Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Traditional and Non-Traditional Education: Challenges, Perspectives, and Future Directions

Abstract

Academic accreditation is critical in ensuring the quality of educational institutions and fostering continuous improvement, though it can sometimes overshadow key educational objectives. In e-learning environments, institutions face quality assurance challenges, particularly personal interaction and developing communication skills. Some employers still prefer traditional education over online learning, indicating the need to shift negative perceptions of non-traditional education. Student satisfaction enhances institutional reputation, highlighting the importance of refining feedback mechanisms to better reflect experiences. Non-traditional education is often viewed as a secondary choice for practical reasons like career advancement or convenience. Institutions must improve the quality of non-traditional education while addressing concerns from employers and learners to increase its acceptance and value. This chapter explores challenges, perspectives, and future directions for academic accreditation and offers a qualitative analysis of stakeholder responses.