Sentiment Analysis of Student Evaluations of Online Instruction

Heather R. Bono, University of West Georgia
Hilde Patron, University of West Georgia
William J. Smith, University of West Georgia

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2025.22.1.10

Abstract

This paper uses sentiment analysis to measure student satisfaction with college business courses and instructors. The objective is to identify factors that nurture student success and satisfaction in online business courses and to determine if they differ from the characteristics most valued in face-to-face environments. Partial least squares structural equations, OLS, and ordinal logistic models are estimated. The findings indicate that faculty teaching primarily/entirely online score lower than those teaching in person. It is also concluded that, unlike face-to-face courses, students in online classes put a positive value on faculty experience and give lower ratings to those teaching accounting or graduate courses and female faculty.

Keywords: student evaluation of instruction, partial least squares structural equation modeling, ordinal logistic regression, sentiment analysis