The second module on the course develops teaching practice through observation of teaching. As part of the assessment for the module, participants are required to engage with four peer observations of teaching; two of them teaching and two of them observing others.

Four Observation Reports should be submitted with the Portfolio. These are:

• One observation report on your teaching carried out after your commencement of the module, by a colleague from your School identified for experience in HE Teaching and Learning
• One further observation report on your teaching carried out at any time during the last 5 years by a teaching colleague
• One report carried out after your commencement of the module, of your learning from the role of being an observer of a colleague from your School identified for experience in HE Teaching and Learning;
• One further report carried out at any time during the last five years, of your learning from the role of being an observer of a teaching colleague.

All observations should be written up on the PGCertHE Observation Form. The form includes points for observers to comment on around different areas of teaching competence. Some of these will be more relevant to different teaching formats and disciplinary contexts than others - the idea is to use these indicators as prompts as relevant to the context being observed. PGCertHE teaching observations are designed to provide qualitative, formative feedback in support of ongoing teaching development. This recognises that the experience of teaching sessions that don't go well can be as valuable as those that do in developing teaching practice if effectively reflected on.

Who can I observe and who can observe me?

Colleagues recognised for experience in HE Teaching and Learning may be identified on the basis of any of the following: having completed a PGCertHE; Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA); an institutional or National Teaching Award; a National Teaching Fellowship; a Director of Teaching and Learning or equivalent within your School; a colleague otherwise identified as appropriate by your Head of School, Head of department, or mentor.

Can I carry out more than one observation with the same partner?

• You are encouraged to undertake observation with different colleagues where you can, to gain wide experience of teaching practice.
• You may observe and be observed by the same colleague.
• Where there is a lack of colleagues willing to observe you, you may be observed by the same colleague twice as long as there is a reflection gap between the two observations in which you are able to meet together to discuss the first observation and identify specific related focus for the second observation. In this case the second observation must make it clear how you have actively addressed feedback from the first.
• You may not observe the same colleague twice for your two assessment observations.

Can my mentor do one of my observations?

Your assigned mentor is also asked to observe you at least once while you are registered on the PGCertHE, and you are further encouraged to carry out reciprocal observation with your peers on the module. You may choose to include these as supporting evidence in your assessment portfolio. They cannot however be included as part of your assessed set of 4 observation reports.

Can an observation be of me delivering a 1-2-1 meeting or tutorial?

Whilst we recognise the importance of individual meetings within higher education teaching e.g. in PhD supervision, only one of the submitted observations can be of this nature. The others should be of group settings i.e. with more than 2 participants.

Can an observation be of online teaching?

Yes as long as the session is 'live' and the observer is able to access the session. Our observation form has been designed so the questions will also be appropriate to teaching in online environments.