Rating Professors Online: How Culture, Technology, and Consumer Expectations Shape Modern Student Evaluations

This book explores the emerging trends and patterns in online student evaluations of teaching and how online reviews have transformed the teacher-student relationship as developments in technology have altered consumer behaviors.
While consumers at large rely more and more on web-based platforms to purchase commercial products and services, they also make highly personal decisions regarding the choice of service providers in health care, higher education, and other industries. The chapters assess the challenges that web-based platforms such as RateMyProfessors.com pose for service providers in higher education and other industries, and the role of these online consumer review sites in driving consumer expectations. In framing her argument, the author considers the validity of online rating systems and the credibility and trustworthiness of online consumer reviewers. She also evaluates cultural trends that play a role in perpetuating systems of inequality such as racism, sexism, and ageism in online consumer reviews.