Demonstrating your scholarly teaching practice

This is where you shape the portfolio itself

(Terms: Teaching Portfolio - the 5-8 page document you use with promotion/selection/application panels. Teaching Archive - the body of evidence that demonstrates your scholarly approach to teaching).

You have already listed what it is you do and what you plan to do. You have developed your teaching philosophy.

This section is where you assemble the elements. The teaching portfolio is designed to communicate your teaching practice within a framework that demonstrates your approach to the scholarship of teaching. It will contain a description of you as a teacher, including your pedagogical framework. It will refer to evidence that substantiates your description of yourself.

The starting point is to develop a clear plan.

(Write a few lines in answer to each of these questions

• What do you want the reader of the portfolio to know about your teaching practice?
• How can you help them to know that?
• What is the argument that you are presenting?
• What is the evidence you have to support this argument?

The supporting evidence contained in your teaching archive and which you will refer to may include:

• Subject Guides
• Your assessment strategies
• Assessment guidelines for students
• Examples of assessment tasks, of the work students submitted
• Examples of your comments on student work
• Evaluations of student learning outcomes
• Reports of professional development activities you have undertaken that contribute to the development of your scholarship of teaching
• Entries in your reflective teaching journal
• Copies of papers you have given at local seminars or conferences, etc.
• Literature searches for research into teaching within your discipline

What is the most appropriate sequencing of this evidence, does it link back to your argument?

Does the evidence speak for itself?

It may be necessary to annotate many of these items to make clear your teaching intention, the learning outcome and your evaluation and subsequent actions. See Exercises to review teaching materials which is part of the unit Peer Review.

Reviewing the substance of scholarly teaching

Focusing on the issue: Assessing Assessment

Keeping a reflective journal

How can you introduce the evidence succinctly?

See your institution's teaching portfolio guidelines (most stipulate between 5-8 pages only).

Consider the clarity of the evidence. Consider the validity of the evidence

Would you be convinced?