Online Full-Time Faculty’S Perceptions of Ideal Evaluation Processes

Post-secondary institutions around the world use various methods to evaluate the teaching performance of faculty members. Effective evaluations identify areas of instructional strength, provide faculty with opportunities for growth, and allow for reflective inquiry. While there is an extensive body of research related to the evaluation of faculty in traditional settings, there have been few studies examining online faculty members’ perceptions of evaluation processes. The present study involved dissemination of an e-survey to online full-time faculty at a large university in the Southwest United States, as well as qualitative content analysis of survey data. Findings suggest that online full-time faculty expressed interest in improvement as instructors, distinct from modality, and preferred descriptive, qualitative, and holistic feedback rather than quantitative or punitive feedback. Further, participants articulated a desire to be evaluated by those with content-specific knowledge rather than teaching expertise in the online environment. This study has implications for online distance administrators and those stakeholders involved in online faculty evaluation. Additional research is needed to continue to establish a baseline for how online faculty members conceptualize ideal evaluation processes.