Peer review of teaching is recognized increasingly as one strategy for academic development even though historically peer review of teaching is often unsupported by policy, action and culture in many Australian universities. Higher education leaders report that academics generally do not engage with peer review of teaching in a systematic or constructive manner, and this paper advances and analyses a conceptual model to highlight conditions and strategies necessary for the implementation of sustainable peer review in higher education institutions. The model highlights leadership, development and implementation, which are critical to the success and formation of a culture of peer review of teaching. The work arises from collaborative research funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching to foster and advance a culture of peer review of teaching across several universities in Australia.Keywords: leadership; organizational development; peer learning; professional development; scholarship of teaching and learning
IntroductionBased on research undertaken to embed peer review of teaching within the culture of four Australian universities, this paper addresses issues related to pedagogy development and highlights a cultural change model for integration of peer review of teaching. Peer review of teaching in higher education is an example of professional innovation that seeks to encourage constructive feedback on teaching and learning practice, which, if sustained, can become an effective ongoing strategy for academic development. Achieving sufficient commitment from stakeholders for success can be a significant challenge, but is not impossible, as our case studies will reveal.The old adage 'those who teach learn twice' holds true for peer review of teaching, especially when designed and embedded as a supportive process characterized by reciprocal relationships. Educational innovations in the higher education sector can be challenging and embedding innovation into the culture of daily practice even harder. Commitment is needed from the many stakeholders including faculty staff, influential leaders, policy-makers, committees and staff at the ground level. Peer review of teaching is recognized increasingly as one strategy for academic development (Barnard et al.
Asian Americans have substantial transplantation needs but the lowest rates of organ donation in the United States. As the shortage of transplantable organs persists, the rate of deceased donation by Asian Americans has not kept pace with that of the general population. This report is a qualitative study of organ donation-related attitudes and beliefs of three Asian ethnic groups located in the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area: Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese Americans. Guided by a Community Advisory Board representing these groups, we conducted 9 focus groups with a total of 64 participants and subsequent thematic analyses. Six major themes emerged: (1) positive views about organ donation, (2) previous exposure to organ donation, (3) primacy of the family in decision making, (4) mistrust of the healthcare and donation systems, (5) religious and cultural beliefs concerning the body, and (6) isolation from mainstream American society. Although participants expressed commonalities and beliefs in line with other American racial and ethnic groups, we also identified unique beliefs, such as familial influence, religious and cultural concerns regarding body wholeness and the dead, and underlying reasons for medical mistrust, such as a belief in a black market. The study's findings challenge the dominant educational and awareness campaigns about organ donation decision making that focus on individual autonomy and overlook the need for incorporating the specific content and message delivery needs of Asian Americans. This study is the first to explore attitudes and knowledge about posthumous organ donation among US Asian American populations in at least a decade.
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