The document summarizes the history and development of distance learning at the University of Akureyri in Iceland. It discusses some key milestones from 1998 to present day, including the expansion of distance programs to various locations and the increased use of online tools. It then outlines a committee formed in 2008 to develop more flexible distance options, and pilot flexible courses conducted in 2011 that allowed students more control over their study location and time. Research found students generally liked the flexibility but not all wanted it for all courses. The conclusion discusses the university's leadership in Icelandic distance education and plans to further strengthen flexible learning options.

1. Do we need more flexibility?
Distance learning in the University of Akureyri
Eygló Björnsdóttir

2. We started our distance learning in the autumn of 1998 with a
programme in Nursing that was offered to Ísafjörður (a little
town in the Westfjords) through video-conference equipment.
E-mail was also used.
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3. DISTANCE LEARNING AT THE UA – A FEW MILESTONES:
• 1999: Pre-School education
– The distance group and the on site group were seperated and didn‘t attend
lessons at the same time
• 2001: Business studies
– Distance groups at 12 locations all over the country. Splitted into 4 groups at the
beginning but at the end of the year they were all connected together.
• 2002: Fisheries Science
– Recordings from lessons at campus made available in Blackboard/WebCT.
– The Webconference system WebDemo also used
• 2008: Occupational therapy
– study independent in place and time; recordings, Blackboard/Moodle,
webconference system (WebEx), Skype
20.05.12 Eygló Björnsdóttir 3

4. EDUCATIONAL AND CONTINUING EDUCATION CENTRES
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5. DISTANCE LEARNING OFFERED AT THE UA TO DAY:
• School of Health Sciences: • School of Business and
– Nursing Science
– Occupational Therapy – Natural Resources with
• School of Humanities and emphasis on
Social Sciences: • Biotechnology
– Pre-school Education • Fisheries Science
– Primary and Lower Secondary • Environmental and Energy
School Education Studies
– Social Studies – Business with emphasis on
– Media Studies • Finance
– Psychology • Marketing
– Modern Studies
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6. DISTANCE LEARNING AT THE UA – TODAY:
• Video-conferencing is still a very common method
• Recordings from „on site“ lessons are widely used and
teachers in most faculties record their lectures and make
them available to both „on site“ students as well as
distance learning students
• All courses use the online-learning system, Moodle
• In most faculties students are required to attend study
sessions „on site“, for one or two weeks, every semester
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7. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTANCE EDUCATION
• In the year 2008 the rector of UA estabished a committee to work on
further development of distance education with more emphasis on
flexibility. It‘s goal was to:
– „identify practical ways to make the University of Akureyri a
leader in the development of distance education in Iceland
in cooperation with Educational and continuing education
centers all over the country
– find ways to make distance education accessible to as
many Icelanders as possible provided they have enough
preparation.“
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8. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DISTANCE EDUCATION
• In the spring of 2010 the committee handed in a report
which recommended the following:
– not to distinguish between on site and distance learning
– to offer more flexibility for all students when it comes to
time and location of the study
– all schools should organize their study programs with as
much flexibility as possible without reducing their quality
– to design and carry out three pilot-courses in the spring of
2011 with this new ideology as a guiding light
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9. THE PILOT COURSE IN THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION
• The course name is Information Technology in Education
• There were just two „traditional“ lessons; one at the
beginning and one in the middle of the course
• A facebook group was made for communication
• A Wikisite was also made for cooperation between
students and for delivering assignments (e-portfolio)
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10. THE RESEARCH
• 80% of all students liked to be able to control their study time and
not having to attend lessons at a certain location and time
• 80% of distance education students and 60% of „on site“ students
had no difficulty in sticking to their studies although their study
environment was almost entirely on-line.
• 90% of distance education students and 80% of „on site“ students
agreed that they would recommend this arrangement of learning to
other students
BUT.......
• only 50% of the students said they would like to have this
arrangement in other courses too
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11. WHERE ARE WE HEADING?
• „The University of Akureyri is a leading institution when it comes to
developement in distance education in Iceland. In that sense it has opened
doors to higher education all over the country. We try to attend students
needs, e.g. by organizing courses that are defined as flexible learning
without distinqishing between „on site“ and distance learning“.
• To strengthen The University of Akureyri as a learning community we will:
– organize more courses as blended or flexible learning
– Follow the development of technical resources to improve learning and
teaching
– Train and support our teachers in pedagogy and to make study material
suitable for flexible and blended learning
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12. Thank you for being attentive!

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