Online Higher Education and Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review of Global Perspectives and Local Implications of Sustainable Online Learning

Abstract

As online education platforms transform higher education globally, critical questions persist regarding complex relationships with sustainable development aims centered on accessibility, quality, inclusion, and transformation. This systematic review synthesized 15 recent studies analyzing the nexus of digital learning, sustainability, and equity from diverse disciplinary and geographic perspectives. Findings reveal multifaceted tensions alongside opportunities at this intersection. Although virtual modalities promise flexibility and continuity, risks include exacerbating exclusion for marginalized groups and eroding academic standards in pursuit of profits. Key debates highlight public versus private funding models, techno-optimist versus critical perspectives, and global platform integration versus localized context-responsiveness. Concrete policy, practice and research recommendations emphasize needs for: comparative assessment of diverse programs, accreditation encompassing sustainability competencies, pedagogical innovation and faculty support structures, and transdisciplinary perspectives attentive to on-the-ground complexities. With care and intention, online tools hold immense potential to democratize access and better prepare learners worldwide to cooperatively tackle pressing challenges. But technocratic assumptions must be balanced with sustained critical engagement toward equitable and socially responsible outcomes.