Distance Education on the Stakeholders¿ Perspectives

Doctor in Business Administration by the University of Sao Paulo - Brazil. Researcher on the fields: Marketing, Statistics Applied to Business and Distance Education. Master Degree Professor and Consultant on Market Research.

This book evaluated Brazilian Distance Education (DE) considering students , instructors and institutional (coordinators points of view) perceptions under a services marketing perspective. A case study was conducted considering Open University of Brazil Public Management undergraduate course. Study considered three stakeholders, students, faculty and course coordinators.Students sample presented favorable perceptions of course quality, satisfaction, image, loyalty and institutional support. Significant relationship between perceived quality and student satisfaction was observed, as well as satisfaction and quality, directly and indirectly, influence student loyalty. Finally, image regarding the Open University influences course perceived quality. Instructors sample did not show relationship among attitudes and participation in DE nor among perceptions of technology and DE use. Coordinators reported within the main reasons for DE adoption the opportunity to disseminate education to unprivileged areas. Results were positive, reinforcing importance of the study of DE under business perspective in order to conduct an strategical education management.