Auskultation

Using peer observations to develop collegial collaboration

A peer observation of teaching involves a teacher visiting another teacher's teaching session without any focus on evaluation. One purpose of a peer observation of teaching is to be inspired by other teaching practices. Uppsala university's pedagogical program emphasizes that a collegial environment regarding pedagogical support is a presumption for scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). A key to this is an affirmative relationship to peer observation practice at a professional level and to open up "one's classroom" for collegial feedback. A culture of collegial observation (auskultation) is therefore a step towards teachers becoming scholars' of teaching and learning.