Is there a quality difference between face-to-face and distance education?

Abstract

In recent years, the expansion of higher education in Brazil has been based on the distance-education modality, especially in private, for-profit institutions. Considering that distance-education students generally belong to lower socioeconomic groups, analyzing this modality is fundamental in order to assess the equity of the system. Thus, in this paper, using the National Examination of Student Performance (Exame Nacional de Desempenho dos Estudantes, Enade) database, I checked whether there are any differences in performance between the face-to-face and distance modalities. Through logical deduction between school effectiveness theory and comparisons of Enade averages, I have tried to demonstrate that face-to-face courses tend to provide better learning. In a context of unequal access and profiles, it is possible to deduce that the expansion of distance-education is reinforcing the iniquity of the system.