中部大学教育研究12

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1IntroductionClassroomobservationiswidelyacknowledgedtobeanimportantpartofcontinuingprofessionaldevelopment.However,conflictingandotherwisebusyschedulesmeanthat,inpractice,ongoingobservationisatoolinfrequentlyused-especiallyinthesmallerdepartmentscommoninforeignEnglish-teachingprogramsatJapaneseuniversitiesandsimilarcontexts.Beginningin2010,ChubuUniversity'sOhioProgramofEnglishLanguageTeachinghasbeenusingvideoclassroomobservationstogetherwithtwice-yearlyteachertrainingmeetingstoenhanceongoingprofessionaldevelopmentefforts.Eachsemester,oneinstructor'sclassisrecorded,andaspartofafull-dayin-servicemeetingattheendoftheterm,thatinstructorguidestheotherfacultythroughafocusedobservationtaskofhisorherowndevising.2OPELTandPASEOatChubuUniversityTheOhioProgramforEnglishLanguageTeaching(OPELT)isanoutgrowthoftheongoingcollaborationbetweenChubuUniversityandOhioUniversity.Since1990OPELThasservedChubuUniversitybyprovidinghighlyqualified,native-EnglishspeakerTESOLprofessionalsintheirgeneralEnglishclasses.TheOPELTmissionexpandedin1998whentheProgramforAcademicStudiesinEnglishOverseas(PASEO)wasestablishedandOPELTwasplacedundertheadministrationoftheChubuUniversityLanguageCenter(LC).TheLCprovidesvitalsupportinavarietyofareasincludingassistingwiththecourseregistrationandtestingprocess,keepingthePASEOstudentandbudgetrecordsdatabases,maintainingthemulti-medialanguagelabs,managingtheself-accesslanguageroom,andassistingPASEOfacultywithtranslations,universityprocedures,andtechnicalsupport,amongmanyotherareas.2.1OPELTMissionStatementTheprimarymissionofOPELThasthreeparts:instruction,cooperation,andprofessionaldevelopmentintermsofinstruction,OPELTaimstodeliverhighquality,comprehensive,EFLinstructiontoChubuUniversitystudents,faculty,andstaffinareassuchasEnglishforAcademicPreparation(PASEOclasses)andEnglishasaForeignLanguage(non-PASEOclasses).OPELTalsoaimstoassistinfurtherstrengtheningtheChubu-OhioUniversitysister-universityrelationshipandtopromotetheexchangeprogramsbetweenthetwouniversitiesthroughannualactivitiesincludingtheOhioUniversityStudyAbroadOrientation,theOhioUniversityStudyAbroadPre-DepartureWorkshop,thePASEOEnaRetreat,andthePingScholarshipAdvisorProgram.Finally,itisOPELTmissiontoprovideacareerdevelopmentplatformuponwhichTESOLprofessionalsmaygainpracticalexperienceinareasincludingbutnotlimitedtoTeachingEnglishasaForeignLanguage,collaboratingasmembersoftheChubuUniversityfaculty,studentadvising,ComputerAssistedLanguageLearning,teachertrainingdesignandfacilitation,writingtutoring,curriculumandmaterialsdevelopment,testdesignandwriting,practicalclassroomresearch,websitemanagement,programadministration,textbookselectionandreview,placementtestadministrationandsupervision,andthestudyanduseoftheJapaneselanguage.―19―中部大学教育研究№12（2012）19－26UsingVideoforTeacher-DrivenPeerObservationDavidR.Laurence