As part of its commitment to great teaching at the Business School, the Samberg Institute offers faculty members the opportunity to schedule a class observation by a member of the Samberg team. These observations are designed to enable faculty to receive significantly more detailed feedback on their presentation skills, teaching practices, and/or course materials than the feedback provided by midterm and end of term course evaluations. This feedback will also provide you with suggested action steps you can implement. Please note: All class observations are strictly confidential, and are provided at no charge to either you or your Division. Faculty members can request up to two class observations per year.
What to Expect From An In-Class Observation
Before
- A Samberg team member trained in evaluating teaching best practices will contact you to schedule the observation. The observation is typically conducted live and in-person, but under certain circumstances, it may be possible for a Samberg team member to view an Echo recording of a class session instead.
- In order to provide actionable feedback as early as possible, class observations are typically scheduled during one of your first few classes in the term. You may also suggest the best class to attend/watch based on your course schedule and the type of feedback you’d like to receive.
- The Samberg observer can also review your syllabus and any other materials you’d like to provide in order to understand your course and overall learning objectives.
During
The Samberg team member will observe a portion (usually the first hour or up until the first scheduled break) of your class and take notes on:
- Content (i.e., course/session design, learning objectives, relevance/usefulness of course materials)
- Delivery (i.e., verbal and non-verbal communication)
- Facilitation (i.e., question agility, cultivating engagement/discussions)
- Any additional aspect of your teaching that you’d like specifically considered during the observation.
After
The Samberg team member will email you a written summary of their observation notes. He/she will then reach out to you to share these notes and to set up time to discuss the feedback with you (either in-person or via a phone call) and provide follow-up actions and support if desired. Post-class observation meetings are optional.
How to arrange a class observation
Please email the Samberg team if you are interested in arranging a class observation. The Samberg Institute may also periodically reach out to you to offer this resource.