Constructive conversations to improve teaching

This toolkit offers a simple framework to help you discuss your teaching with your colleagues in a Peer Dialogue context, and with your students in a Continuous Module Dialogue context.

30 September 2024

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Why it matters

The steps in this toolkit will help shift the focus away from you and onto your teaching to make sure you get feedback that is relevant, honest and constructive.

It is never easy to talk about your teaching: "I'd sooner discuss my colleagues’ dress sense than their teaching" is a sentiment many of us will recognise. But we also know that great teaching, like great research, is born of constant dialogue, reflection and improvement. And don’t forget that Peer Dialogue and Continuous Module Dialogue are essential contributors to our required quality assurance and enhancement activities.

Who is this for?

This toolkit is aimed at any member of staff who does Continuous Module Dialogue or anyone who chooses Option A (observation and dialogue with a colleague) in the Peer Dialogue scheme.

It is strongly recommended that staff who are early in their teaching careers, or newly arrived at UCL, or staff in departments with an upcoming IQR, choose Option A for their Peer Dialogue activity.

Choosing a topic

Think carefully about what you want to talk about. Choosing a topic will help your colleagues and students feel like they have permission to talk about your teaching and will help them focus their comments on where they are most helpful.

Teaching quality and assessment and feedback are key categories in the NSS and in the TEF. As institutional priorities, you may instinctively want to focus on them.

The Office for Students’ ‘high quality education’ checklist can also help you focus your discussions.

Is my teaching up to date? Does it represent current thinking and practice in the subject matter, in terms of research, industry, and professional developments, and developments in teaching and learning?
Does my teaching provide educational challenge? In the context of the subject matter and level of study, does the teaching provide an appropriate level of rigour and difficulty?
Does my teaching engage my students? Is it evident to students that the teacher is enthusiastic about the subject matter, and has regard for their learning and progress in the subject, and engages proactively with them in a face-to-face setting?
Is my teaching coherent? Is there a good balance between breadth and depth, and are subjects and skills taught in an appropriate order, and do they build on one another?
Is my teaching well organised? Is there an appropriate balance of teaching methods, and a balance of teaching and independent study?

Alternatively, you may wish to refer to topics that have emerged in previous rounds of Continuous Module Dialogue or Peer Dialogue. Whatever the topic, explain your choices with the colleagues or students in question.

If you’re doing Peer Dialogue, try to take brief notes about what happens and how you feel during the session or immediately afterwards. If you are being peer observed in a class with students, acknowledge your colleague’s presence.

If you’re doing Continuous Module Dialogue, remember to focus only on matters that are in your power to fix or escalate.

Constructive conversations

By thinking carefully about the questions to ask your students for CMD, and by choosing a specific topic for Peer Dialogue, you’ve already laid the foundations for a constructive conversation with your students and colleague(s). Yet dialogue about teaching can still be uncomfortable once it gets underway. Your colleague or students may say things that are well-intended and innocent, but which offend you terribly.

Reviewers can lay the foundations for a constructive dialogue by asking questions rather than giving opinions. Reviewees can move the conversation forward by using Marshall B. Rosenberg’s famous four steps for nonviolent communication.

Observe what's happening: It’s all too easy to misunderstand what’s been said. Summarising your colleague’s or students’ comments is a great way to check you’ve understood them properly. Remember to ask their permission to do so first.
Describe your feelings: Saying ‘Gosh, that hurts’, or ‘I’m surprised to hear that’, can open helpful avenues of discussion, and will probably evoke a warmer approach from your colleague or student if this has been lacking.
Identify your needs: In your teaching you may need to cover the content, generate discussion, or ensure presentations run to time. These needs may be obvious to you but not to your colleague(s) or students. Sharing your needs helps other people see your point of view, and helps you reflect on what drives your actions and feelings.
Communicate your requests: By now, you can share a request with your students and/or your colleague(s).

Putting the conversation into practice

It sounds unrealistic but in practice it can be helpful. A Peer Dialogue conversation might go like this

Reviewer - You wanted to talk about your classroom teaching. How do you think the class went? What parts went well in your opinion?

You - I think it went okay because we covered pretty much everything. I was pleased.

Reviewer - On a scale of 1-10, how engaged do you think the students were?

You - About ... maybe seven? The group discussions were quite noisy, but they didn’t say much when I asked some questions.

Reviewer - What more could you have done to engage the students?

You - Well ... to be honest, I thought they were pretty engaged, and we covered everything.

Reviewer - I agree with you! Let me put it another way, how could you move the score from seven to eight or nine?

You - I guess I could ask the groups to post their questions on Mentimeter, but this would take longer, and we might not cover all the content.

Reviewer - Are there other ways to cover the content?

You - I set readings but not everyone does it.

Reviewer - Why do you think they don’t do the readings?

You - Ha! Many reasons. Time pressures, not seeing the need, not understanding their responsibility, not realising it’s there.

Reviewer - Do you think the students see it like this? Do they understand that there's a trade-off between doing the readings and more engaging classes?

You - Maybe I should explain to them why I need them to do the reading...

You can see in this short exchange how the reviewer asks questions rather than gives their opinions, and their colleague willingly shares their feelings and needs. This moves the conversation forward and leads to the reviewee (not the reviewer!) suggesting a simple, specific and relevant action point for their next class.

If you are reviewing someone else’s teaching:

Don’t let your colleague be vague about the focus! The clearer they are about their needs, the easier your job will be.

Your colleague may be expecting an initial summary judgement. You can avoid this by asking them how they think it went and take the conversation from there.

Don’t be tempted to compare your reviewee with other colleagues!

Don’t interpret or evaluate your colleague’s actions before discussing it with them. All interpretations should be agreed between you and should be well evidenced.

Key takeaways

UCL strongly recommends that staff who are early in their teaching careers, or newly arrived at UCL, or staff in departments with an upcoming IQR, choose Option A for their Peer Dialogue activity.

Peer Dialogue and Continuous Module Dialogue are for you to use, so tell your colleague or students what you want to focus on.

Reviewees: Avoid temptations to ask 'is my teaching any good?’ and build constructive dialogue by checking understanding, describing your feelings, identifying needs, and communicating requests.