Viewing Teaching and Learning from a New Angle: Student Consultants' Perspectives on Classroom Practice

ABSTRACT

This qualitative case study describes how undergraduate students positioned as pedagogical consultants use several observational techniques to help faculty view their classroom practice from a new angle. It includes a brief review of literature on students as active partners with faculty in explorations of pedagogical approaches and a short description of one program that supports such partnerships. The majority of the article focuses on the observational techniques student consultants in this program use, highlighting the benefits to those faculty members and to students enrolled in the faculty members' courses and touching on benefits to student consultants.

KEYWORDS:

• Educational environments
• professional development
• student consultants
• teacher-student relationship

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Sophia Abbot, Sorelle Friedler, Carmen Lai, Mark Matlin, Elizabeth McCormack, and Abby Sweeney for their contributions to and feedback on this article.