Internal Teaching Review

Internal Teaching Review (ITR) is an ‘in-house’ review of a School’s or discipline’s teaching-related activities. The aims of the review are as follows.

• Assess the overall quality of teaching – what is taught, in what ways, at what level, and how it is assessed
• Encourage the School or discipline to consider how existing practices can be improved
• Provide students with the chance to comment on the quality of teaching, learning and other aspects of life at the University, in a way that contributes directly to the first two aims
• Identify and share examples of ‘best practice’ so that all of the University’s staff and students benefit

The Review is carried out by an independent panel made up of staff from the University, a student representative appointed by the Students’ Association, and one or two specialists from other institutions brought in to offer an outside perspective on the School’s or discipline’s teaching activities. The process is managed by the University Registry.

The panel examines a range of documentary evidence supplied by the School or discipline, follows this up with a series of interviews conducted with staff and students, and finally writes up its findings as a formal report.

The report will publicise those things that a School or discipline does well, but it will also identify those areas where there is room for improvement. Summary reports, including the School's repsonses, are published on the University webpages: Internal Teaching Review Reports.

A year after the report’s production, a follow-up check of the School or discipline will be made to ensure that issues identified by the panel have been addressed.

The following forms are to be completed and returned by the School or discipline as part of its ITR submission. The date for submission is usually 8 weeks before the panel interviews.

• Self-Evaluation Document
• Postgraduate Research Student Training and Supervision Report
• Programme Review Report

For further information, please consult the following documents:

• Information for those preparing for Internal Teaching Review
• Guidance notes for staff invited to meet visiting panels
• Information for panel members and co-ordinating reviewers (clerks)
• An introduction for students

A Schedule of Forthcoming Reviews is available for the current and next cycle of Reviews.

All queries relating to Internal Teaching Review should be emailed to Academic Services, Registry academicservices@abdn.ac.uk.