This article draws on findings from a qualitative case study of a first-year online unit (subject) offered by a large public university through Open Universities Australia It includes the student voice, taken from formal evaluation surveys, and the voice of casual academic tutors, provided through first-hand interviews and questionnaires What emerges from the findings is the high value placed on tutors by their students and the tutors’ important contribution to student success, contrasted with the low value and lack of recognition given to tutors in the contemporary, marketised academy along with the destructive effect this has on tutors’ professional and personal wellbeing Suggestions for future research to begin addressing this situation are included Comments on the relevance of the research to the conditions created in higher education by the COVID-19 pandemic conclude the article [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Further & Higher Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
Hidden in plain sight: contrasting management and student perceptions of the value of casual teachers in online higher education