RSCC Online Peer Review

Roane State faculty can voluntarily get involved with the online peer review process.  Have your course reviewed by your peers, revamp or tweak your course, and receive a stipend. We ask that if you choose to participate by having your course reviewed, you then become a reviewer for future course reviews.

If you are interested, contact Dr. Susan Sutton for more information at suttonsr@roanestate.edu

Updated Rubric with Best Practices

DE Course Rubric (PDF) – Download to view Best Practices in red text

DE Course Rubric (Excel)

View DE Course Rubric as webpages

 

Application for Peer Review of an Online Course (PDF)

DE Confidentiality Contract (PDF)

Peer Review Process 2014 (PDF)

FAQ regarding Peer Review Process (PRP)

How did all of this start?

RSCC’s DE Rubric is a major milestone in the success of the DE strategic plan. It was reviewed and approved by the Executive Council of RSCC and the Faculty Senate. The ED TECH Committee was charged as part of the DE strategic plan to implement the PRP based on RSCC’s DE RUBRIC. This entire process is fluid. It is anticipated that changes will be made in our review process and rubric as we gain more experience and wisdom.

If I want to have my course reviewed, how do I begin the process?

Contact Dr. Susan Sutton, Director of the Center for Teaching Arts & Technology & Distance Education (CTAT). Plans are in place to review several courses each semester. This is done on a first come basis. Faculty who receive a $1,000 stipend to develop or redesign a course will have the course peer-reviewed prior to its first offering to students.

Are online faculty mandated to go through PRP?

No. In fact, it may take many semesters to fulfill all the current requests for peer evaluation.  Please feel free to ask more questions from the PRP team and/or Dr. Susan Sutton. We consider this process to be a friendly and supportive dialogue with peers.

Is there any cost associated with this voluntary peer review process?

No. There is no cost to faculty. This process has been initiated in an effort to support faculty who are teaching online courses and wish to reach towards excellence in online teaching. The ultimate goal is to increase student success and retention in online courses.

Who will review my course?

Currently, a team of three faculty members will review the course including a lead reviewer. If anyone is interested in being part of the team, they need to have had a course reviewed or gone through Peer Review Training. There is a small stipend available to compensate peer reviewers of $150.00 per course. The lead reviewer will receive a $200.00 stipend. It is anticipated that the process takes 8–10 hours per course. This includes a meeting with the lead reviewer and the rest of the review team to provide feedback. The lead reviewer will then take all of the feedback and meet with the faculty member to provide the combined feedback.

What happens if I “fail” the peer review?

It is not anticipated that this will happen. The instructor is given the rubric ahead of time and has a chance to use the rubric to make changes to the course before the PRP occurs. If a faculty receives “baseline” in all three categories, that faculty can ask for additional faculty support and a second review at a later date. The entire process is confidential. Peer reviewers sign a confidentiality statement. No report is given to anyone except the faculty receiving the review. No copy of the peer evaluation is maintained by anyone other than the faculty for the course.

Will administration see my course review? Will it go into my personal file?

No. This is a process whereby faculty review faculty in a confidential manner.

How can a faculty in one discipline review a course in an unfamiliar
discipline?

The peer review does not evaluate the class content. It looks at the online course structure. Please see the rubric for exact information regarding what is reviewed during this process.

What is the time frame for a peer evaluation?

It is anticipated that 4 weeks should be allowed for the review process. Some timelines can be arranged at the time of the first meeting. Flexibility will be needed here to accommodate the busy schedules of all faculty involved in the process.

Which faculty are currently on the peer review committee?

Gloria Drake, Dave Rath, Teri Gergen, and George Meghabghab constitute the core of the initial PRP team.  Once a faculty member has been through either Peer Review Training or has had a course peer reviewed, they are eligible to join PRP team. Contact Susan Sutton, Director of CTAT for more information if you are interested.

Contact Information

Susan Sutton, Director of the Center for Teaching Arts & Technology & Distance Education
suttonsr@roanestate.edu

Matthew Ward, Administrative Secretary for Student Academic Services & RODP Student Contact
wardmg@roanestate.edu