Towards the Creation of a Ranking System for Online Universities: Quali-Quantitative Analysis of a Participatory Workshop

Abstract

University ranking systems are being implemented by different organizations in an attempt to evaluate and compare Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) at a global level (Brasher, Holmes,& Whitelock, 2017). Such systems are strongly criticized for their social and economic implications, as well as for their technical implementation (Amsler & Bolsmann, 2012; Lynch, 2015; Bougnol & Dula, 2015). Nevertheless, they are unlikely to disappear, at least in the near future (Tofallis, 2011). Thus, along with finding out their weaknesses, further research should be conducted in an effort to improve them and overcome their existing limitations.