The reform of electronic universities 2024 introduces important changes in the way lessons, exams and the number of teachers are managed for universities that operate in e-learning mode. The Ministerial Decree, currently being published, aims to improve the quality of online education and to standardize the accreditation criteria for universities that offer
distance learning.
In this article, let’s see in detail the 5 main points of the reform and what changes for telematic universities.
1. Increase in the number of students per course
One of the most significant changes concerns the number of teachers and students per course. Currently, for traditional university courses, a certain number of teachers are required in relation to the enrolled students. The reform proposes to allow electronic universities to increase the number of students per course without having to increase the number of teachers proportionately
.
For example, under current rules, if there are 500 students enrolled in the first year of a course, 14 reference teachers are required. With the reform, telematic universities could manage up to 750 students while keeping the number of teachers unchanged (7+3), with the aim of reducing costs and
improving efficiency.
2. Live and in-person lessons
The reform establishes that at least 40% of lessons in electronic universities must be done live, to ensure greater interaction between students and teachers. It will no longer be possible to rely solely on recorded lessons
.
In addition, telematic universities that offer courses in physical mode (in the classroom) will be able to accredit those courses as “in person”, without the need to accredit the entire institution as a traditional university. This simplifies the process for telematic universities that want to offer mixed-mode courses
.
3. Exams only in person
One of the most radical changes concerns exams, which with the new reform will have to be carried out exclusively in person. Online exams will only be allowed in extraordinary situations, such as health emergencies. This decision is aimed at ensuring the transparency and reliability of the results, avoiding any problems related to remote mode
.
4. Training and continuous updating
The reform also includes measures to improve continuing education for both students and teachers of telematic universities. It will be mandatory to regularly update the contents of online study courses, ensuring that they are always up to date with innovations in the sector. In addition, teachers will be subject to a continuous refresher program to improve their skills in distance learning
.
5. Course certification and national assessments
Finally, one of the most interesting proposals of the reform concerns the introduction of a certification for online courses, managed by the ANVUR (National Agency for the Evaluation of Universities and Research). Students at telematic universities may be subject to a national test called Teco, which will measure the skills acquired during the course. This test could be applied both at the beginning and at the end of the course of study to assess students’ level of preparation.
Although the Teco test is designed for all universities, both traditional and telematic, some academic representatives have expressed concerns that the quality of educational qualifications should be evaluated internally by the universities themselves.
When does the 2024 telematic university reform come into force?
The Ministerial Decree introducing the reform of electronic universities had to be published by the end of August 2024, in order to be able to apply the changes starting from the 2024-2025 academic year. However, the official text is not yet available. As soon as it is published, we will provide all the updates on the new rules that will govern the operation of online universities in Italy
.
The reform of electronic universities 2024 was designed to improve the quality of distance education, increasing transparency and regulation. The news concerns the organization of lessons, the number of students per teacher, exams and course certification. The Decree will soon be made public, and these new rules could have a significant impact on those who choose to study online.