Peer Observation

Learning to be a teacher requires a range of activities. Discussions of educational theories and teaching methods are valuable. What is also valuable, however, is observing an experienced teacher at work and being observed by an experienced teacher to receive feedback. It is only when a new teacher is trying to approximate such a performance that he or she becomes aware of the challenges involved. Conducting observation and being observed help new teachers to shape their ideas of how they will teach and sharpen the image they have of themselves as teachers. Such observations are, in fact, among the most useful forms of work in teacher training and have been used in many higher education institutions worldwide.

In this certificate course, participants are required to conduct an observation on a more experienced teacher or watch a video provided in Certificate Moodle site when a session with an experienced teacher is not available and write a reflective account on his/her observation. A guide to observation is available on Certificate Moodle site. Participants of the Certificate Course are also offered opportunities to be observed by CETL staff and receive feedback for improvement of their teaching. Booking for such observation can be made through Certificate Moodle site.

To enrich your experience in this Certificate Course, videos of teaching and learning scenarios in HKU have been produced as supplementary materials. You can use your HKU portal account to access the videos here: https://intraweb.hku.hk/reserved_1/caut/CETL-Video-Scanarios/.