Rectors are divided on Italy¡¯s decree governing remote learning, with some fearing a negative impact on enrolments while others argue the measures will boost quality.

The move comes after a?surge in online-only enrolments in Italy?from around 40,000 in 2012 to more than 222,000 a decade later ¨C a 410 per cent increase.

Among the most notable aspects of the decree is the introduction of a minimum quota for ¡°the synchronous delivery of lessons¡±: at least 20 per cent of lessons must be live, rather than pre-recorded.

Exams, meanwhile, must be taken in person at either the university¡¯s office or at examination centres, where ¡°at least two teachers of the subject¡± are present, with exemptions made for ¡°students with certified disabilities¡± or in ¡°temporary emergency situations¡±.

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The decree also establishes the ratio of students to permanent teaching staff: in scientific or technological fields, one teacher is required for every 150 students, while the ratio for the humanities is one to 200. ?

¡°During the pandemic and after the health emergency, online universities have seen exponential growth,¡± said Anna Maria Bernini, the Italian universities minister. ¡°They were the answer to a demand. The need today is for all recognised universities, online and in person, to respond to this demand in the same way, guaranteeing the quality of the educational offering.¡±

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Giovanni Cannata, rector of Universitas Mercatorum, said the new measures ¡°will strengthen quality standards regarding distance learning¡±. As his institution has already boosted staff recruitment and offers more than 60 in-person exam locations, it has ¡°already followed the new measures introduced by the decree¡±, he said.

Pegaso University rector Pierpaolo Limone said Professor Bernini ¡°deserves recognition for being the first to take concrete steps toward regulating distance learning and engaging all relevant stakeholders in the discussion¡±. ¡°Nevertheless, I believe they fall short of achieving their intended goals,¡± he said.

While the live teaching quota was intended to ¡°promote engagement and interactivity¡±, Professor Limone said, ¡°there is no scientific evidence to suggest that this specific percentage is optimal for learning, nor that live online teaching is inherently superior to other forms of learning activities¡±.

The requirement to sit exams in person, he continued, ¡°addresses concerns about academic integrity but overlooks the fact that cheating can occur even in traditional settings¡±. The new measures, Professor Limone said, ¡°may inadvertently undermine the flexibility that is the defining strength of distance learning, especially for students who are geographically remote or balancing work and family responsibilities¡±.

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Giampiero di Plinio, rector of Leonardo Da Vinci Telematic University, shared similar concerns. ¡°In-person exams are a major obstacle for our type of students,¡± he said, listing as examples ¡°workers, the elderly, people with few means who cannot afford residence or continuous travel to the exam locations¡±.

The decree requirements ¡°will increase our costs and force us to pass them on to our students,¡± Professor Di Plinio said. ¡°A rigid application of the measures would also significantly reduce enrolments or career continuations at [online] universities.¡±

emily.dixon@timeshighereducation.com