you are interested in a more in-depth review using the Quality Matters Rubric, please note that in the consultation request form or email.
Blended or Flipped Classes
If you are teaching a blended or flipped class, you can request a combined review including both a classroom observation and an online course module review. The process is the same as detailed in the two sections above. The main difference being that you would meet with both an instructional design consultant and a digital learning consultant at each of the two meetings.
The time constraints noted in the Classroom Observation section above also apply to blended and flipped classes. Please fill out our consultation request form or email us at iuictl@iu.edu as soon as you decide that you would like to schedule an observation and review. Please note in your consultation request or email whether you have a blended or a flipped course. If it is a blended course, please also include how often the class is meeting in-person during the semester.
Online and In-Class Surveys
Instructors are encouraged to collect mid-term student feedback via an online or in-class survey. Our consultants can work with faculty to tailor such surveys to meet individual needs. Consultants can also work with faculty members to interpret student responses and to identify ways to respond to student feedback.