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Objectives. To develop a formalized, comprehensive, peer-driven teaching assessment program and a valid and reliable assessment tool. Methods. A volunteer taskforce was formed and a peer-assessment program was developed using a multistep, sequential approach and the Peer Observation and Evaluation Tool (POET). A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency and practicality of the process and to establish interrater reliability of the tool. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) were calculated. Results. ICCs for 8 separate lectures evaluated by 2-3 observers ranged from 0.66 to 0.97, indicating good interrater reliability of the tool. Conclusion. Our peer assessment program for large classroom teaching, which includes a valid and reliable evaluation tool, is comprehensive, feasible, and can be adopted by other schools of pharmacy.

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Objective. To assess a previously described peer observation and evaluation program 2 years after implementation.Methods. An pre-implementation survey assessed faculty needs and attitudes related to peer evaluation. Two years after implementation, the survey was repeated and additional questions asked regarding adherence to peer observation and evaluation policies and procedures, feedback received, and impact on teaching. Results. Faculty attitudes towards peer evaluation stayed the same or improved post-implementation. Adherence to the initial 3 steps of the process was high (100%, 100%, and 94%, respectively); however, step 4, which required a final discussion after student assessments were finished, was completed by only 47% of the respondents. All faculty members reported receiving a balance of positive and constructive feedback; 78% agreed that peer observation and evaluation gave them concrete suggestions for improving their teaching; and 89% felt that the benefits of peer observation and evaluation outweighed the effort of participating. Conclusions. Faculty members adhered to the policies and procedures of peer observation and evaluation and found peer feedback was beneficial.Keywords: peer assessment, peer evaluation, assessment INTRODUCTIONTeaching effectiveness is assessed in many ways in colleges and schools of pharmacy. Use of student evaluations of teaching is common, but limitations surrounding the breadth and depth of student evaluations and their ability to capture and comment on the total teaching experience exist. 1-4 Faculty peer evaluations offer another method to obtain constructive feedback about the quality of teaching and can be used in conjunction with student evaluations for the purposes of improving teaching methods, as well as for merit, promotion, and tenure decisions. 4 The 2007 Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education Accreditation Standards and Guidelines state that faculty members who teach should be evaluated annually and that assessment procedures should include self-assessment and ". . .appropriate input from peers, supervisors, and students. The use of self-assessment and improvement tools, such as portfolios, by faculty and staff members is encouraged." 5 The success of any peer observation and evaluation program relies heavily on having a clear and evidence-based program, as well as support and leadership from administration, but the heart of any peer observation and evaluation program's success lies with faculty engagement in and reflection on the process. 6 Improving and assessing the teaching-learning process is an essential mission of the Department of Pharmacy Practice and the School of Pharmacy at Northeastern University. A formal peer observation and evaluation program for classroom teaching was developed and implemented by this department in January 2008, and the development of its process and the peer observation and evaluation tool (POET) have been previously published. 7 Two years after implementing the peer observation and evaluation process, the program wa...

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