Online education is often associated with younger generations, who have grown up navigating digital environments. However, greater familiarity with technology does not necessarily translate into a more positive perception of online learning. A study by Laura Alexandra Arteaga-Briones, Luis Ángel Guamán-Lazo, Andrea Alexandra Azúa-Arteaga and Alexander López-Padrón, published in RIED, suggests precisely the opposite.
After analysing responses from 545 students enrolled in eight online degree programmes at the Technical University of Manabí (Ecuador), the researchers found that students aged 26 and over had a more favourable perception of online education than their younger peers. This difference emerged across all four dimensions examined: the organisation of teaching and learning, learning outcomes, assessment and feedback, and course design.
Age was the variable most consistently associated with differences in perception, more so than gender, academic level or place of residence. Students aged 15 to 20 expressed less positive views, particularly when compared with those aged 26 to 30 and those aged 31 and over.
The authors suggest that accumulated experience, time-management skills and the ability to learn independently may help adult students adapt more effectively to the demands of online education. They also identified differences related to students' stage of academic progression: those enrolled in preparatory courses rated certain aspects of academic organisation more positively, while graduates expressed particularly favourable views of assessment and feedback. Gender differences were considerably smaller and were concentrated in perceptions of course design.
These findings challenge a widely held assumption: younger students are not necessarily those who adapt best to digital education. Technological proficiency may make it easier to navigate online platforms, but successful online study also requires autonomy, self-regulation, planning and the ability to sustain motivation.
The researchers therefore recommend adapting teaching strategies to the characteristics and needs of different student profiles, with particular attention to academic support and feedback. Based on self-reported perceptions and conducted at a single university, the study does not establish that older students learn more, nor does it demonstrate causal relationships. It does, however, provide grounds for developing a less uniform approach to online education, one that recognises that learning needs are not the same at 18 as they are at 35.
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How to Cite: Arteaga-Briones, L. A., Guamán-Lazo, L. Ángel, Azúa-Arteaga, A. A., & López-Padrón, A. (2025). Impact of socio-demographic variables on university students’ perception of online education post-COVID-19. RIED-Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia, 28(2), 299–324. https://doi.org/10.5944/ried.28.2.43294
