The document summarizes e-learning in Norway, focusing on some major providers and innovations. It discusses the Norwegian Association for Distance Education, Norway Opening Universities, and notable private institutions like the Norwegian School of Management, NKS Distance Education, and NKI Distance Education, the largest provider with over 110,000 enrollments since 1987. NKI is highlighted for its individualized learning approaches using systems like individual progress plans and a learning partner system to facilitate online student cooperation.

1. E-learning in Norway: Some important features, projects and providers Morten Flate Paulsen NKI Nettstudier Professor of Online Education President of EDEN - the European Distance and E-Learning Network Find the slides via: http://home.nki.no/morten www.facebook.com/mfpaulsen twitter.com/MFPaulsen www.slideshare.net/MortenFP A 15-minut presentation at the eLearning Baltics conference in Rostock, Germany , July 1 2010

2. Presentation Abstract The presentation focuses on online education in Norway. It includes facts and thoughts on regulations, markets as well as technological and pedagogical innovations. The presentation also focuses on some of the major players in Norwegian distance education, including the Norwegian Association for Distance Education, Norway Opening Universities, Norwegian School of Management and NKS Distance Education. NKI Distance Education, which is Scandinavia’s largest provider of online and distance education, is presented in more detail. Among the NKI services discussed are the award winning Learning Partner system and the individual planning system.

3. Sources and further readings The Megatrends project published the book: The Provision of e-learning in the European Union. It presents data gathered from Norway and the 25 members of the European Union as an introductory overview of the provision of e-learning in Europe http://nettskolen.nki.no/in_english/megatrends/Book1.pdf Rekkedal, T.: eLearning in Norway. In: Demiray, U. (Ed.): e-LEARNING practices. Volume 2. pp. 515-542. Anadolu University-2010. Electronic ISBN 978-975-98590-8-4 (1.c) 78-975-98590-7-7 (tk.) http://www.midasebook.com/

4. Distance Education in Norway 4.8 million people live scattered in a large country. The first Norwegian distance education institution was established in 1914. Norway was the first country to regulate correspondence education by an act of Parliament in 1948. Today, 13 private institutions are approved by the ministry Most distance education students have received government grants to cover parts of the course fees. It has gradually been reduced from about 50% to nearly 0 during the last 35 years. See: www.nettskolen.com/forskning/23/deos2-19.htm

5. www.nade-nff.no The Norwegian Association for Distance Education and Flexible Education (NADE) was established in 1968. Since then the organisation has played an active role in the development of distance education in Norway. NADE is a membership organisation with about 30 members. They are both private distance education institutions and public institutions engaged in distance education, at all levels. NADE is a consultative and cooperating body for the Ministries in matters concerning distance education.

6. Norway Opening Universities www.norgesuniversitetet.no A national initiative for change and innovation in Norwegian higher education. Provide about 1,5 M Euro per year to R&D within online education

7. Market competition There are no public institutions established to provide distance education, but public universities and colleges provide gradually more distance and flexible learning Statistics Norway lists 12 independent distance teaching institutions. In 2009 they reported 18 376 course completions, 10 259 were women and 8 117 were men. More details in English are available at: www.ssb.no/english/subjects/04/02/50/fjernund_en/

8. Governmental support: 2002: 3.5 M Euro 2006: 1.5 M Euro 2012: 0

9. Developments / difficulties The institutions rely on the Norwegian language and face little competition from abroad. The position of private distance education in Norway is difficult, primarily because of reduced financial support and increased competition from public institutions. The number of private DE schools and students have declined steadily year by year.

10. Products and Markets Most students are adults Primarily courses and short programs from secondary school, vocational school and introductory college levels Most courses lead to a diploma or a job qualification Most students pay the tuition themselves, but maybe about 25 percent of the students are supported by their employers Distance learning establishments in Norway are entitled to award diplomas. The Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT) was established in 2002 for accrediting both distance and face-to-face education.

11. Teaching methods Online education, correspondence courses, blended learning Virtually no educational TV or radio broadcasting Printed material is still important, but online material is gradually more used Some mobile technology, some video conferencing Most course authors and teachers are part-time employed

12. European Megaproviders of Online Education in 2005 27 Nominated Institutions Sorted by Country Bit media (Austria) University of Liège (Belgium) University of Hradec Kralove (Czechia) University of Tartu (Estonia) Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (Germany) Oncampus (Germany) Hungarian Telecom (Hungary) Dennis Gabor College (Hungary) Scuola IaD (Italy) Riga Technical University (Latvia) Open Universiteit Nederland (Netherlands) NKI (Norway) BI (Norway) NKS (Norway) Sør-trøndelag University College (Norway) Universitat de Barcelona Virtual (Spain) Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain) Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Spain) Universidad de Las Palmas (Spain) CEPADE (Spain) Lund University (Sweden) Learn Direct (UK) Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) Staffordshire University (UK) The Open University (UK) The University of Leicester (UK) The University of Ulster (UK) An updated list with further information is available at: http://nettskolen.nki.no/in_english/megatrends/nominated.html

13. Norwegian Megaproviders of Online Education http://nettskolen.nki.no/in_english/megatrends/workpackage4.html Three private and one public institutions Institution # enrollments # courses NKI 12217 470 BI 8500 54 NKS 2200 104 Sør-trøndelag University College 2500 148

14. Norwegian School of Management (BI) www.bi.no BI is a non-profit private institution offering courses at higher education (tertiary) level and within vocational training. The Distance Education Centre has offered online courses since 1989. Apollon, self-developed LMS 17 full-time and 50 part-time employees 8500 course enrolments and 54 courses.

15. NKS Nettstudier www.nks.no NKS DE offers courses within higher education, secondary level education and vocational training. In 2005, NKS DE offered 104 online courses. The number of enrolments in the courses were 2200 in 2005.

16. Sør-Trøndelag University College www.hist.no Sør- Trøndelag University College offers courses at higher education level. In 2005, the institutions had about 2500 enrolments in 148 online courses.

17. NKI Distance Education One of Europe’s largest providers of online distance education More than 110 000 enrolments in online courses since 1987 Broad range of subjects from secondary to master level About 400 distance education courses online (all in Norwegian) About 11 000 online students in about 40 countries About 70 % women Revenue of 14 M Euros in 2007, 9.5 M of them from online education Individual progress plans/individual follow-up Thousands of potential learning partners Global student catalogue with 1100 profiles Always room for more students Exams at local schools and embassies Online students get better grades September 2009

18. Online access available for the remaining correspondence students in July 2009

19. NKI’s Philosophy on Online Learning We facilitate individual freedom within a learning community in which online students serve as mutual resources without being dependent on each other. We build on adult education principles and seek to foster benefits from both individual freedom and cooperation in online learning communities. Cooperative learning is based on voluntary participation in a learning community

20. NKI Innovations in Online Education 1986: First LMS 1987: First online distance education course 1996: First web-based courses 1998: First online journal for students (Nettskoleavisen) 2002: First m-learning courses 2003: Speech synthesis in all courses 2004: Individual planning system 2004: Continuous tracking of turn around time 2006: Learning partner system 2008: Global student profiles 2009: Individual progress reports Rosing Competency Award 2003 Baldic Award 2006 Tisip E-learning Award 2007

21. NKI students have individual progress plans UA students have collective progress plans Copyright Atle Løkken

22. NKI introduced the individual planning system in 2004 assignments that are completed assignments that are delayed according to the plan assignments that are planned

23. Boldic Award 2006 NKI’s Learning Partners Innovative service for voluntary cooperation between students in a large online learning community International award for the Baltic and Nordic countries. The jury stated that NKI’s Learning Partner Service: "Furthers and develops the Nordic tradition in ODL. The learning partner concept adds a new, innovative dimension of student support to flexible distance education.“ Learning partner - opportunities for cooperation in distance learning www.elearningeuropa.info/directory/index.php?page=doc&doc_id=8294&doclng=6

24. Make your personal presentation Decide who may access it (Closed, Limited, Open or Global) Search for potential learning partners Invite somebody to become your learning partner NKI’s Learning Partner System

25. Presentations May 2009 All 10102 users of NKI’s LMS have personal presentations which automatically list relevant information about them and their courses as shown below. 5299 of them have added some personal information, typically a photo and a description of previous education, work experience and personal interests as shown below. www.nki.no/pp/fagerbergtr

26. NKI has 1600 global student presentations www.youtube.com/MortenFP#p/a/u/0/gyQ1u977iwk

27. Other initiativ of interest in Norway ICDE – International Councilfor Open and Distance Education www.icde.org Supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research Secretariat in Oslo www.globalskolen.no – Online primary school for Norwegian children abroad EDEN – European Distance and E-learning Network www.eden-online.org Norwegian Presidents Multimediejournalistikk http://nb-no.facebook.com/pages/Multimediejournalistikk/115487248477879 Skandinavian online program in multimediajournalism

28. Questions? The presentation and more information will be available via: http://home.nki.no/morten https://twitter.com/MFPaulsen http://www.slideshare.net/MortenFP http://www.eden-online.org/blog