policy & reform campusreview . com . au
Poisoned pens
The link between student evaluations and teachers ’ mental health .
By Eleanor Campbell
Academics may experience a loss of enjoyment , depression and panic attacks when the cycle of teaching evaluations occur , mental health researchers have found .
A recent study from Southern Cross University found that students are using anonymous surveys to target academics with abusive and defamatory comments , ranging from racist and homophobic insults to physical threats .
Lead author Associate Professor Richard Lakeman said the impact of the cycle of negative feedback , which can sometimes happen up to six times per year , can have a significant impact on teacher wellbeing .
“ For some people who receive highly malicious comments , highly misogynistic or racist comments , their anxiety becomes quite chronic during the cycle of anonymous evaluations ,” Lakeman told Campus Review .
“ Cyberbullying is characterised by conditions of anonymity , repetition , and in India , it ’ s a criminal offence , so should universities be liable for academic defamation ?”
Lakeman joined Campus Review to discuss anonymous student surveys in Australian universities .
CR : Were you and your colleagues surprised at all by the nature of some of the comments that came from students ? RL : We weren ’ t surprised that there were non-constructive or offensive comments , because in part , that ’ s why we undertook this research . We ’ ve become aware that this was becoming really problematic . However , the nature and extent of the examples that were given were absolutely jaw-dropping . I think there was stunned silence when I read through some of the comments .
Some examples that you received ranged from insults about physical appearance , and went all the way to physical threats . What are universities doing about this ? We had an unusual response to this particular research study . I ’ ve been doing research for many years , and this is the first occasion where I think I ’ ve had over 300 unsolicited emails and phone calls from people . And it ’ s probably through that postpublication feedback I ’ ve received from other academics that I ’ ve gained some insight into what universities are doing , or what they ’ re not doing .
It appears that the processes are absolutely ubiquitous . Right across Australia , we encourage students , sometimes incentivise , and even compel students to rate their teachers very regularly , and to make anonymous comments .
What used to be a teacher-initiated activity that was often a paper and pen exercise , where people actually delivered some feedback at strategic points over terms , has now become highly institutionalised . It ’ s all done online , and often at a time when students are particularly anxious , often before grades are released , and it ’ s become part of people ’ s performance review and promotions process .
Of all that feedback we received , all of it was highly complimentary , and people were stating that this has to change – we need to unveil those people that are potentiating hate speech . And people did outline some moves that they were making or considering in their particular department or university to try and change these processes .
Do you think removing that ability to be anonymous might help avoid some of these horrific comments being made ? I think the anonymity is a big part of it . Going right back to the Stanford Prison Experiment in the 1960s and ‘ 70s , there ’ s this idea about being anonymous and not connected to the individual that you are attempting to punish . That ’ s known as deindividuation , where we create the ideal conditions for that to take place through enabling absolute anonymity and impunity , so people can say whatever they might like to say , and they do so behind a veil of anonymity and impunity .
These are the ideal conditions for a small number of people to project , state whatever they like in a very , very wounding way towards the teacher in particular , or the unit assessor , the administrator of the
14