Peer Review of Teaching (PROT): History - UM

Context

The UM Library Instruction Program is robust.

• In AY2010, liaison librarians provided 438 course-integrated classes to 9,924 students.

    The UM Library Instruction Program integrates assessment in a 360^o analysis model with a range of assessment tools that include:

• student feedback forms
• faculty feedback forms
• individual aggregation of feedback data
• programmatic statistics
• teaching portfolios
• peer review

History

In AY 2007, both new and mid-career librarians were seeking new ways to assess and improve their instruction.

• Peer Review of Teaching (PROT) was being used by another department on campus and librarians agreed to implement it as part of their suite of assessment.

PROT is based on the premise that:

• we can all learn,
• we are all mentors, and
• our willingness to learn inspires others to do so.

PROT is voluntary and feedback is given in a confidential, non-threatening environment.

The goals of PROT are:

• to facilitate high-quality teaching and
• to provide the opportunity for librarians to strengthen their teaching abilities and portfolios through supportive dialog with colleagues.