Graduate Peer Review of Presentations

Peer Review of Presentations Program

What is it?

The Graduate Peer Review of Presentations (GPRP) Program coordinated by the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology offers you the chance to participate in a formative peer review of presentations process. The peer review of presentations program described below is open to all UBC graduate students who plan to present their work in conferences, defenses, or as part their classrooms assignments. In addition, graduate students are welcome to take part in workshops on peer review of presentations in order to acquire the necessary skills as reviewers.

How does it work?

The Graduate Student Peer Review of Presentations (GPRP) program coordinated by CTLT is a voluntary and confidential process. As a reviewee, you will select and meet with up to two volunteer peer reviewers. The reviewers are selected graduate students at UBC who have completed at least one workshop (4 hours) offered by CTLT on becoming a peer reviewer. The reviewers will discuss your presentations objectives, observe your presentation and presentation, and give you formative feedback.

How will I benefit?

The GPRP Program aims to encourage dialogue about presentation amongst graduate students of all levels at UBC. By talking with your reviewers, you will likely gain new insight into your presentation skills and styles and get feedback about improving your presentation.

How it works

The peer review process is generally organized around an informal presentation observation. A peer reviewer will observe a presentation and provide the reviewee with formative feedback based on what she or he observed.

Process

Anyone interested in participating in the peer review of their presentation may contact an individual reviewer listed on our website. Details of the peer review process will be worked out between the reviewer and the reviewee. For example, you will discuss “what” you want to have peer reviewed, where are you planning on presenting your research/work? What are your objectives for this presentation?, etc.

The following describes what happens before, during and after the presentation observation:

Part 1: Before the presentation observation

• No less than one week before the presentation observation, the peer reviewer and reviewee either meet in person for 10-30 minutes, or connect via e-mail to set goals for the peer review process and to discuss the reviewee’s development goals, and his/her plans for the presentation to be observed.
• The reviewee forwards their first draft of presentation to the reviewer.
• The reviewer offers feedback on the presentations material within a week.
• The reviewee and reviewer decide on the date and location of observation.
• Before the observation, the reviewee should plan and prepare his/her as s/he normally would.

Part 2: Presentation Observation

• The reviewee presents his/her work while the peer reviewer observes the session. The peer reviewers’ observation is guided by any goals set at the pre-observation meeting/communication.

Part 3: After the presentation observation

• Either immediately after the observation or within a week after the observation, the reviewee and peer reviewer will meet for approximately 30 minutes to discuss the presentation.

Reviewers

All graduate peer reviewers have completed the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology workshop: "Developing Your Skills as a Peer Reviewers of Presentations: Introductory Workshop". In addition, the reviewers have shown a commitment to teaching and learning in higher education. For a full description of the formative peer review process, please read the Peer Review Process section of our website.

When you email a reviewer for a request, please indicate:

- a brief statement of your goal for peer review

- an on campus location for the observation

- a time range within which you are hoping to be peer reviewed and a few possible dates for the observation

- your contact information

List of peer reviewers

• Julie McNutt (PhD Candidate, Department of Chemistry)

• Natalie Westwood (PhD Candidate, Zoology)

Additional information on reviewers:

• Julie McNutt, PhD Candidate, Department of Chemistry.

As a PhD candidate in the Department of Chemistry and collaboratively in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, my research is at the interface of molecular biology and analytical chemistry where I am interested in breast cancer treatments. My teaching journey began as a teenager where I was swim instructor and it continued through undergrad into graduate school where I have held several teaching assistant positions from course development to leading tutorials. More recently, I have become involved with the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) where I am a part of the Graduate Student Facilitator Team. Here, I facilitate TA training workshops as well as Instructional Skills Workshops for graduate students. I am also a part of the 2021-2022 Certificate in Advanced Teaching and Learning (CATL) where I have had the opportunity to strengthen my pedagogical knowledge and grow as an instructor through teaching practicums and mentorship from educational leaders. As an instructor, I value participatory learning that engages students and actively involves them in the learning process. As a peer reviewer of teaching and presentations, I hope to create a safe and welcoming space to discuss your goals and values as a teacher and determine how I can best support you through your lesson/presentation. My goal is to provide you with constructive and focused feedback while giving you the space to reflect on your teaching/presenting experience and most importantly, learn with you throughout the process.

Email: juliemcn@chem.ubc.ca; please write “GPRT" in the subject line.

• Natalie Westwood, PhD Candidate, Zoology

My work surrounding my PhD focuses on Community Ecology in aquatic invertebrates along with a Public Scholars project that examines how TAs value their experiences in biology classes. My previous education includes a MSc from Université du Québec à Montréal in Biology as well as an Hon. BSc in Biology from Western University. Throughout my education I have had many opportunities to present my work at local, national, and international conferences. I have also shared my work with a diverse range of audiences, from other colleagues to the larger public, including children and teens. In addition to having been a TA in a number of biology course, I have worked as a Graduate Facilitator and as the CIRTL Program Developer at CTLT. Here I have helped to develop and facilitate workshops to support fellow graduate students in teaching and presentation skills. I have had the opportunity to work and adapt topics to a wide range of fields including Engineering, Art History, and Philosophy. I believe it centering the experience around the people I am working with and adjusting existing programming to their unique situation. I always aim to create a supportive environment where those around me feel free to experiment and honestly reflect on their experiences. As a peer reviewer of presentations, I am able to support you during any part of the process. My goal is to not only provide you my feedback but to allow you to reflect yourself on how the experience went in order to give you new tools to continue this review process after our work. Please also include information on the topic of the lesson, the date, and your teaching, reviewing and ISW experiences.

Email: westwood@zoology.ubc.ca; please write “GPRP" in the subject line.

Alumni Reviewers

• Sai Diwan (PhD Candidate, Asian Studies)
• Mabel Ho (PhD, Sociology, UBC)
• Sophie MacDonald (PhD, Department of Mathematics)
• Tiera Naber (MSc, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences)
• Jens Vent-Schmidt (PhD, Experimental Medicine, UBC)
• Roselynn Verwoord (PhD, Faculty of Education, UBC)

FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the Peer Review of Teaching Program

DEFINITION

Formative peer review

Promotes the development of an instructor’s teaching practice. The formative model is said to contribute to continuing professional development and to enhance teaching quality through reflective practice and collective learning (Gosling, 2005; Peel, 2005; Shortland, 2004). It is commonly assumed that this improved teaching quality will ultimately boost student learning (Bovill, 2008; Cavanaugh, 1996).

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FORMATIVE PEER REVIEW PROGRAM

• What is the purpose of the peer review?
• Do academic rank or classification matter in the process?
• How is confidentiality handled in the formative peer review program?
• What control do reviewees have over and during the process?
• Who will review my presentation?
• What training do the peer reviewers receive?
• When should peer reviews take place?
• How will reviewees receive feedback?
• What is formative feedback?
• How much time will the process take?

What is the purpose of the peer review?

Within the context of higher education, peer review assists graduate students enhance their presentation skills.

Do academic rank or classification matter in the process?

Professorial rank and job classification are disregarded in the program. All graduate students are invited to participate and learn from one another.

How is confidentiality handled in the formative peer review program?

The only people involved in the discussions will be the reviewee and the reviewers. The process is confidential, unless you decide to include reflections or documentation about the process to your portfolio or personnel file.

What control do reviewees have over and during the process?

Each reviewee selects the peer reviewer with whom they will work, sets the objectives and focus for the observation, and decides what to do with the feedback they receive from the reviewers.

Who will review my presentation?

The list of reviewers is available on a section of this website. You will choose a reviewer among the people listed.

What training do the peer reviewers receive?

All peer reviewers complete an intensive training course run by CTLT which teaches them how to conduct peer reviews and to observe presentations. All reviewers have also completed an Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW).

When should peer reviews take place?

The peer review can happen any time deemed suitable for you and your reviewer. Each reviewee may decide when to schedule the observations. Scheduling them earlier will give you timely and relevant feedback that may be useful in your actual presentation. Also keep in mind that reviewers are all graduate students and may be busy towards the end of semester with their own classes and assignments.

How will reviewees receive feedback?

Reviewees will receive verbal. Reviewees will meet with their reviewers after the observation and engage in a friendly, collegial dialogue about the presentation that the reviewer observed.

What is formative feedback?

Formative feedback is information that is intended to support a graduate student's growth towards becoming a better presenter. The feedback aims to be non-evaluative and is not intended to be a snapshot or final judgement of the presenter's fitness or competence. Rather the goal is to provide information that can help you reflect on your teaching and plan changes for the future. Formative peer review aims to help you better understand how you approach the task of university teaching, and who you are as a teacher.

How much time will the process take?

The process will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to complete.

Workshop

Developing Your Skills as a Peer Reviewer of Presentation: Introductory Workshop for Graduate Students (4 hours)

Description: The peer review process introduced in this experiential workshop is intended primarily as a form of formative (and developmental) feedback.

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Describe the peer review of presentation process
• Conduct appropriate Pre- and Post-observation interviews
• Respond to various peer review of presentation situations
• Provide constructive feedback for the person being reviewed

This workshop is open to all graduate students in the UBC who have completed an Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW).