Presentation from the CDE’s Research and Innovation in Distance Education and eLearning conference, held at Senate House London on 1 November 2013. Conducted by Dr Ayona Silva-Fletcher, Kirsty Magnier, Kim Whittlestone and Stephen May (Royal Veterinary College. Keynote videos, seminar audio and other resources from the event are available at www.cde.london.ac.uk.

1. Teaching Observations at a
distance: the process and the
experience of trainees and
tutors
Ayona Silva-Fletcher, Kirsty Fox, Stephen May, Kim Whittlestone
The Royal Veterinary College
asilvafletcher@rvc.ac.uk

2. Objectives of the session
• Background to the Teaching observation
by distance at the RVC
• Research study comparing face to face vs
distance teaching observation
• Modification to both face to face and
distance Teaching observation process

3. Principles
and
Practice
Student
Learning
Teaching
methods
Integrated
curriculum
Assessing
student
learning
Evaluating
and
improving
practice
Background
" Post Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Education
• Launched September 2010 (face to face version)
• DL version PGCert September 2011
Current
Issues
Developing
learning
materials
Evaluating
educational
literature
Developing
educational
strategies
Developing
skills
Self-
regulated
learners
Compulsory
Teaching
Observation

5. Patchwork texts
A ‘patch’ is a short discursive and
reflective essay
Final
assignment
Patch 1
Patch 2 Patch 3
Patch 4
Dalrymple, R and Smith, P (2008) The Patchwork Text: enabling discursive writing and reflective practice on a foundation
module in work-based learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching International 45, 47-54
Developing Critical
Reflection

6. RVC
Teaching
Observa2on
Process
Stage
2
Analysis
based
on
forma2ve
feedback
from
tutor
Stage
1
Pre-­‐session
planning
Stage
3
Conduct
of
the
teaching
session
Stage
4
Post-­‐session
feedback
and
analysis
Stage
5
Cri2cal
reflec2on
Pre-
Observation
Patch
Post-
Observation
Patch

7. Teaching observation comparison
Face-to-
face
Pre-obs
patch
Observation Discussion
Post-obs
patch
Distance Pre-obs
patch
Video
recording
Skype
discussion
Post-obs
patch
What?
Why?
So
what?

8. Challenges: Distance OT
" Explaining the process
" Permission to video
" Video files too big to send
" Scheduling the ‘skype’ discussion

9. 1. How effective is the teaching observation
process either by face to face or the
distance learning method?
3. What is the difference between face to face
and the distance learning method in terms
of learner and tutor perceptions?
3. Are all the stages of the process necessary
to do an effective teaching observation?
Research questions

10. From the PG Cert in Veterinary Education
programme
20 - face to face
8 – distance
5 - tutors
• interviewed using a semi-structured
questionnaire.
• interviews were conducted either face to face
or by telephone or skype.
• The questionnaire had 18 questions
Study participants and methods

11. •
• Veterinary Advisor at Vetoquinol UK ltd – UK
• Independent Veterinary Professional – UK
• Assistant Professor / Veterinary Anesthesiologist at
Virginia Tech – USA
• Veterinary Nursing Lecturer at The College of Animal
Welfare –UK
• Director of Admissions & Student Services, VA-MD Vet
Med for DVM Program –USA
• Veterinary Nursing Subject Leader Hartpury College –UK
• Clinical Assistant Professor, Large Animal Surgery – USA
• Practising Vet in California - USA

12. The questionnaire was designed to ascertain the
opinions, perceptions and attitudes regarding
the teaching observation process and the
effectiveness during:
• Pre-observation phase
• feedback before the session
• teaching session
• Feedback after the session
• Post-observation analysis and reflection

13. Results
Survey question
Major themes from
analysis of
responses
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Face to
face participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Distance
participants)
Question
Can you tell me
how you felt
before the
teaching
session took
place?
• Extremely
nervous
• A little nervous,
but manageable
• Relaxed/
confident/looked
forward to it
• Nervous, but
only because of
practicalities of
filming
15%
55%
30%
0
12.5%
62.5%
12.5%
12.5%

14. Survey question
Major themes from
analysis of
responses
Percentage of
responders
associated
with themes
(Face to face
participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Distance
participants)
Question
When you
submitted your
pre-observation
patch, 6A and
Teaching Plan,
did you get
feedback from
your tutor before
the teaching
session, and if
so, what did you
think of it?
• Yes (generally
helpful/
confirmed it was
OK, but too late
to use, but don’t
remember
feedback)
• No (Don't
remember
getting feedback,
didn’t get
feedback)
20%
80%
37.5%
62.5%

15. Survey
question
Major themes from
analysis of responses
Percentage of
responders
associated
with themes
(Face to face
participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Distance
participants)
Question
What was
it like to
be
observed/
filmed?
• Nervous, but only at
start
• OK, wasn't bothered/
made no difference
• OK, except for filming
practicalities
• More aware than usual
in +ve way
• Aware throughout of
being observed; -ve
experience
55%
45%
0
15%
15%
25%
25%
50%
0
0

16. Survey question
Major themes from
analysis of
responses
Percentage of
responders
associated
with themes
(Face to face
participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes
(Distance
participants)
Question
Could you talk
me through
what happened
immediately
after the
teaching
session?
• Immediate
feedback
(included
useful/
constructive)
• Watched the
video
• Did not watch
the video,
posted to the
RVC
100%
0
0
0
75%
25%

17. Survey question
Major themes from
analysis of
responses
Percentage of
responders
associated
with themes
(Face to face
participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Distance
participants)
Question
F2F students only
- If the teaching
session had been
videoed, would
you have watched
it?
• No / no response
• Yes
30%
70%

18. Survey question
Major themes from
analysis of
responses
Percentage of
responders
associated
with themes
(Face to face
participants)
Percentage of
responders
associated with
themes (Distance
participants)
Question
Have there
been any
changes to
your teaching
practice since
doing the
teaching
observation?
• Yes, teaching
behaviour/
approach to
teaching - see
footnote 1
• Yes, practical
changes in
teaching
methods - see
footnote 2
• No
45%
35%
20%
75%
25%

19. PG
Cert.
Documenta2on
-­‐
Views
from
Tutors
and
Students
Students
Tutors
T
O
documents
were
useful,
but:
•
There
was
a
lot
of
repe22on
between
documents
•
More
guidance
was
needed
how
to
complete
them
§ did
not
achieve
what
the
tutors
intended
them
for
§ were
generally
more
descrip2ve,
rather
than
reflec2ve
§ added
a
heavy
workload
to
already
busy
schedule
§
found
the
post-­‐
observa2on
patch
unnecessary

20. Results summary
Participants:
• Pre-observation discussion was useful (F2F)
• Would prefer more teaching observations (F2F and DL)
• Most useful part of the PG cert course (F2F and DL)
• Post-observation patch was unnecessary extra work
(F2F)
• Changed teaching preparation and practice due to the
Observation
Tutors:
• We didn’t give enough guidance on the different pre-
observation forms
• There was no reflection on the pre or post –
observation patches
• The DL teaching observations work better, more useful
analysis

21. Changes
Face-to-
face
Pre-obs
patch Observation Discussion
Post-obs
patch
Distance Pre-obs
patch
Video
recording
Skype
discussion
Post-obs
patch
New
combined
Pre-obs
patch
Video
recording
Post-obs
patch
Discussion
(F2F or
Skype)

22. Conclusions
" Teaching observations can be done effectively
at a distance
" Guidelines & instructions need to be really
detailed and clear!
" Getting the trainees to watch the teaching
video and doing a critical reflection could be
more effective than a face to face observation

23. Further reading
" Anderson, T. & Dron, J. 2010. Three generations of distance
education pedagogy. The International Review of Research in
Open and Distance Learning, 12, 80-97.
" Dalrymple, R. & Smith, P. 2008. The Patchwork Text: enabling
discursive writing and reflective practice on a foundation module
in work-based learning. Innovations in Education and Teaching
International, 45, 47-54.
" Gosling D, Mason O’Connor K (2009) Beyond the peer
observation of teaching. SEDA Paper 124
" Scoggins, J. & Winter, R. 1999. The patchwork text: A coursework
format for education as critical understanding. Teaching in Higher
Education, 4, 485-499.
" Winter, R. 2003. Contextualizing the Patchwork Text: addressing
problems of coursework assessment in higher education.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 40, 112-122.

24. Acknowledgements
• CDE for providing a grant
• PG Cert Vet Ed participants 2010 -12
Tutors: Prof Stephen May
Dr Vicki Dale
Mr Kim Whittlestone
Mrs Kirsty Fox
Interviews conducted by:
Mrs Maureen Taylor