Article Sidebar

Submitted
Aug 31, 2023
Accepted
Jan 2, 2024
Published
Feb 6, 2024
Download
PDF
Statistic
Read Counter : 328 Download : 200

Main Article Content

Abstract

The advent, in 2004, of online universities in Italy followed the global trend of open and distance learning institutions. Within a brief span, the authorization of as many as 11 online universities was granted. Despite ongoing regulatory revisions and a prevailing skepticism regarding the actual quality of education these institutions furnish, student enrollment continues to rise annually. This study explores enrollment trends in Italian online universities from their inception through 2021, considering concurrent enrollment trends in traditional public and private universities. Additionally, we examine in detail the gender composition, subject areas of degree programs, and, most importantly, the geographic origins of enrolled students.

Keywords

Online Universities Higher Education Time Series Distance Education Quality Assurance Italian University System Students’ Enrollment

Article Details

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

The author declares that the submitted to Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society (Je-LKS) is original and that is has neither been published previously nor is currently being considered for publication elsewhere.
The author agrees that SIe-L (Italian Society of e-Learning) has the right to publish the material sent for inclusion in the journal Je-LKS.
The author agree that articles may be published in digital format (on the Internet or on any digital support and media) and in printed format, including future re-editions, in any language and in any license including proprietary licenses, creative commons license or open access license. SIe-L may also use parts of the work to advertise and promote the publication.
The author declares s/he has all the necessary rights to authorize the editor and SIe-L to publish the work.
The author assures that the publication of the work in no way infringes the rights of third parties, nor violates any penal norms and absolves SIe-L from all damages and costs which may result from publication.

The author declares further s/he has received written permission without limits of time, territory, or language from the rights holders for the free use of all images and parts of works still covered by copyright, without any cost or expenses to SIe-L.

For all the information please check the Ethical Code of Je-LKS, available at http://www.je-lks.org/index.php/ethical-code

How to Cite
Minerva, T., De Santis, A., Bellini, C., & Sannicandro, K. (2024). Students in Italian online universities: enrollments time series analysis from 2005 to 2021. Journal of E-Learning and Knowledge Society, 19(4), 50-75. https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1135872

References

  1. ANVUR (2023a). Rapporto Sul Sistema Della Formazione Superiore e della Ricerca. Retrieved from https://www.anvur.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Sintesi-Rapporto-ANVUR-2023.pdf
  2. ANVUR (2023b). Linee Guida per il Sistema di Assicurazione della Qualità negli Atenei. Retrieved from https://www.anvur.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AVA3_LG_Atenei_2023_02_13.pdf
  3. ANVUR (2023c). Linee Guida per la Progettazione in Qualità dei Corsi di Studio di Nuova Istituzione per l’a.a. 2024-2025. Retrieved from https://www.anvur.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Linee-Guida-Nuova-istituzione_2024_25_def.pdf
  4. ANVUR (2023d). Modello di Accreditamento Periodico delle Sedi e dei Corsi di Studio Universitari. Retrieved from https://www.anvur.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/AVA3_Requisiti-con-NOTE_2023_02_13.pdf
  5. Belawati, T. (2022). Open and Distance Education in Asia. Good practices from AAOU members. Universitas Terbuka Publisher.
  6. Comitato nazionale per la valutazione del sistema universitario, CNVSU (2010). Analisi della situazione delle Università Telematiche. Retrieved from: http://www.cnvsu.it/_library/downloadfile.asp?id=11682
  7. Consiglio Universitario Nazionale (2007). Dossier CUN. Atenei telematici. Retrieved from: https://www.cun.it/uploads/4082/dossier_cun_n.7_luglio_2013.pdf?v=
  8. European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) (2005). Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. Retrieved from https://www.ehea.info/media.ehea.info/file/ENQA/05/3/ENQA-Bergen-Report_579053.pdf
  9. European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) (2008). Implementing and Using Quality Assurance: Strategy and Practice. Retrieved from https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2nd-Forum-Implement.-Using-QA_final-1.pdf
  10. European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) (2015). Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area. Retrieved from https://www.enqa.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ESG_2015.pdf
  11. European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) (2020). ESG 2015–2018 Enqa Agency Reports: Thematic Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.enqa.eu/publications/esg-2015-2018-enqa-agency-reports-thematic-analysis/
  12. Eurostat (2023). Population by educational attainment level, sex and age (%) - main indicators. Retrieved from: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/EDAT_LFSE_03/default/map?lang=en
  13. Gaebel, M., & Morrisroe, A. (2023). The future of digitally enhanced learning and teaching in european higher education institutions. European University Association absl.
  14. Gaebel, M., Kupriyanova, V., Morais, R., & Colucci, E. (2014). Results of a Mapping Survey conducted in October-December 2013. Brussels: Eua Publications.
  15. Gaebel, M., Zhang, T., Stoeber, H. & Morrisroe, A. (2021). Digitally enhanced learning and teaching in European higher education institutions. European University Association absl.
  16. Garavaglia, A., & Pasta, S. (2021). L’università a distanza: dalla Open University alla Legge Moratti-Stanca. In P.C. Rivoltella (Ed.), Apprendere a distanza. Teorie e metodi (pp. 33-48). Milano: Raffaello Cortina Editore.
  17. Government of India, Ministry of Education (n.d.). All India Survey on Higher Education 2020-21 (AISHE Final Report). https://aishe.gov.in/aishe/gotoAisheReports
  18. Higher Education Statistics Agency, HESA (2023). HE student enrolments by HE provider, location of study, country of HE provider, region of HE provider, level of study, mode of study and academic year. Retrieved from https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-60
  19. Indira Gandhi National Open University, IGNOU (2022). Annual Report 2021-22. Chandu Press, Delhi.
  20. Kentnor, H. E. (2015). Distance education and the evolution of online learning in the United States, Curriculum and teaching dialogue, 17(1), 21-34.
  21. Latchem, C. (2018). Australia. In O. Zawacki-Richter & A. Qayyum (Eds.), Open and Distance Education in Australia, Europe and the Americas. National Perspectives in a Digital Age (pp. 9-25). Singapore: Springer.
  22. Li, W., & Chen, N. (2019). China. In O. Zawacki-Richter & A. Qayyum (Eds.), Open and Distance Education in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. National Perspectives in a Digital Age (pp. 7-23). Singapore: Springer.
  23. McFarland, J., Hussar, B., de Brey, C., Snyder, T., Wang, X., Wilkinson-Flicker, S., Gebrekristos, S., Zhang, J., Rathbun, A., Barmer, A., Bullock Mann, F., & Hinz, S. (2017). The Condition of Education 2017 (NCES 2017- 144). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2017144
  24. Minerva, T., De Santis, A., Bellini, C., & Sannicandro, K. (2022). A time series analysis of students enrolled in Italian universities from 2000 to 2021. Italian Journal of Educational Research, 29, 9-22.
  25. Ministerio de Educación,Cultura y Deporte (2012). Datos y cifras del sistema universitario español. Curso 2012-2013. Retrieved from https://www.universidades.gob.es/publicaciones-e-informes/
  26. Ministerio de Universidades, Gobierno de España (2023). Datos y cifras del Sistema Universitario Español. Publicación 2022-2023. Retrieved from https://www.universidades.gob.es/publicaciones-e-informes/
  27. Ministry of Education of China (2014). Number of Students of Formal Education by Type and Level 2013. Retrieved from http://en.moe.gov.cn/documents/statistics/2013/national/201412/t20141215_181593.html
  28. Ministry of Education of China (2022). Number of Students of Formal Education by Type and Level 2021. Retrieved from: http://en.moe.gov.cn/documents/statistics/2021/national/202301/t20230104_1038067.html
  29. Ministry of Education of China (2023). Statistical report on China’s educational achievements in 2022. Retrieved from http://en.moe.gov.cn/documents/reports/202304/t20230403_1054100.html
  30. Ministry of education of Korea (2023). Education in Korea. Retrieved from https://english.moe.go.kr/boardCnts/viewRenewal.do?boardID=282&boardSeq=95608&lev=0&searchType=null&statusYN=W&page=1&s=english&m=0502&opType=N
  31. National Center for Education Statistics (2023). Condition of Education. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/
  32. Palvia, S., Aeron, P., Gupta, P., Mahapatra, D., Parida, R., Rosner, R., & Sindhi, S. (2018). Online education: Worldwide status, challenges, trends, and implications. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 21(4), 233-241.
  33. Patru, M., & Khvilon, E. (2002). Open and distance learning: Trends, policy and strategy considerations. France: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000128463
  34. Prisloo, P. (2019). South Africa. In O. Zawacki-Richter & A. Qayyum (Eds.), Open and Distance Education in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. National Perspectives in a Digital Age (pp. 67-82). Singapore: Springer.
  35. Qayyum, A., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2018, Eds.), Open and Distance Education in Australia, Europe and the Americas. National Perspectives in a Digital Age. Singapore: Springer.
  36. Qayyum, A., & Zawacki-Richter, O. (2019). The State of Open and Distance Education. In O. Zawacki-Richter & A. Qayyum (Eds.), Open and Distance Education in Asia, Africa and the Middle East National Perspectives in a Digital Age. Singapore: Springer.
  37. República Federativa do Brasil (2023). Censo da Educação Superior 2022. Notas Estatísticas. Inep/MEC – Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais Anísio Teixeira.
  38. Roffe, I. (2004). Innovation and e-learning: E-business for an educational enterprise. Cardiff, UK: University of Wales Press.
  39. Sursock, A. (2015). EUA: Trends 2015: Learning and Teaching. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279950904_Trends_2015_Learning_and_Teaching_in_European_Universities
  40. The World Bank (2023a). School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) - Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?locations=ZG
  41. The World Bank (2023b). Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) - Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.0014.TO.ZS?locations=ZG
  42. Zawacki-Richter, O., & Jung, I. (2023). An Introduction. In O. Zawacki-Richter & I. Jung (Eds.) Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education (pp.4-12). Singapore: Springer.

Most read articles by the same author(s)