Opinions about Distance Learning in Romania – A Comparative Research

Abstract

Distance learning is the newest form of higher education developed in Romania. Like many other emerging initiatives, this form of education has experienced in its early years a number of obstacles (related to the organization, the teaching methodology used, the assessment etc.). On this basis, we conducted a national research on how distance learning is valued by the main categories of actors involved in distance education: students, graduates and employers.The research aimed at investigating the Romanian stakeholders’ opinions on distance learning and the establishment of the courses of action for a better correlation between distance education and the requirements of the labour market and the knowledge-based society.To find those opinions, we carried out a national questionnaire-based survey, answered by a total of 405 students, 904 graduates and 825 employers.The results showed that the students and the graduates of this form of education do not consider themselves inferior to those who graduated other forms of education. Also, the impact of distance learning is a positive one for the Romanian employers; they appreciate the open and distance education and offer useful suggestions for the development of this form of education.The impact of distance learning is positive for all the categories of actors: students, graduates and employers. The results showed that the main priority for the following years is to increase the quality of this form of education, especially by emphasizing its practical aspects and links with the realities of the economy and the labour market.