Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities

<p>The main national distance learning universities were launched before the emergence of the Internet. In order to adapt to digital connectivity, these universities had to modify their organizational and methodological procedures. But in recent years important changes have emerged in the fiel...

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Main Authors: Daniel Domínguez Figaredo, José Francisco Álvarez Álvarez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) 2019-06-01
Series:Open Praxis
Subjects:
Online Access:https://openpraxis.org/articles/42
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author Daniel Domínguez Figaredo
José Francisco Álvarez Álvarez
author_facet Daniel Domínguez Figaredo
José Francisco Álvarez Álvarez
author_sort Daniel Domínguez Figaredo
collection DOAJ
description <p>The main national distance learning universities were launched before the emergence of the Internet. In order to adapt to digital connectivity, these universities had to modify their organizational and methodological procedures. But in recent years important changes have emerged in the field of educational technology, and this has significantly altered the higher education sector.</p><p>This work analyzed the recent updates that distance-learning universities in Spain have undertaken in order to adapt to the current higher education landscape. The evolution of enrolment rates in distance universities in Spain in the period 2003–2017 was taken as a reference. Based on the available data, the factors that explain the enrolment gap between types of entities are analyzed and key actions for the evolution of distance learning universities in Spain are suggested. This provides an evidence-based approach that aims to contribute to the reflection of academics, institutional managers and policy makers who are called upon to reorient the strategy of distance universities to make them sustainable in the medium and long term in the new landscape.</p>
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spelling doaj.art-3cb0e3b9d51945f0a6dc29f6fb9bf8c22023-03-01T21:21:16ZengInternational Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)Open Praxis1369-99972304-070X2019-06-0111211912810.5944/openpraxis.11.2.95842Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance UniversitiesDaniel Domínguez Figaredo0José Francisco Álvarez Álvarez1Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED)<p>The main national distance learning universities were launched before the emergence of the Internet. In order to adapt to digital connectivity, these universities had to modify their organizational and methodological procedures. But in recent years important changes have emerged in the field of educational technology, and this has significantly altered the higher education sector.</p><p>This work analyzed the recent updates that distance-learning universities in Spain have undertaken in order to adapt to the current higher education landscape. The evolution of enrolment rates in distance universities in Spain in the period 2003–2017 was taken as a reference. Based on the available data, the factors that explain the enrolment gap between types of entities are analyzed and key actions for the evolution of distance learning universities in Spain are suggested. This provides an evidence-based approach that aims to contribute to the reflection of academics, institutional managers and policy makers who are called upon to reorient the strategy of distance universities to make them sustainable in the medium and long term in the new landscape.</p>https://openpraxis.org/articles/42distance universitieshigher educationeducational policylifelong learningdigital shiftdigital governancespain
spellingShingle Daniel Domínguez Figaredo
José Francisco Álvarez Álvarez
Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
Open Praxis
distance universities
higher education
educational policy
lifelong learning
digital shift
digital governance
spain
title Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
title_full Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
title_fullStr Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
title_full_unstemmed Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
title_short Structural Changes in the Landscape of Spanish Distance Universities
title_sort structural changes in the landscape of spanish distance universities
topic distance universities
higher education
educational policy
lifelong learning
digital shift
digital governance
spain
url https://openpraxis.org/articles/42
work_keys_str_mv AT danieldominguezfigaredo structuralchangesinthelandscapeofspanishdistanceuniversities
AT josefranciscoalvarezalvarez structuralchangesinthelandscapeofspanishdistanceuniversities