Sustainability Framework for Online and Distance Education

ABSTRACT

The recent Covid-19 pandemic has drastically changed the higher education landscape and its future of achieving sustainability. There has been a surge in enrolment in online courses, and people have expressed greater enthusiasm for online-only options. While a few studies have looked at the impact of online and distance education on sustainability elements, little attention has been paid to the criteria of distance education that are economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable. This study considers the question of "How does online and distance education relate to sustainability?" and attempts to identify the criteria of online and distance education that are related to sustainability. Based on the Triple Bottom Line approach, this study employed a qualitative method by engaging several selected experts in Malaysia in a series of focus group discussions. The results extracted nine, seven, and fifteen criteria for online and distance education that can be categorized into the economic, environmental, and social pillars of sustainability, respectively. Social sustainability seemed to be the most prominent pillar in online and distance education. Future studies may further expand the applicability and operationally of the newly developed framework.