Guidelines for Virtual Observations
According to Article 18 of the Professional Evaluation of the PSC-CUNY contract agreement, at least once during each academic semester, non‐tenured and non‐certificated members of the teaching staff shall be observed for a full classroom period. Tenured and certificated members of the teaching staff may be observed once each semester. After ten (10) semesters of service, teaching observation for adjunct personnel shall be held at the request of the chairperson or the adjunct. The following guidelines taken from Article 18.3 Teaching Observations for Online Courses have been set forth regarding requirements for peer observations for each of the following online teaching formats:
(a) For teaching observations of online or partially online courses, the parties intend to replicate as closely as possible the longstanding teaching observation practices established pursuant to this Agreement. Therefore, the provisions of Article 18.2(b) 2 shall apply except as specifically modified herein.
(b) In a fully online synchronous course (that is, a course that meets online for 100% of the semester’s class meetings with a regularly scheduled class period during which students and the instructor are online at the same time), the designated observer shall be given limited access to the course platform, usually defined as “student” or “guest” access but in no event “instructor” or “administrator” access, only for the scheduled class period to be observed. Via the method for announcements normally employed by the instructor in the course, the instructor shall inform the students that the teaching observation is occurring. In no event shall the classroom teaching observation memorandum refer to the conduct of course activities outside of the observation period.
(c) In a fully online asynchronous course (that is, a course conducted entirely online without a scheduled class period), the designated observer shall be given limited access to the course platform, usually defined as “student” or “guest” access but in no event “instructor” or “administrator” access, for no more than a 48-hour period that will commence at a specified time not earlier than seven calendar days after the notice of the teaching observation has been given to the instructor. Within 48 hours of receiving notice of the observation, the instructor shall inform the students of the teaching observation and its beginning and end time via the method for announcements normally employed by the instructor in the course.
(d) In a fully online mixed course (that is, a course conducted entirely online using both synchronous and asynchronous instruction), the teaching observation shall take place according to the procedures for a fully online synchronous course, as specified above. At the request of the instructor, and with the consent of the Department Chairperson, the teaching observation may be conducted as it would be for a fully online asynchronous course, as specified above.
(e) In a hybrid or blended course (that is, a course in which some face-to-face classroom periods are replaced by online instruction or any other modality that is not face-to-face), the following rules apply:
(i) If at least 50% of the class sessions are conducted in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting, the observation shall normally take place during a face-to-face classroom period as set forth in Article 18.2(b). At the request of the instructor, and with the consent of the Department Chairperson, the observation may be conducted during an online class session. In such cases, the observation shall be conducted according to the procedures for a fully online synchronous course or a fully online asynchronous course, as applicable.
(ii) If fewer than 50% of the class sessions are conducted in a traditional face-to-face classroom setting, the observation shall be conducted according to the procedures for a fully online synchronous course or a fully online asynchronous course, as applicable.
(iii) The Department Chairperson may decide that an instructor teaching a hybrid course who has been observed under this provision may have his or her next observation conducted in the other modality used for the course.
(f) For observations of other than a fully online synchronous course, the observer shall not review online activity that occurred more than seven calendar days prior to the 48-hour period of access to the course platform, nor shall the post-observation memorandum refer to any course activities that occurred more than seven calendar days prior to the 48-hour period of access.
(g) For a fully online course, the post-observation conference set forth in Article 18.2.b may be held, at the request of the instructor, in person, by telephone, or by video conference.
This is a document about online peer observations. It discusses the observation process, the observation form, and best practices. The document also provides information on how to add and remove observers from Blackboard. Finally, the document includes a few more details about the peer observation process, such as how to access the forms and how to submit them.
Additional Resources:
LaGuardia Community College Online Peer Observations
Laguardia Community College Staff Handbook: Instructional Staff
LaGuardia Community College Employee Handbook: Adjunct Instructional Staff