What is it?
Effective teaching dossiers provide the reader with a clear picture of an individual's experience in teaching and educational activities. There should be just enough narrative to orient the reader, but not so much that the reader gets lost in the details. Leave the details for the appendices. Also, the narrative should focus primarily on teaching or educational experiences. Other activities should be itemized on a CV. The sections in the teaching dossier should be discreet i.e. the same information should not be repeated in different sections in the dossier. The sections however, can be complementary. For example, if evidence of teaching effectiveness reinforces a particular approach to teaching or teaching philosophy, this relationship can be noted with a short comment.
Criteria for Effective Dossiers
The following criteria can be used to guide the development or evaluate the effectiveness of a teaching dossier:
Does the dossier clearly describe a rationale for a particular approach to or style of teaching, including areas of strength and potential areas for future development?
Is the dossier well organized and formatted in a fashion that is easy to follow?
Does the content of the dossier provide the right amount of information regarding the individual's teaching experience? (suggested length 6-10 pages with additional pages of supporting appendices)
Is enough description provided so that the dossier can stand alone without additional explanation or reference to the appendices?
Is a variety of evidence provided regarding teaching effectiveness and does the evidence support the philosophy of teaching?