Convergence, divergence, and gaps in virtual higher education accreditation: a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0230.46486Keywords:
quality assurance; virtual higher education; educational evaluation; international standards; accreditation systemsAbstract
Introduction: The accelerated expansion of virtual education in higher education has increased the demand for quality assurance and accreditation frameworks capable of addressing the multidimensional challenges of digital environments, revealing inconsistencies in their conceptual foundations and implementation, particularly in Ibero-American contexts.
Objective: To analyze the degree of convergence and divergence among quality accreditation frameworks applied to virtual higher education in Ibero-America, identifying common dimensions, contextual particularities, and gaps relative to international standards.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, involving the identification, selection, and synthesis of scientific literature indexed in Scopus, ensuring methodological rigor and transparency.
Results: Structural convergence was observed in dimensions such as institutional governance, technological infrastructure, pedagogical design, and student support. However, operational divergence emerged due to differences in institutional capacities, regulatory frameworks, and levels of technological development. Persistent gaps were also identified in learning outcomes assessment, digital pedagogical integration, and alignment with international standards.
Conclusion: The main limitation lies not in the absence of frameworks but in their fragmented application and limited contextual adaptation, requiring more integrated, flexible, and context-sensitive accreditation models to ensure sustainable educational outcomes.
Downloads
References
Agencia Nacional de Evaluación de la Calidad y Acreditación. (2024). Guía de acompañamiento del modelo AUDIT para la certificación del Sistema de Aseguramiento Interno de Calidad de Instituciones de Educación Superior. ANECA. https://shre.ink/jNZP
Aheto, S.-P. K., Sasu, J. K., & Arkorful, V. (2025). Lived experiences: Educators’ perspectives in assessment within an online distance education nursing programme. SAGE Open, 15(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251340450
Aminova, A. I., Rodina, S. A., Erdes, S. I., & Matsukatova, B. O. (2025). Academic performance and quality of life of medical students: The role of traditional and digital technologies in education. Perspektivy Nauki i Obrazovania, (2), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.32744/pse.2025.2.7
Barrios-Ipenza, R., Calvo-Mora, A., Roldán, J. L., & Miranda Ayala, R. (2024). Quality assessment of graduate services: Kano model application to a Peruvian university. Quality in Higher Education, 30(3), 446–467. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2024.2326235
Bayhan, N., & Bayhan, İ. (2025). Good practice examples in quality assurance activities: A qualitative research on the Times Higher Education ranking universities. Researches on Multidisciplinary Approaches, 5(SI-IXASC2025), 21–32. https://izlik.org/JA44PR67CK
Bosov, A. V., Selivanova, N. L., & Pustylnik, Y. Y. (2024). Digital educational content for a modern lesson: Quality assessment technology. Education and Self Development, 19(3), 98–113. https://doi.org/10.26907/esd.19.3.08
Bretaña, R., Chávez, D., Fernández, N., Hincapié, N., & Bonilla, M. (2022). Certificación de sistemas de gestión y acreditación de la calidad en la educación superior. Revista Iberoamericana De Educación, 88(1), 67-84. https://doi.org/10.35362/rie8814779
Caicedo, N. and Calvachi, D. (2021). Estándares mínimos de calidad de la educación superior en Ecuador durante la pandemia por COVID-19, como medio de protección del derecho a la educación superior. Tsafiqui - Revista Científica en Ciencias Sociales, (16), 7-18. https://doi.org/10.29019/tsafiqui.v12i16.877
Cavique, L. (2023). Visão integrada do ensino-aprendizagem: Aplicação do modelo da Universidade Aberta. Revista Lusófona de Educação, 60, 31–54. https://doi.org/10.24140/issn.1645-7250.rle60.02
Chévez-Reynosa, N., Rosell, M., & Aguaded, I. (2021). Doctorados virtuales centroamericanos: educomunicación, formación de tutores y calidad en la producción de conocimiento. Media Education, 12(1), 79-92. https://doi.org/10.36253/me-10259
Comisión Nacional de Acreditación. (2021). Criterios y estándares de calidad para la acreditación institucional del subsistema universitario. CNA Chile. https://shre.ink/jNZv
Comisión Nacional de Evaluación y Acreditación Universitaria. (s. f.). Evaluación institucional: Criterios y procedimientos para la evaluación externa. CONEAU. https://shre.ink/jNZu
Consejo para la Acreditación de la Educación Superior. (2012). Marco general de referencia para los procesos de acreditación de programas académicos de tipo superior. COPAES. https://shre.ink/jNZ7
Davies, G. L., Webb, L. E. N., & Dinnie, A. (2025). Formula for success: Using an accreditation to excel data literacy in early-career sport performance analysts. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541251368751
De la Mora Velasco, E., Miller, R., Williams, F., & deNoyelles, A. (2025). Applying the TAM framework to inform faculty participation in course quality reviews. Online Learning Journal, 29(3), 130–157. https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v29i3.5079
du Preez, I., & Jacobs, L. (2025). Pedagogical and visual design principles for online learning material: Insights from quality guiding documents in diverse educational contexts. Interactive Learning Environments. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2025.2523390
European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education. (2015). Standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG). ENQA. https://shre.ink/jNZ8
Fernández-Concha, R., Lazarte-Aguirre, A., & Álvarez-Salazar, J. (2025). Friends or foes: Decoding OPM partnerships in higher education through text mining. Higher Education Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-025-00420-4
Gampine, I. T., Niang, B., & Kawedia Yakoubou, K. (2025). Toward a unified framework for evaluating online education quality. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 23(4), 37–52. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.23.4.4280
Gold, N. O., Coovadia, H., & Mahmood, T. (2025). Critical thinking development in a Quality Matters-based online learning: Student insights from a South African higher education context. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1642266. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2025.1642266
Heiser, R. E., Lazou, C., Mavraki, A., Psychogiou, M., Palalas, A., & Walsh, P. (2024). How do transnational distance education graduate students perceive quality? A collaborative autoethnography. Journal of International Students, 14(3), 254–275. https://doi.org/10.32674/jis.v14i3.6272
Instituto Latinoamericano y del Caribe de Calidad en Educación Superior a Distancia. (s. f.). La calidad y los estándares de medición de la educación virtual y a distancia. CALED. https://shre.ink/jNZf
International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education. (2024). International standards and guidelines for quality assurance in tertiary education. INQAAHE. https://shre.ink/jNZs
Khan, A., Afridi, A. H., Khan, M. K., & Ahmad, P. (2025). Examining predictors of perceived usefulness of learning management system from the perspectives of distance learning students. Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, 20(1), 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAOUJ-01-2024-0009
Lysenko, I., Verbytska, A., Novomlynets, O., Stepenko, S., & Dyvnych, H. (2023). Analysis of online learning issues within the higher education quality assurance frame: Pandemic lessons. Education Sciences, 13(1193). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13121193
Marcial Alamilla, D. A., & Villalobos Lara, R. E. (2025). Análisis de los procesos internos de aseguramiento de calidad en programas a distancia. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 10, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2025-1370
Mathur, S., Michelson, D., Shetty, T., Patel, V., & Field, A. P. (2024). Knowledge of Problem Solving (KOPS) scale: Design and evaluation of a digitally administered competence measure. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 9, 418–427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-023-00356-9
Medina-Manrique, R., Carcausto-Calla, W., & Shigetomi, E. (2022). Aseguramiento de la calidad educativa universitaria en Iberoamérica: tendencias, ausencias y desafíos. Revista Iberoamericana De Educación, 88(1), 33-47. https://doi.org/10.35362/rie8714774
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(3), 50–75. https://doi.org/10.20368/1971-8829/1135872
Nepal, R. M., Guragain, S., Ghimire, J., & Khadka, B. (2025). Quality of e-learning in Nepalese universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 23(1), 143–156. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.23.1.3955
Nguyen, H.-B., Vu, N. Q. D., Dinh, D.-T., & Pham, H.-H. (2025). Quality assurance in distance higher education: A bibliometric study of Scopus-indexed publications between 1993 and 2024. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 23(1), 34–52. https://doi.org/10.34190/ejel.23.1.3632
Ortiz-López, A., Migueláñéz, S., & Sánchez‐Prieto, J. (2022). Evaluación de la calidad en e-Learning en Educación Superior: una revisión sistemática de la literatura. Education in the Knowledge Society (Eks), 23. https://doi.org/10.14201/eks.26986
Pedró, F. (2022). La crisis de maduración de las agencias de garantía de calidad de la educación superior. Revista Iberoamericana De Educación, 88(1), 17-32. https://doi.org/10.35362/rie8814876
Ramezani, S. G., & Mostafavi, Z. S. (2025). Developing and validating a comprehensive scale for accreditation standards and quality assurance in e-learning institutions. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 21139–21187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13587-5
Ramezani, S. G., Mostafavi, Z. S., & Godfrey, H. (2025). A checklist for a comprehensive accreditation model for fully electronic higher education institutions. Higher Education Quarterly, 79, e70030. https://doi.org/10.1111/hequ.70030
Red Iberoamericana para el Aseguramiento de la Calidad en la Educación Superior. (2025). Red Iberoamericana para el Aseguramiento de la Calidad en la Educación Superior. RIACES. https://riaces.org/
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
Sistema Nacional de Evaluación, Acreditación y Certificación de la Calidad Educativa. (2016). Modelo de acreditación para programas de estudios de educación superior universitaria. SINEACE. https://shre.ink/jNZn
Skliar, I., Kostel, M., Melnyk, O., & Bliumska-Danko, K. (2025). Double degree programs and education for sustainable development implementation. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 23(2-si), 86–99. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.23(2-si).2025.07
Stefany, S., & Helmi, J. (2024). Digital literacy and online course design: Study of Indonesian educators. Cakrawala Pendidikan, 43(3), 723–736. https://doi.org/10.21831/cp.v43i3.71403
Susilawati, S., Supriyatno, T., Yasin, A. F., Chakim, A., Hani’ah, Z., Putri, C. A., & Sabri, A. (2025). Educational technology-based strategies for the internationalization of Islamic higher education. Nazhruna: Jurnal Pendidikan Islam, 8(2), 414–431. https://doi.org/10.31538/nzh.v8i2.63
Tajsic, S., Stjern-Vik, I., Meknas, D., & Bruusgaard, M. H. (2025). Use of and confidence in YouTube and ChatGPT in surgical teaching and training. BMC Medical Education, 25, 1512. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-07992-0
Timbi-Sisalima, C., Sánchez-Gordón, M., Otón-Tortosa, S., & Mendoza-González, R. (2024). Self-assessment guide to quality in accessible virtual education. Sustainability, 16, 10011. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162210011
Valdés-Montecinos, M., Correa-Castillo, S., Toledo, M., & Suárez-Amaya, W. (2021). Good practices in the self-evaluation of graduate distance learning programs. Apertura, 13(2), 158-173. https://doi.org/10.32870/ap.v13n2.1994
Wang, R., Chen, J., Zhao, J., & Fu, H. (2025). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Online Course Quality Improvement Based on the LDA-PMC Model. International Journal of Web-Based Learning and Teaching Technologies (IJWLTT), 20(1), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJWLTT.393044
Wen, Z., Wang, F., & Yang, N. (2024). Optimized evaluation of the quality of sensor video internet of things (VIOT). Discover Computing, 27, 45. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10791-024-09482-1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Millenium - Journal of Education, Technologies, and Health
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit proposals for this journal agree to the following terms:
a) Articles are published under the Licença Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), in full open-access, without any cost or fees of any kind to the author or the reader;
b) The authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, allowing the free sharing of work, provided it is correctly attributed the authorship and initial publication in this journal;
c) The authors are permitted to take on additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, post it to an institutional repository or as a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal;
d) Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as increase the impact and citation of published work
Documents required for submission
Article template (Editable format)
