Kim and Westine Awarded SIG

Drs. Stella Kim and Carl Westine, faculty in the Department of Educational Leadership and the Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, recently were awarded the AEAR Classroom Observation SIG for their study “Examining peer observation practices of online teaching and learning through analysis of existing instruments.” Kim and Westine share key attributes of their award and the implications of their study.

What can you tell us about the award? 

The Classroom Observation SIG was established to provide members with access to current research on observation techniques and their implications for future studies. Each year, the SIG presents an honorary paper award to one outstanding submission. In 2024, the SIG organized two sessions featuring a total of seven studies. We’re excited that our paper was selected as an exemplary submission this year!

Recommendations for other academics in developing a high-quality paper? 

Staying current with the literature is essential for producing high-quality research. To achieve this, maintaining a consistent line of research within a specific area is crucial. Our paper builds upon a previous research project where we evaluated and analyzed existing instruments used to assess online courses from the perspective of students. During this project, we identified a gap in the literature: the absence of a systematic review of peer observation in online courses. This gap inspired us to embark on the present study.

Notable contributions of your work and potential next steps with your work.

In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of current instruments used by higher education institutions to evaluate the quality of online teaching for peer observation purposes. We gathered data from 32 instruments, identifying both the prevalent criteria and notable omissions within them. Additionally, we highlighted the absence of a comprehensive conceptual framework to inform the development of peer observation rubrics tailored for online courses. This paper represents the initial phase of our broader project. The subsequent phases involved collecting data through GroupWisdom, a data collection platform, from online course instructors and instructional designers to ascertain the core components of peer observation rubrics. In the final phase, focus group interviews were conducted to explore instructors’ perceptions, considering various demographic factors. Currently, we are in the process of finalizing two manuscripts to present the findings from the latter two phases of the study.

Anything else you want to share?

We are an all-ERME author team consisting of faculty members Stella Kim and Carl Westine, students Kristen Wright and Marah Lambert, and alumni Ting Sun. Our team made a strong showing at the 2024 AERA conference, delivering three presentations. Go ERMErs!