Student Evaluations of Teaching and Student Cyberaggression: The Impact of Keyboard Warriors in Tertiary Education
Student Evaluations of Teaching and Student Cyberaggression: The Impact of Keyboard Warriors in Tertiary Education

Summary/Abstract: It is well established that student evaluations of teaching in universities have long been contested. Many see value in them for ongoing improvement and to hold faculty to account for their pedagogical practice. However, the anonymity of these online surveys that permit students enrolled in units to provide feedback on teaching and learning can produce ‘keyboard warriors’. Anonymous surveys can serve to provide a platform for students to engage in cyber-aggressive behaviours that are damaging for staff health and wellbeing and are of a concern to workplace safety. We draw on published results from an existing study of student evaluations of teaching to signal that in the worst instances student evaluations of teaching evoke student cyber aggression. A relationship is identified between neoliberalist ideology that supports a market logic where academic teaching is commodified, and students are positioned as mere consumers. Principles of academic contrapower harassment which align with cyber aggression are also identified. An argument is presented for the removal of anonymous online surveys due to the harm associated with cyber aggression in the workplace. Finally,suggestions are proposed to combat cyber aggression in the university which allow for both critical reflection on teaching course sand safe, supportive environments for students and lecturers.

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