How does violence influence educational decisions? The article by Luis Moncada Mora, Ximena del Cisne Songor Jaramillo, and Gabriela Elizabeth Cornejo Montaño examines the role of distance education as an alternative for continuing higher education in contexts affected by insecurity.
Focusing on the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, the study is grounded in the situation in Ecuador, where rising crime has shaped everyday life and created new barriers to safely accessing educational institutions.
To explore this relationship, the authors compared enrollment figures in UTPL’s distance education programs with homicide rates recorded across 23 Ecuadorian provinces between 2019 and 2022. Using econometric models, multilevel analysis, and panel data, the study identified a positive association between rising homicide rates and increased enrollment in distance education.
Although the findings do not establish a direct causal relationship, they do show that perceptions of insecurity influence educational preferences and encourage students to choose formats that reduce travel and exposure to risk.
The article broadens our understanding of the social value of distance education. In addition to providing flexibility and overcoming geographical or time-related barriers, it can become a means of protection and educational continuity in contexts of violence.
Its conclusions invite institutions and policymakers to consider security as a factor that shapes access to university education. In unstable environments, distance education is not merely a convenient option, but a tool capable of sustaining educational pathways and expanding opportunities for those who cannot safely attend a physical campus.
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How to Cite: Moncada Mora, L., Songor Jaramillo, X. del C., & Cornejo Montaño, G. E. (2024). Distance Education, transforming realities: a look at insecure environments. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(2), 247–265. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.2.39134
