Distance learning and academic quality: perspectives with the new legal framework of 2025

Abstract

Society has undergone profound transformations since the popularization of the internet. Technology now plays an essential role in various spheres of social life, from communication to interpersonal relationships, from the way we express ourselves to the ways we teach and learn. In this context, Distance Education (DE), also known as remote learning or e-learning, has gained prominence, especially in higher education. With the growing adoption of this modality by institutions and students, it has become necessary to rethink its legal and pedagogical foundations. On May 19, 2025, Decree No. 12,456/2025 was published, signed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Minister of Education, Camilo Santana. This regulatory framework establishes the guidelines for the new National Distance Education Policy. The Ministry of Education's proposal is to promote a regulatory repositioning that brings greater conceptual clarity to DE standards and ensures more rigorous quality parameters in the offering of courses and curricular components in this modality.
Among the main points of the new decree is the redefinition of what is understood as in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous activities, as well as a concern for the quality of training in areas that require practical skills. Professions such as Nursing and Pedagogy, for example, have been criticized for concentrating a large portion of their workload on online activities, with little time allocated to face-to-face training practices, with internships often being the only required practical experience.