Equity, pedagogy, and artificial intelligence as research axes in distance education
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53732/rccsociales/e81013Keywords:
distance education, equal education opportunities, digital divide, educational technology, artificial intelligence, social justiceAbstract
The objective of this reflection article is to propose a comprehensive research agenda based on three interdependent axes for distance education: equity, pedagogy, and artificial intelligence. Methodologically, a reflective design with a quantitative and qualitative documentary base was applied. The initial population consisted of 84 publications identified through Boolean operators in Scopus, Web of Science, and ERIC (2020–2025); after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria based on relevance and peer review, a final analytical sample of 20 indexed articles was selected. The results demonstrate that equity acts as a multidimensional pillar to mitigate the digital divides of access, skills, and outcomes, while pedagogy demands a human-centered techno-pedagogical design that conditions the adoption of smart environments. As a main conclusion, it is established that a sustainable digital education is only viable by maintaining an ethical stance on governance, in which artificial intelligence tools and learning analytics are rigorously subordinated to pedagogical principles and the imperatives of social justice.
Downloads
References
Bates, T., Cobo, C., Mariño, O., & Wheeler, S. (2020). Can artificial intelligence transform higher education? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17(1), Article 42. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-00218-x
Bauer, E., Richters, C., Pickal, A. J., Klippert, M., Sailer, M., & Stadler, M. (2025). Effects of AI-generated adaptive feedback on statistical skills and interest in statistics: A field experiment in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 56(5), 1735–1757
Beaunoyer, E., Dupéré, S., & Guitton, M. J. (2020). COVID-19 and digital inequalities: Reciprocal impacts and mitigation strategies. Computers in Human Behavior, 111, Article 106424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106424
Capinding, C. V. (2024). Transformative pedagogy in the digital age: Unraveling the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education students. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 82(5), 630–657. https://doi.org/10.33225/pec/24.82.630
Chamo, N., Biberman-Shalev, L., Bar-Tal, S., & Broza, O. (2025). Heutagogy meets generative ai in teacher education: examining an evolving synergy. Journal of Posthumanism, 5(7), 1189–1208. https://doi.org/10.63332/joph.v5i7.2906
González-Betancor, S. M., Costas-Centivany, A., & Dorta-Guerra, R. (2021). Digital inequality at home. The school as compensatory agent. Computers & Education, 168, Article 104195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104195
Hills, M., Rogers, S. L., & McKenzie, K. (2022). Applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in higher education through smart technologies: A practical framework. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 35(2), 143–159. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1345672.pdf
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The difference between emergency remote teaching and online learning. EDUCAUSE Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Kizilcec, R. F., & Lee, H. (2022). Algorithmic fairness in education. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2007.05443
Lee, D., & Yeo, S. (2022). Developing an ai-based chatbot for practicing responsive teaching in mathematics. Computers & Education, 191, Article 104646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2022.104646
O'Sullivan, P. & Forgette, C. (2024). The Impact of Digital Learning on Minoritized and Poverty-Affected Students: 12 Instructors' Stories. Every Learner Everywhere. https://www.everylearnereverywhere.org/resources/the-impact-of-digital-learning-on-minoritized-and-poverty-affected-college-students-case-studies
Melo Moreno, P. (2021). Percepción docente sobre el rol de los factores intrapersonales en el mejoramiento de sus prácticas pedagógicas. Praxis Educativa, 25(3), 1–20. https://www.redalyc.org/journal/1531/153170560002/html/
Rapanta, C., Botturi, L., Goodyear, P., Guàrdia, L., & Koole, M. (2020). Online university teaching during and after the COVID-19 crisis: Refocusing teacher presence and learning activity. Postdigital Science and Education, 2(3), 923–945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-020-00155-y
Salas-Pilco, S. Z., Xiao, K., & Hu, X. (2022). Artificial intelligence and new technologies in inclusive education for minority students: A systematic review. Sustainability, 14(20), Article 13572. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013572
Soomro, K. A., Kale, U., Curtis, R., Akcaoglu, M., & Bernstein, M. (2020). Digital divide among higher education faculty. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 17, Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-020-00191-5
Tapullima-Mori, C., Mamani-Benito, O. J., Turpo-Chaparro, J. E., Olivas-Ugarte, L. O., & Carranza-Esteban, R. F. (2024). Inteligencia artificial en la educación universitaria: Revisión bibliométrica en Scopus y Web of Science. Revista Electrónica Educare, 28(Extra 1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.15359/ree.28-S.18489
UNESCO. (2020a). Education: From disruption to recovery.. https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/education-disruption-and-response
UNESCO. (2020b). Global Education Monitoring Report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373718
Van Dijk, J. A. G. M. (2020). The Digital Divide. Polity Press. https://politybooks.com/bookdetail/?isbn=9781509534449
Zhao, Y., Llorente-Cejudo, S., Gómez-Galán, J., & Guerra-Antequera, J. (2021). Digital competence in higher education research: A systematic literature review. Computers & Education, 168, Artículo 104212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2021.104212
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Fátima Ayala de Mendoza, Perla Diana Candia Crechi, Lourdes Elizabeth Díaz Álvarez, Felipe Miguel Oviedo Frutos, Soledad Cardozo

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

1.png)




















Todo el contenido de esta revista, está bajo