Dr Tina Byrom and Dr Jaya Kumar Karunagharan reflect on their experiences of transforming peer observation at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.

What happens when teaching observations stop feeling like an inspection and start becoming a conversation? At the University of Nottingham, that question sparked a transformation that reshaped approaches to developmental peer observation.

Why change was needed

Although the Peer Observation College (POC) had established itself as a helpful developmental space, by 2017, uptake was relatively low, but on the Malaysia and China campuses, it barely got going at all. This mainly came down to perceptions that their practice would be ‘judged’ negatively. 

Rather than disband the initiative on those campuses, the question became: how can observation become something colleagues truly value? The answer was a complete rethink and in this blog, we detail the collaborative approach taken at the University of Nottingham Malaysia campus to describe the transformation that took place. 

A fresh start: introducing the TLOC

In 2017/18 the UK Campus Teaching and Learning Committee, which had representation from all three campuses, approved a proposal to transform the POC into a new developmental space to run alongside school observations. The Teaching and Learning Observation College (TLOC) signaled a new beginning and a new philosophy built on four principles:

Dialogue | Support | Enhance | Disseminate

This wasn’t just a rebrand. It was designed to encourage a shift in mindset – from one of often perceived judgement to authentic dialogue and collaboration.

Once approved, the tricky bit followed – how to achieve consistency across all three campuses and whilst we focus on the Malaysia campus here, a similar approach to embedding the TLOC into practice was taken at the UK and China campuses. 

Reframing observation: from perceived judgement to conversation

Language mattered: promotional materials emphasised ‘working together to transform teaching’; training focused on reflective conversations rather than evaluative judgements. The goal? Build trust, reduce anxiety, and create a consistent, developmental TLOC approach across all campuses.

TLOC observation became a shared learning experience, not a performance review. The priority was to help colleagues think deeply about their teaching intentions, the student experience, and future practice enhancements.

Innovations that made it work

One key element of the TLOC’s success was its application to other aspects of professional development. These included integrating TLOC peer-peer professional dialogue and/or observation as part of Fellowship and internal award applications. This had the dual objective of surfacing the value of observation and professional dialogue as a means for professional growth but also to enhance the reputation of the TLOC as a place where colleagues could feel supported in exploring areas of their practice they wished to enhance or improve. 

One standout feature of how we made the TLOC work on the Malaysia campus was the tri-partite post-observation conversation, supported by a forum theatre approach. Here’s how it worked:

Roles: 

• The observee
• The trainee observer (leading the dialogue)
• The trained observer (guiding and pausing the conversation at key moments)

This setup allowed trainee observers to practice coaching-led, non-judgemental dialogue while being supported. It also reinforced partnership and collaboration.

The forum theatre method was powerful. It let us pause conversations, examine language and reframe judgemental statements into reflective questions. For example, when a trainee observer stated something like ‘students looked bored during the activity on X’, they were encouraged to ask: 

• What were you hoping students would gain from that activity?
• What did you notice about engagement at different points?
• If you ran the session again, what small change would you try first?

Discussion on how the judgemental statement had made the observee feel was enlightening to some observers, who realised how easily language can shift the tone of feedback and also how reframing it into reflective questions creates a more constructive, trust-building dialogue.

The tri-partite training conversations also created a safe space where everyone could experiment – even make mistakes – without fear of judgement. This approach not only safeguarded the developmental ethos of dialogue it spoke to the very essence of the TLOC’s philosophy.

Navigating cultural differences

Change didn’t happen overnight. Some colleagues initially expected graded feedback and were uncomfortable with their TLOC observer not passing judgement. Moving away from this mindset took time and sensitivity and was achieved through the experimentation that took place in the forum theatre style tri-partite post-observation dialogues. 

We also introduced flexibility in formality: for developmental observations, no forms were required, reinforcing autonomy and trust and creating the conditions where staff concerned about what was going to happen to a form could take part. This gradation of formality respected cultural differences across campuses. It acknowledged that observation practices are shaped by local norms and that trust is built through transparency and choice.

The impact

Engagement with the TLOC across the three campuses has grown overall since its inception and has remained relatively consistent over time, with participation from Malaysia (MY) forming a steady proportion of the total.

Whilst the numbers show a picture of growth and stability, the real story came from colleagues’ own voices. They talked about how much taking part in the TLOC, whether this was through an observation or professional dialogue, helped them reflect on their practice, how observers can play a role in building confidence and how the process supports genuine professional growth and fresh insights into practice. What stood out, although it didn’t surprise us, was how many observers said they had gained as much from the experience as those being observed. The TLOC therefore has become a vehicle through which mutual learning takes place, and this continues today. 

Lessons learned

The TLOC journey taught us that:

• Language shapes perception
• Trust takes time
• Collaboration drives professional growth

We also discovered that using the forum theatre development approach worked effectively. By creating supported and collegial conversations we were able to build the kind of environment within which staff felt able to fully explore aspects of their practice from a perspective of professional growth. 

Looking ahead

The TLOC transformation shows that observation doesn’t have to be about judgement – it can be about growth, trust, and partnership. By embedding dialogue at the heart of the process, a model was created that colleagues value and that continues to grow and evolve.

We’ll leave you with one question: how will you take forward your observation practice to support colleagues’ development and growth? 

Tina Byrom is Head of Enhanced Academic Practice at Loughborough University.

Jaya Kumar Karunagharan is Director of the Nottingham Recognition Scheme at the University of Nottingham Malaysia. 

Tina and Jaya co-lead the International Teaching and Learning Network with Professor Kate Strudwick from Lincoln University. Find out more about this collaborative network on Advance HE Connect.