Enhancing teaching
The primary factor impacting student learning is the quality of the teaching. This is why part of your role in teaching at UQ is to evaluate, reflect on and enhance your teaching.
At UQ, academic staff involved in teaching are required to “achieve teaching quality as indicated by approved surveys and outcomes for students and improve or innovate where appropriate in response to feedback” (PPL Criteria for Academic Performance).
While UQ provides a range of approved surveys to help academics demonstrate their teaching effectiveness, we have opportunities to provide richer evidence of effectiveness. Critically, we need to respond to this evidence and find ways to improve/innovate in our teaching.
Teaching effectiveness
Every semester, it is important we consider our course and teaching quality. There are three main ways of knowing if students are learning:
- Observation. Noting how students behave and talk about their learning, the questions they ask, the responses they provide.
- Consultation. Asking students to talk or write about their learning, individually or in groups.
- Focused analysis. Setting students tasks and making judgments about their responses with respect to predetermined criteria and standards. We can also look at our actions in teaching through self-reflection and peer observation. Through these approaches, we can get a strong indication of our teaching quality, and, through investigation, reflection and collegial conversations, identify opportunities for enhancement.
Annual Performance and Development (APD) process
In 2021, a new Academic Performance Framework (PDF, 237.6 KB) was approved for use from 2022. This framework documents expectations for performance in teaching and provides examples of activities (PDF, 125.6 KB) for each domain of work.
Planning time to evaluate our teaching, reflect on our experiences and plan enhancements is critical to improving our teaching and an essential part of every teaching academic’s role at UQ.
Staff development
ITaLI provides a range of professional development opportunities designed to support and enhance your teaching practice.
Need help?
ITaLI offers personalised support services across various areas including providing advice on ways in which you can enhance your teaching practice.