Peer observation: a faculty initiative

In institutions of higher learning, concern for the process and outcomes of teaching continues to grow. The definition of successful teaching remains somewhat elusive. Excellent teaching has been described in the literature, and a number of behaviors have been identified as exemplifying quality teaching. At The University of Oklahoma Department of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Services-Tulsa (PCAS-T), student evaluations and activity reports were the primary means for faculty evaluations. The faculty recognized the limitations of both forms of evaluation and requested that the administration investigate a peer observation program. Peer observation of teaching became an additional component of the comprehensive assessment of teaching, in addition to self-assessment/reflection, administrator evaluation, and student assessment. The process of peer observation provides value for improvement of teaching and in the scholarship of teaching, thus elevating teaching to the same status as research at the university level. The purpose of this study was to document the peer observation process and make initial inferences with respect to its utility. The results of this study will serve as the first step in a comprehensive evaluation of the peer observation program. The peer observation process began as a faculty initiative to supplement student evaluations and has developed into a program with value to the faculty. The description of the process and future reports from the evaluation of the program will add to the primary literature that is currently missing evidence of value of peer observation to academic programs in colleges of pharmacy.