The effect of switching to mandatory online course assessments on response rates and course ratings. Issue 4 (19th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mitchell, Ojmarrh; Morales, Melissa
• Is Part Of: Assessment & evaluation in higher education. Volume 43:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 629
• Page End: 639
• Publication Date: 2018-05-19
• Subjects: Student evaluation of teaching -- online teaching evaluations -- instructor evaluation -- course evaluation; Education, Higher -- Evaluation -- Periodicals; 378
• DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2017.1390062
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0260-2938

Abstract

Abstract: Increasingly, student assessments of courses are being conducted online as opposed to administered in class. A growing body of research compares response rates and course ratings of courses evaluated online versus on paper. The present study extends this research by comparing student course assessments before and after the University of South Florida made online evaluations mandatory for all courses. This change only directly affected courses taught on-campus, as online courses were already being assessed online. However, we examine the effect of this change on courses taught on-campus and online, because we expect this change in policy to have differential effects. We hypothesise that by making online assessments mandatory for all courses, online assessments went from a novel method of evaluation to the norm; and, therefore, increased response rates for online courses, but had the opposite effect for on-campus courses. We find mixed support for our hypothesis.