Reviewing Instructional Materials: Peer Reviews of Teaching

    The materials an instructor provides are important vehicles for student learning. Effective instructional materials complement and enhance the work that students do both during and outside of class.

    Commonly-reviewed instructional materials

    1. Course syllabus and schedule

    2. Course readings

      • Textbooks
      • Photocopies (with appropriate permission) of journal articles, book chapters, or other article-length materials
      • Web-based materials

    3. Instructor-prepared handouts

      • Instructional supplements
      • Instructions for graded assignments
      • Information supporting evaluation of student work (e.g., rubrics, feedback forms, etc.)

    4. Examinations and quizzes

    5. Samples of student work with instructor comments

      Note: Student work samples must have identifying information removed.

    6. Other materials

      • Directions for in-class or field-based activities (e.g., lab manuals, field observation guides, etc.)
      • Lecture notes or discussion questions
      • PowerPoint slides
      • Course-level assessment results

    Qualities of effective instructional materials

    1. Intended learning outcomes are:

      • Clearly stated
      • Appropriate to the level of the course
      • Relevant to the content of the course
      • Appropriate to the role of the course in the major, concentration, and/or General Education curriculum
      • Appropriately sequenced

    2. Instructional content is:

      • Appropriate to the level of the course
      • Relevant to the intended learning outcomes of the course
      • Sufficiently varied to meet the diverse learning needs of students
      • Of appropriate breadth and depth
      • Appropriate to the role of the course in the major, concentration, and/or General Education curriculum
      • Appropriately sequenced
      • Reflective of alternative perspectives, theories, or points of view

    3. Work expected of students is:

      • Appropriate to the level of the course
      • Relevant to the intended learning outcomes of the course
      • Consistent with the role of the course in the major, concentration, etc.
      • Sufficiently varied to the meet the diverse learning needs of students
      • Clearly described
      • Complementary to class sessions and readings
      • Supported by clear criteria for evaluation

    4. Feedback to students is:

      • Clear
      • Consistent with criteria for evaluation
      • Appropriate to the level of the course
      • Helpful to students in pursuing the intended learning outcomes of the course
      • Concrete and constructive, noting strengths as well as weaknesses and suggesting directions for improvement
      • Neither too much (overwhelming) nor too little (uninformative)