20 Peer Feedback Process

As you finish drafting your teaching portfolio, you may want to invite feedback from a trusted colleague to ensure it strikes the right tone, aligns with departmental or disciplinary norms, and presents your accomplishments effectively. Peer feedback can help shed light on these questions, foster a community of collaboration, and facilitate sharing of resources and previous experiences between educators.

Step 1. Arrange the process

It is beneficial if your reviewer is familiar with the context in which you teach. Consider inviting a peer reviewer from the same or a similar department. If you choose a reviewer who is less familiar with your teaching environment, provide them with materials such as your job description, policies, or strategy documents to help them understand the context.

Reach out to your prospective peer reviewer well in advance, giving them ample time to evaluate their capacity to participate in the process. Suggest meeting before the feedback process begins to discuss any initial questions and pinpoint areas of focus for the review. You may also suggest meeting again after the review to discuss their feedback.

Step 2. Determine the framework

Make clear to your reviewer whether you are seeking open-ended feedback on any aspect of your portfolio, focused feedback on specific elements, or comprehensive feedback guided by a rubric. Discuss your goals for your portfolio and your teaching more broadly.

If you are interested in the latter option, you may choose to utilize an existing rubric. For example, McMaster’s Teaching Portfolio Feedback Form, developed by the MacPherson Institute and adapted from the UBC Teaching Dossier Self-Assessment Tool, is designed to align with SPS B2 requirements and best practices for teaching portfolios. The form groups feedback into 3 sections: organization, content, and alignment. You can download an editable copy of the Teaching Portfolio Feedback Form by clicking on the link provided above.

Alternative approaches to teaching portfolio feedback can be found in the Approaching Individual Portfolio Evaluations section of Chapter VII: Teaching Portfolio Assessment (for Chairs, Peers, and Reviewers).

Step 3. Debrief and revise

After your peer reviewer has evaluated your portfolio, you can debrief either through a synchronous discussion or by asynchronously sharing feedback. Consider addressing the following points during the debrief:

• What aspects did your peer think were done well overall?
• What recommendations does your peer have for next steps you might prioritize in your portfolio or your teaching?

Remember that peer-review is not a perfect process. Even if you do not agree with each comment made by your peer reviewer, thank them for their detailed assessment. Identify which pieces of feedback are useful for the enhancement of your teaching portfolio and revise accordingly. As needed, the MacPherson Institute can support you in reflecting on, structuring, and applying the feedback to your revised portfolio.