Towards quality virtual education, but with an emphasis on equity and relevance

Abstract

While high quality and continual improvement are both desirable goals in virtual and distance education, it is of even greater importance to ensure equitable access to such education and its greater social relevance. The aim of the present article is to advance several proposals aimed at achieving this objective. Firstly, each of these concepts is defined and discussed separately with respect to both its importance and its implications for virtual and distance education. As empirical evidence, the author describes several Latin American projects involved in the development of criteria, indicators, measures, and methodologies for assessing the quality and accreditation of distance education in the context of the development of higher education systems as a whole. Research carried out in Latin America on systems for assessing and accrediting the quality of virtual higher education is cited. The absence of similar work on the assessment of the equity and relevance of such education or the relationship between these parameters and quality is also discussed. In conclusion, the article analyzes the interrelationships between these three dimensions and formulates proposals aimed at achieving an integrated and synergetic assessment of the quality, equity, and relevance of distance education and the relationship between these three dimensions.