Instructional Quality Observation Rubric
# / Performance Indicator / NA / 1 Ineffective(Requires Intervention) / 2 Approaching
(Intervention at lead faculty discretion) / 3 Effective / 4 Highly Effective / Score / Comments
Theory
1 / Provides real-world examples in teaching. / Information sources not appropriate for concepts and/or lesson objectives.
Uses unreliable sources of information. Examples are insignificant, contrived, or have limited meaning or relevance to students. Examples offer limited perspectives. / Shares some real-world examples relevant to students and course topics, but more examples would be helpful. / Shares enough real-world examples relevant to students and course topics to help students clearly understand concepts and principles. / Shares enough real-world examples relevant to students and course topics to help students clearly understand concepts and principles and fosters a learning environment where learners support claims and share perspectives related to real-world examples.
2 / Helps students connect new topics and concepts to students’ prior experiences and existing knowledge. / Rarely helps students connect new concepts and topics to prior experience and knowledge. Rarely provides examples for students without prior experience as a foundation to begin building new knowledge. / Usually helps students connect new concepts and topics to prior experience and knowledge in somewhat personal ways.
Sometimes provides examples for students without prior experience as a foundation to begin building new knowledge. / Helps students connect new concepts and topics to prior experience and knowledge in personal ways. Usually provides examples for students without prior experience as a foundation to begin building new knowledge. / Helps students connect new concepts and topics to prior experience and knowledge in uniquely personal and/or clear and motivating ways. Always verifies students' prior experience and provides effective examples for students without prior experience as a foundation to begin building new knowledge.
3 / Relates new topics and concepts to course outcomes. / Rarely or never relates new topics and concepts to course outcomes. / Nearly every week, explicitly relates new topics to course outcomes. / At least weekly, explicitly relates new topics to course outcomes. / Helps students see significant connections between new topics and course outcomes.
Guides students toward insight rather than spelling everything out for them.
4 / Inspires students to discuss course material, interact with each, and answer each other’s questions. / Rarely inspires students to discuss course material and interact with each other’s questions. / Inconsistently inspires students to discuss course material and interact with each other’s questions. / Consistently inspires students to discuss course material and interact with each other’s questions. / Consistently inspires students to discuss course material and interact with each other’s questions andexpertly facilitates conversations, encouraging students to take positive leadership in the conversations to enhance learning for all.
5 / Connects course content to current events with effective and relevant multimedia and supplementary course materials. / Avoids using supplemental multimedia, orsupplementalmultimedia does not support effective learning. / Usually connects content to current events with good—but sometimes only somewhat effective or relevant—multimedia or supplementary materials. / Regularly (at least weekly) connects content to current events with effective or relevant multimedia and/or supplementary materials. / Regularly connects content to current events with very potent and relevant multimedia or supplementary materials and provides opportunities to critically analyze multimedia from diverse sources and perspectives.
SECTION TOTAL
# / Performance Indicator / NA / 1 Ineffective
(Requires Intervention) / 2 Approaching
(Intervention at lead faculty discretion) / 3 Effective / 4 Highly Effective / Score / Comments
Teaching Qualities and Strategies
6 / Uses a variety of questions and questioning techniques at multiple levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy to guide students to reflect on new knowledge. / Does not ask questions. Allows no wait time. Answers own questions.
Questions are consistently asked to the same students.
Offers few opportunities for learner responses. Questioning focused on recall of basic information.
Wait time interrupts the flow of the lesson (e.g., too long or too short.) / Usually uses a few questioning strategies to elicit participation from majority of students. Questions almost always encourage students to share insights and allow for multiple responses. Usually uses appropriate wait time. / Regularly uses an appropriate variety of questioning strategies aligned with instructional goals to elicit participation from all students. Questions encourage students to share insights and allow for multiple responses. Uses appropriate wait time. Incorporates higher-level thinking questions to promote learner engagement. / Regularly uses an appropriate variety of questioning strategies aligned with instructional goals to elicit participation from all students; questions encourage students to share insights and allow for multiple responses; uses appropriate wait time; incorporates higher-level thinking questions to promote learner engagement;and adapts levels of questions to engage each learner in appropriately differentiated high-level learning.
7 / Provides feedback to help students understand and identify the elements of high-quality work. / Does not provide feedback orfeedback is non-specific or is limited.Scores are provided without descriptive actionable feedback. Rubrics are not used to provide descriptors of quality work. / Usually provides feedback at the right time that is somewhat tailored to individual student work but still needs more depth and specificity. / Provides clear, specific, actionable, personalized, and in-depth feedback at the right time. / Provides clear, specific, actionable, personalized, and in-depth feedback at the right time that extends instruction and inspires students or motivates them to do better.Always encourages peer feedback among students based on topics under consideration.
8 / Demonstrates strong subject-matter expertise to support student learning. / Demonstration of subject matter generally includes little more than what is provided in student and faculty content for the course. / Demonstrates subject-matter expertise beyond what is provided to students and faculty. / Consistently weaves strong subject-matter expertise and ability to communicate that expertise into presentations and provides substantive supplemental materials to enhance learning related to unit outcomes.Also, demonstrates deep understanding and ability to communicate that understanding when answering student questions. / Consistently weaves strong subject-matter expertise and ability to communicate that expertise into presentations and provides substantive supplemental materials to enhance learning related to unit outcomes;
demonstrates deep understanding and ability to communicate that understanding when answering student questions;and encourages and supports students to integrate deeper understandings into their work.
9 / Demonstrates an online and in-person “voice” that is congenial, professional, and positive. / Interactions are less than congenial, professional, or positive. / Usually interacts with students with optimism and friendliness in a professional way. The instructor usually takes initiative in interacting with the class altogether and with individuals. / Regularly interacts with the students and establishes a norm of being approachable, professional, and positive. / Seeks positive ways to interact with students to support their academic development. All interactions are professional and friendly, showing evidence of the instructor's sincere interest in the students.
10 / Demonstrates enthusiasm and passion for course topics and teaching. / Enthusiasm or passion for course topics is not evident. / Usually shows enthusiasm for teaching and passion both for the topics in the course and for student progress and achievement. / Shows enthusiasm for teaching and passion for the subject matter. Shows enthusiasm for students' success and achievements. / Shows enthusiasm for teaching principally through appropriate responses to student's progress and contentment or lack thereof. Passion for teaching and content matter are evident.
11 / Uses course technologies effectively to enhance learning. / Avoids using course technologies (i.e., emails feedback rather than uploading to learning management system). Uses technologies at a novice level (i.e.,for asynchronous: all communication is text based; for synchronous: communication is only either text or audio, unable to troubleshoot or does not plan for avoiding potential problems.) / Usually uses appropriate technologies with a fairly solid understanding of when and how to use them. (For asynchronous: embeds images and links to support learning.For synchronous: uses audio with text chat effectively; plans for potential problems—i.e., has students run audio setup wizard, use headsets, etc.—troubleshoots effectively.) / Regularly employs appropriate technologies when called for and knows where and how to use them to facilitate the instruction rather than draw attention to the technologies themselves. (For asynchronous: embeds video to support learning; for synchronous: troubleshoots quickly, uses video with chat effectively.) / Regularly employs appropriate technologies when relevant and helpful to student progress and does so with apparent mastery of both the technology and the goal for using the technology. (For asynchronous: supplements course materials and supports learning throughout the course with embedded audio-video-text; for synchronous: uses tools—i.e., breakout rooms, polling, etc.—effectively to support learning.)
SECTION TOTAL
# / Performance Indicator / NA / 1 Ineffective
(Requires Intervention) / 2 Approaching
(Intervention at lead faculty discretion) / 3 Effective / 4 Highly Effective / Score / Comments
Teaching Tasks
12 / Posts thorough welcome message prior to first day of class. / Does not post a thorough welcome message prior to the first day of class. / Posts a thorough welcome message with most of the items on the checklist at least a day before class starts. / Posts a thorough welcome message with all the items on the checklist at least a day or two days before class starts. / Posts an enthusiastic welcome message with the items on the checklist at least three days before class starts.
13 / Posts class communications prior to the start of each week. / Does not post class communications prior to the first day of each week. / Usually posts class communications on the first day of the week or earlier and/or communications contain most of the items on the checklist. / Consistently posts class communications before the first day of the week and communications contain the items on the checklist. / Posts very welcoming and encouraging class communications before the first day of the week and communications contain the items on the checklist.
14 / Responds to students’ initial, introductory posts in a way that engages and welcomes all students. / Does not respond; responds to all introductory posts but response is generic;or does not respond to all but responses are welcoming and engaging. / Responds to students' introductory posts within a good timeframe and with somewhat of a personal response to each student. The responses are welcoming to all students and fairly engaging. / Responds to students' introductory posts with a good turnaround time and with a personal response to each student. The responses are welcoming to all students and engaging. / Responds to students' introductory posts with a quick turnaround time and with a distinctly personal response to each student. The responses are welcoming to all students and quite engaging.
15 / Highlights the importance of the rubrics for understanding assignment requirements and expectations. / Does not mention importance of rubrics for understanding assignment requirements and expectations. / Usually emphasizes the importance of the grading rubrics and shows and explains some items on them to a limited extent. / Regularly uses the rubrics to help explain expectations and emphasize knowledge and skills to be taught or that have been taught. / Regularly uses the rubric to teach and inspire students to achieve excellence.
SECTION TOTAL
Recommended Faculty Development Opportunities
Option / Before Scheduling / By End of Academic YearLead faculty follow-up observation
Lead faculty mentoring
INST 601 Instructional Practices
INST 602 Assessment and Feedback to Enhance Student Learning
INST 603 Engaging Students: The learner-Centered Classroom
INST 604 Teaching with Bluequill & Adobe Connect
INST 605 Enhancing Student Learning with Media and Technologies
INST 540 Instructional Practices Coaching (become an IP Coach)
Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference - Present
Innovations in Teaching & Learning Conference - Attend
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