Professional Activities

Learning and Teaching Resource Area

Peer Support

Peer support provides an opportunity for academic staff to examine and reflect upon their practice through discussion with colleagues and the sharing of materials, ideas and experiences. The process is developmental in nature and aims ultimately to enhance teaching and student learning. Peer support is therefore one element of the continuous professional development of academic staff.

Peer support is provided in Schools and Divisions in the following ways:

• CPD Workshops
• Peer Observation
• Development of Action Learning Sets
• GTA/Staff Mentoring
• Teaching Portfolio Library

Key Features

Within each academic unit the staff will design their own peer support system appropriate to the structure, culture and function of that unit and the demands and needs of the staff within it. Academic Practice offer the following resources for staff needing more information on peer support:

• Peer Review Guidelines (Univ. of Reading)
• Mentoring Guidelines (Univ. of Reading)
• Peer Observation (Univ. of Nottingham)
• Designing a Teaching Portfolio (Pennsylvania State Univ.)
• Mentoring Links (various)
• Preparing for Peer Observation (Univ. of Texas)
• Peer Observation of Teaching (HEA)

Updated: 14 April, 2008 | Site editor | Legal