Visit a Classroom (VaC)

Adapted from the practices of Duke Learning Innovation, Visit a Classroom (abbreviated as VaC) is to provide faculty an opportunity to gain new insight into their teaching and students’ learning through a non-evaluative, formative process of reciprocal classroom visits and reflection. This is a program originated by Anne Wessely, St. Louis Community College called “Teaching Squares” (VPN may needed to access this webpage), or “Teaching Triangles”.

Why VaC

VaC aims to stimulate reflection on teaching and learning, not evaluation. Faculty participants focus their conversations on the evidence about student learning that they have observed and reflections on their own teaching from the peer classroom visit process. The goal is to create a respectful, reciprocal, reflective dialogue on teaching and learning.

How it works

Upon request, 3-4 faculty members form a group. During the preparation meeting with the group and CTL before visits, faculty agree to visit one another’s classes over the semester, share the available course schedule, and discuss specific expectations if any. Once all group members complete the visits, faculty and CTL meet again to reflect and share what they learn from the visits.

For detailed guidelines, please refer to the VaC Program Manual.

What faculty say about VaC

“It is a kind of relief to see each other’s teaching that affirms our own teaching as well as frustration.”
“Reflective teaching through observations and discussions helps me become an effective teacher.”
“Observing as a student role, I better understood the difficult part from a student perspective and the importance of prompts to guide students through the learning process.”
“Seeing more connections across disciplines in terms of content, I feel this program promotes collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching among faculty and enhances faculty consolidation.”
“VaC program reinforced my ideas on how students became the star and how the student-centered culture is fostered. The most effective way of teaching is to give students space to freely discuss and learn on their own while the instructor as a facilitator helps them form the habit of active learning.”

Feel free to contact dku_ctl@dukekunshan.edu.cn for more information or if any questions.