A Comparison of Student Evaluations of Teaching With Online and Paper-Based Administration.

What is it about?

Because data from SETs play a role in important professional decisions for faculty (annual evaluations, teaching awards, and decisions about tenure and promotion), faculty are interested in the relation between changes in administration and average ratings, especially when fewer students complete forms administered online. This study examined SETs for 364 courses taught in three consecutive fall terms. As expected, response rates (and average rating) declined when forms were administered online instead of face-to-face. The authors discuss how reviewers should interpret findings and suggest that reviewers consider additional sources of information when they evaluate teaching quality.

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Why is it important?

Ratings from student course evaluations often play an important role in decisions about faculty tenure, promotion, and professional recognition through teaching awards. Reviewers need to understand how best to interpret these ratings.