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Correlations, trends and potential biases among publicly accessible web-based student evaluations of teaching: a large-scale study of RateMyProfessors.com data

Authors :
Andrew S. Rosen
Source :
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 43:31-44
Publication Year :
2017
Publisher :
Informa UK Limited, 2017.

Abstract

Student evaluations of teaching are widely adopted across academic institutions, but there are many underlying trends and biases that can influence their interpretation. Publicly accessible web-based student evaluations of teaching are of particular relevance, due to their widespread use by students in the course selection process and the quantity of data available for analysis. In this study, data from the most popular of these websites, RateMyProfessors.com, is analysed for correlations between measures of instruction quality, easiness, physical attractiveness, discipline and gender. This study of 7,882,980 RateMyProfessors ratings (from 190,006 US professors with at least 20 student ratings) provides further insight into student perceptions of academic instruction and possible variables in student evaluations. Positive correlations were observed between ratings of instruction quality and easiness, as well as between instruction quality and attractiveness. On average, professors in science and e...

Details

ISSN :
1469297X and 02602938
Volume :
43
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........f63cab208249e323e64f513130278df5
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1276155