What do we mean by quality in online higher education? The article by Paloma Sepúlveda-Parrini, Pilar Pineda-Herrero, and Paloma Valdivia-Vizarreta addresses this question from the perspective of those directly involved in the modality.
Drawing on the views of more than 3,000 students, 727 instructors, and 50 institutional representatives from 18 Chilean institutions, the study broadens a notion of quality traditionally associated with accreditation, standardization, and the achievement of predefined objectives.
The findings reveal significant differences among the groups. While institutional representatives mainly associate quality with graduate profiles, accreditation, and the standardization of programs, students and instructors emphasize aspects more closely connected to their everyday experiences: flexibility, learning, pedagogical design, feedback, support, and the ability to balance study with work and family life.
The research therefore shows that quality depends not only on external indicators, but also on the capacity of online education to respond to the real needs of a diverse student population.
The article’s main contribution lies in presenting quality in online education as a multidimensional, contextual concept constructed through dialogue among educational stakeholders. This perspective encourages us to move beyond the constant comparison with face-to-face education and to recognize the distinctive features of virtual learning, including flexibility, equity, autonomy, and institutional support.
At a time when online education continues to expand, the study reminds us that ensuring quality requires not only effective platforms and accreditation processes, but also pedagogical approaches capable of widening opportunities and responding to different ways of learning, working, and participating in higher education.
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How to Cite: Sepúlveda-Parrini, P., Pineda-Herrero, P. ., & Valdivia-Vizarreta, P. (2024). Key concepts for quality in online higher education. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 27(1), 319–343. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.27.1.37633
