Studying Faculty Perceptions of Rigor in Online College Courses- Compromising or Accommodating?

Jennifer L. James, University of Phoenix
Olivia Miller, University of Phoenix
Karen Myers, University of Phoenix 

https://doi.org/10.9743/JEO.2026.23.1.22

Abstract

A systematic literature review was conducted regarding faculty perceptions of rigor when teaching nontraditional, online university students. The PRISMA 2020 method was used to organize peer-reviewed literature published from 2018 to 2023. This literature review looks at: (a) faculty perception of online teaching rigor before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic; (b) faculty perception of rigor regard-ing course management; and (c) defining rigor for faculty who teach online. The literature review provides an overview of the current body of knowledge regarding faculty experiences in the online classroom and illustrates key moments in the online teaching dynamic that explain reasons for faculty perceptions of rigor. 

Keywords: online learning, nontraditional students, online rigor, rigor in higher education, online faculty, college rigor, course rigor, distance learning