ERIC Number: EJ990513
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0260-2938
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Available Date: N/A
Just a Harmless Website?: An Experimental Examination of RateMyProfessors.com's Effect on Student Evaluations
Lewandowski, Gary W., Jr.; Higgins, Emma; Nardone, Natalie N.
Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, v37 n8 p987-1002 2012
This set of experiments assessed the influence of RateMyProfessors.com profiles, and the perceived credibility of those profiles, on students' evaluations of professors and retention of material. In Study 1, 302 undergraduates were randomly assigned to read positive or negative RateMyProfessors.com profiles with comments that focused on superficial or legitimate professor features. Participants then watched a lecture clip, provided professor ratings and completed a quiz on the lecture. In Study 2, 81 students who were randomly assigned to read the same RateMyProfessors.com profiles before an actual class provided credibility ratings of the information, listened to a lecture and provided professor ratings at the end. Across both experiments, one in a laboratory setting, and one in an authentic undergraduate lecture, participants gave more favourable professor ratings after reading positive evaluations from RateMyProfessors.com information. These findings establish the causal link between professor information and subsequent evaluations. (Contains 1 note and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance, Profiles, Internet, Credibility, Lecture Method, Web Sites, College Faculty, Undergraduate Students, Student Attitudes, Teacher Characteristics, Laboratories
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
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