The Teaching Resource Center offers a variety of confidential consultations about teaching. A few of these are listed below. Following the links will lead to more detailed information about each consultation technique as well as information about scheduling.

One-on-one Consultation: TRC consultants are happy to help you think through ways to improve your students' learning. Conversations might center around aspects such as course design, student evaluations, discussion-leading, lecturing, etc.

In-class Observation: Using a variety of observation techniques, TRC consultants can tailor an in-class observation so that instructors get specific and meaningful feedback about one or more aspects of their teaching.

Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP): To discover students' mid-semester reactions to a class, a trained TRC staff member can poll your students about their perceptions of the course. Alternatively, you can use eTAP, the TRC's electronic version of the TAP, to collect student feedback, and then meet with TRC staff to discuss the results.

Videotape Analysis: Upon request, trained TRC staff members observe or videotape a class and consult confidentially with an instructor about what works well and what could be improved in the classroom.

Large Class Feedback: Several options are available for getting feedback about large classes (50+ students).

a Consultation

To schedule a consultation, submit your request online at any time during the semester. The number of consultations we conduct is limited and filled on a first-come first-served basis. N.B. TAPs are only conducted between the fourth and ninth weeks of the semester.

If you have questions, please call us at 982-2815 or e-mail trc-uva@virginia.edu.

Choosing the Right Consultation

If you would like...

• to find out your students’ perceptions on how the course is affecting their learning, try a TAP or eTAP.
• to observe for yourself how a particular day’s class or exercise went, consider having your class videotaped and consulting about it.
• feedback from an outside, nonjudgmental observer on some aspect of the course or your teaching strategies, an in-class observation will provide that.
• ideas for innovative course or assignment design, want help processing and responding to student evaluations, or would like to focus on some aspect of teaching or learning, schedule a one-on-one consultation.

Top of page

Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.