Abstract:

Distance education has its historical roots long before the emergence of online technology. The first recorded examples of distance education date back to the 18th century, with the use of postal correspondence to send study materials and carry out communications between students and instructors. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous correspondence learning institutions and programs emerged in different parts of the world, offering educational opportunities to those who could not attend face-to-face classes at educational institutions due to geographic, financial, or other restrictions.

The integration of technology into the classroom became a necessity in developed countries during the 1970s and early 1980s. However, modern distance learning has evolved with the improvement of technology, especially with the development of faster and more accessible means of communication, such as radio, television, and, later, the Internet. The emergence of the Internet and digital technology has further revolutionized distance learning, enabling the delivery of educational content more efficiently and interactively, culminating in online teaching.

Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted educational communities, precipitating an abrupt shift to online teaching for both students and educators. This sudden transition to digital education has prompted research worldwide, as it has fundamentally altered the perception of technology's role in classrooms. Studies on the subject analyze online teaching in several aspects: how it is going to affect education in the future, the education of teachers, the inequality issues in particular places in the world, the change in the participants' role, the student's motivation, or the teachers' weakness in monitoring their students' online progress, among others.

Open universities offer flexible and accessible education, transcending geographic and social barriers. By employing varied teaching approaches, such as online courses and remote tutoring, these institutions enable students to pursue education according to their needs and schedules.

The main objective of this research is to provide a summary of the findings and outline core avenues for distance learning research and the role that open universities have been playing in this landscape. The findings will allow new, more targeted studies within the avenues of investigation already underway, as well as identify opportunities for future research.

The study adopted a document analysis method of the literature on the subject. The main artifacts analyzed were articles from the B-On, during the period from 2000 to 2023.

Our review is of interest to researchers, practitioners, and regulators, and the primary contribution lies in providing valuable guidance for higher education institutions and prospective students, gleaned from a comprehensive analysis of the literature. Moreover, it aims to overcome the discrimination faced by online bachelor's and master's degrees compared to face-to-face modalities, promoting an inclusive and equitable perspective in the contemporary educational landscape.

As a final contribution, this topic is also in line with objective 4 of the Agenda for Sustainable Development of the United Nations, which contemplates quality education, since online teaching can help provide equal access to affordable education, eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to quality higher education.

Keywords:

Distance Education, Educational Environment, Educational Technology, Higher Education, Open Universities.