Video-Annotated Peer Review (VAPR): Considerations for Development and Implementation

The knowledge associated with engineering education has grown considerably with efforts related to empirical research regarding the cognitive basis of learning and changes in student demographics and needs. Unfortunately, there has been a lag in the adoption of research-based teaching approaches by practitioners. At the same time faculty are limited in the development of their instructional practices to short courses, workshops, conference proceedings and publications. All of these developmental activities require substantial time, effort, and funding with no guarantee of application to the classroom and university context of participating faculty. In addition, faculty feedback is generally limited to student evaluations and periodic observations associated with promotion and tenure. This paper describes the implementation of a video-annotated peer review (VAPR) process seeking to address a growing need to support the diffusion of research-based instructional practices and create a formative feedback process that will enhance faculty development. In support of the description of the VAPR process, this paper provides a review of diffusion of pedagogical practices, faculty peer-review, and social reflexivity theory. Utilizing a qualitative design, a focus group of VAPR participants was conducted after the first round implementation to explore the benefits and limitations of VAPR. Findings from the focus group illuminate how VAPR overcomes common barriers to diffusion.