DEOSNEWS Vol. 2  No. 19.  ISSN 1062-9416.
Copyright 1992 DEOS - The Distance Education Online Symposium
   
Editor: Morten Flate Paulsen, MFP101@PSUVM.PSU.EDU or MORTEN@NKI.NO
Review: Philip W. Pinder and Kenneth W. Borland
   
DEOS was established with a grant from the Annenberg/CPB Project.
   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
EDITORIAL
   
Celebrating the editor's return to Oslo, Norway, this issue of DEOSNEWS
presents distance education in Norway. Since I am leaving Penn State
University, Kenneth W. Borland (KWB107@PSUVM.PSU.EDU) has taken over the
responsibility of DEOS-L. I will, for the time being, continue as the
editor of DEOSNEWS till the end of the year and I look forward to collabor-
ating with Ken on both DEOS-L and DEOSNEWS in the months to come. My new e-
mail address in Norway is Morten@NKI.NO.
   
   
   
                       Distance Education in Norway
   
                                    by
   
                   Morten Flate Paulsen <MORTEN@NKI.NO>
                             Torstein Rekkedal
                   Morten Soeby <MORTENSO@EXTERN.UIO.NO>
   
   
Introduction
   
Norway is a highly developed welfare state based on an egalitarian society
with a high standard of living. A population of 4.2 mill. Norwegians live
scattered, mostly along the cost, in a large country with widespread
forests and rugged mountains. The coastline has countless islands, deeply
indented fjords, and stretches for thousands of kilometers. Around the
country, there are four universities and about two hundred, predominantly
public, colleges. As in other welfare states, public schools, colleges, and
universities do not charge tuition fees. This article describes how
distance education has developed and thrived in such an environment.
     The first Norwegian distance education institution was established in
1914. Later, Norway was the first country to regulate correspondence
education by an act of Parliament in 1948. Since then, distance education
has been recognized as an important part of the educational system. It is
predominantly organized by private, state approved institutions that in
several ways are supported by the government in collaboration with the
public school system. Most distance education students receive government
grants to cover parts of the course fees. Since the 1970's, distance
education has been incorporated in the increasing governmental support of
adult education and life-long learning. The distance education scene today
is characterized by a large variety of programs, media and technology
applications, research activities, and both competing and collaborating
organizations. An overview of the development in accredited schools,
courses, and enrollments is compiled by Lieungh (1991, 52) and presented in
table 1. Lieungh explains the considerable variations in enrollment with
changes in state subsidies.
   
Table 1. Development of distance education in Norway
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Year      # accredited schools   # courses   # enrollments
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1970           32                  1,093       163,024
1979           42                  1,300       207,000
1989           23                    850       153,000
-----------------------------------------------------------------
     One may describe Norway as a showcase for successful distance educa-
tion, but it is also a country with a higher education organizational
structure that has counteracted the development of an efficient distance
education system. For example, a 1977 German doctoral thesis, comparing
private distance education in 16 countries, showed that Norway had the
highest number of distance students per 100,000 inhabitants; 2.5 times more
than second ranked Japan (Karow 1977). At the same time, public distance
education in Norway was virtually non-existent. The primary reason for this
unusual condition is that the Norwegian government, at least since 1945,
has supported non-governmental distance education as an important means to
secure equal educational opportunities. But, in public education the
government has given priority to the establishment of public schools and
colleges virtually all around the country.
   
   
Distance Education History
   
     Ernst G. Mortensen established NKS (Norsk Korrespondanseskole) in 1914
as the first distance education institution in Norway. His work was
influenced by visits to the USA and to Hermods in Sweden. Before World War
II, several other correspondence schools were established. During the war,
public schools were closed and teachers arrested. Hence, enrollment in
existing correspondence schools multiplied and more than sixty additional
correspondence initiatives were registered (Oestlyngen 1947). When the
Norwegian government planned the reconstruction of the post-war school
system, the coordinating committee for schools and education proposed to
establish a public correspondence school encompassing all levels of educa-
tion. This proposed "State Correspondence School" was supposed to develop
courses and apply appropriate media dependent on the development of
technology in the future. But, this idea was never realised. The planning
process, however, resulted in the 1948 Act on Correspondence Education.
According to the authors' knowledge, the Norwegian 1948 act was for about
25 years the only law in the world regulating distance education. According
to the law, the Correspondence Schools Council was established as an
executive office to support the Ministry of Education in the regulation and
accreditation of distance education schools and courses.
     The Council contributed to the general perception that Norway has a
high quality distance education system and to the fact that distance educa-
tion is considered as an important part of the total educational system.
This situation is also due to the country's vast distances and sparsely
populated areas and to the predominant social ideology that supports
educational opportunities for all adults. In 1975, the Parliament decided
to provide financial aid to correspondence students and presently, all
students enrolled in courses accredited by the Correspondence Schools
Council receive substantial financial support.
     The idea of public organized distance education was never abandoned.
During the 60's and 70's, new initiatives were introduced to establish a
strong public institution for distance education, but contrary to many
other countries, Norway decided not to establish a national open univer-
sity, maintaining that there was neither an economical reason to support it
nor a population base to justify it. Instead, the efforts resulted in the
establishment of the Norwegian State Institution for Distance Education
(NFU). It uses a "networking model" to promote distance education by
initiating and coordinating the development and distribution of distance
education programs in collaboration with the National Broadcasting Corpor-
ation, publishers, the National Film Board, private distance education
institutions and agencies, and the public school and university system.
     Historically, Norwegian distance education has been dominated by
private institutions, concentrating on the secondary level. The activities
have been morally and financially supported by the government. There are
many examples of projects where organizations have cooperated successfully.
For instance, correspondence schools have cooperated with public univer-
sities and colleges to provide post secondary courses throughout the
country. In other cases, correspondence schools have cooperated with the
National Broadcasting Corporation to supplement correspondence courses with
radio and television programs. In most of these projects, and in many other
correspondence courses, distance education institutions cooperate with
local study organizations to arrange supplementary, local face-to-face
classes. This model, based on collaboration between national providers of
distance education courses and local study organizations that organize
additional face-to-face classes, is termed "combined education".
   
   
Organizations
   
     Norway has numerous organizations devoted to distance education. In
fact, one may question whether a small country can justify having so many
small, independent distance education organizations. Some claim that the
country would benefit from having fewer, but larger, organizations. This
statement is supported by the fact that several of the smaller correspon-
dence schools struggle to survive in an increasingly competitive environ-
ment.
     To date, 80% of the market has been dominated by two private institu-
tions; NKI (the Norwegian Knowledge Institute) and NKS (the Ernst G.
Mortensen Foundation). NKS has 70,000 course enrollments a year that cover
educational levels from secondary school to university degree programs. NKI
has 45,000 course enrollments a year with an emphasis on technical,
vocational, and administrative courses. The two institutions were original-
ly correspondence schools, but they have gradually developed into modern
distance education institutions--using a variety of media.
     The Norwegian government has shown a keen interest in distance
education and it has initiated and funded several organizations, such as
the Norwegian State Institution for Distance Education (NFU), the Norwegian
Executive Board for Distance Education at University and College Level
(SOFF), and the permanent Secretariat of the International Council for
Distance Education (ICDE). The government also supports distance education
indirectly through the state owned Norwegian Telecom (Televerket) and the
public Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK).
     The Norwegian State Institution for Distance Education (the Norwegian
acronym is NFU) was established by an act of Parliament in 1977 (Bakken
1991, 20). It is a small organization, employing about ten people. In 1991,
it had initiated about twenty multi-media projects. Among these is a
project about distance education that is intended to stimulate corporations
and educational institutions to apply distance education methods (Rekkedal
et al. 1991).
     The Norwegian Executive Board for Distance Education at University and
College Level (SOFF is the Norwegian acronym), was established in 1990.
SOFF does not offer distance education; it is a national coordinating body
established at the University of Tromsoe. The organization registers
existing and planned activities in distance education in universities and
colleges, guides institutions and students, coordinates activities and
stimulates cooperation between different organizations, suggests new
development projects, grants state funds to specific projects, and evalu-
ates the activities. SOFF also gives the Ministry recommendations for
allotting grants to a limited number of projects. In its Summary of
Distance Education Projects at University and College Level (SOFF n.d.),
the board identifies 25 projects that have received grants from SOFF in the
period from 1989 to 1991. The projects are listed in appendix 2.
     To stimulate the development of distance education, both in Norway and
internationally, the Norwegian government, in 1988, funded the establish-
ment and operation of the permanent Secretariat of the International
Council for Distance Education (ICDE). Since then, the Norwegian government
has partially financed the operation of the Secretariat. ICDE is a co-
ordinating body for international distance education and it is affiliated
to UNESCO as a Non-Governmental organization. The Council has members in
more than sixty countries. Among its members are the leading distance
teaching institutions in the world and national and regional associations
and networks for distance education. ICDE cooperates closely with, and has
arrangements of joint memberships with several regional and national
associations. ICDE was founded in 1938 and in August 1988 the Council
established its permanent secretariat in Oslo, Norway.
     The state owned Norwegian TeleCom has identified distance education as
one of its priority areas of support, and has sponsored many research
projects where telecommunication has played a major role.
     The public Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) started radio
broadcasting of educational programs before World War II (Pettersen 1991).
Today, it provides daily programs with an emphasis on language and high
school courses. NRK started broadcasting of educational television programs
in 1962 and educational television has been an important part of NRK's
mission ever since.
     The Norwegian Association for Distance Education (NADE) was estab-
lished in 1968 as an association of recognized correspondence schools. It
was reorganized in 1984, when membership was opened to universities and
public colleges. It is now an association of 19 institutions offering
distance education. Among the NADE members are: NKS, NKI, the University of
Oslo, the University of Tromsoe, the Norwegian School of Management (BI),
Finnmark Research Center, and the Norwegian Executive Board for Distance
Education at University and College Level (SOFF). NADE takes an active part
in cooperative activities both at the European and the international level.
     NKI, NKS, and The Norwegian State Institution for Distance Education
established The Norwegian Centre for Distance Education (SEFU is the
Norwegian acronym) in 1988. SEFU initiates, organizes, and coordinates
several research and development programs concerning distance education and
new technology.
   
   
Media, Methods, and Technology
   
     The schools apply a large variety of media, some on an experimental
basis others as a standard part of their programs. In some cases the
application of media/methods may be provided by a cooperating organization,
or a third party contractor. The most common media are:
   
     - Print and land-mail communication for correspondence
       courses;
     - Telephone for teletutoring and audio conferencing;
     - Audio tapes for presentations, exercises, and two-way
       communications;
     - Video tapes for presentations;
     - Television for broadcasting or distribution by satellite
       or cable;
     - Radio for local and national broadcasting;
     - Video conferencing using 64 kbit video phone or 2 mbit
       compressed video;
     - Computer-mediated communication;
     - Local face-to-face classes, week-end seminars, etc; and
     - Local study groups.
   
     NKI and NKS have led the exploration of new opportunities and innova-
tive technologies in distance education, particularly with regard to
two-way communication. The two organizations have extensive, specialized
administrative computer systems and advanced use of computer-mediated
communication systems. NKI started the EKKO project in 1986 to develop a
computer conferencing system for distance education. Today, the NKI
Electronic College offers a complete Information Processing Program via
computer conferencing (Paulsen & Rekkedal 1990), while NKS offers a
Business Administration Program (Soeby 1990) where PortaCOM, the computer
conferencing system at the University of Oslo, plays a major role. Further,
NKI and NKS piloted the use of cable television, telephone support activ-
ities (Rekkedal 1989), and, in collaboration with the Norwegian Telecom,
audio and two-way video conferencing as well as experiments with video
graphics (Rekkedal and Vigander 1990) and video telephones.
   
   
Secondary Education
   
     The non-governmental distance education institutions have a long
tradition of offering secondary level courses in general education and
vocational subjects. Open Secondary is a project that was launched by NKS
and The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in September 1991. It introduces
extensive television support to correspondence students preparing for
secondary school exams. It should also be mentioned that local high schools
have entered the field of distance education, partly by cooperating with
distance education institutions to be able to offer courses where they lack
local expertise, and partly by offering courses to adults in their geo-
graphical area.
   
   
Post Secondary Education
   
     At the tertiary level the private institutions may offer programs
accredited by the university system or cooperate with other tertiary
institutions that organize exams and issue certificates. Until recently,
distance education has been neglected in public institutions, but now,
universities and colleges exhibit keen interest in the possibilities of
offering their courses in non-traditional ways. This interest is partly
caused by moderate pressure from governmental committee reports and other
initiatives of support from the Ministry. This has happened during a period
characterized by a decrease in applications and by new opportunities in
communication media and technology. Recently, increasing unemployment seems
to have resulted in a surge of applications to universities and colleges.
Several institutions now consider distance education as a way to enroll
more students in spite of the congested campuses.
     During the last few years, the Ministry of Education has taken action
to stimulate the development of distance education within the college and
university sector (St.meld. 43, 1988-89, NOU:28, 1988). The Ministry has
appointed the four universities and three community college centers as
nodes in a distance education network. At the same time, the Norwegian
Executive Board for Distance Education (SOFF) was established. SOFF has
later identified the following challenges for distance education in Norway
(Grepperud and Stenersen 1992):
   
     - Higher educational institutions and their professional staff
       need to be motivated for this type of activity
     - Quality through collaboration
     - The development of a supportive tutor system
     - The need for an educational adapted technology
     - Laws, regulations, and general study conditions
     - Adaption to an international perspective
   
     Program and student characteristics. Most programs are of a modular
structure and multi-functional, i.e. undergraduate programs are also used
as continuing education programs. The modules are usually offered as single
courses and not as complete degree programs. Several areas of study are
covered, such as management and business studies, marketing, law, lan-
guages, history, mathematics, computer science, engineering, environment
protection--and a range of shorter continuing education courses. The
University of Tromsoe also offers some post-graduate programs such as
History and Nordic Studies. Most students are 25-40 years old, employed,
part-time students. Statistical data are scarce, but the number of programs
and students is increasing. The number of students is probably
5,000-10,000.
     Requirements, study load, and cost. In most programs, university
entrance qualifications are required as in traditional university studies.
However, some programs are more open, and the institutions can offer
exemptions from entry qualifications on an individual basis. Enrollment is
usually offered once or twice a year, but some programs offer continuous
enrollment. Post secondary programs use credit points. 20 credit points
correspond to one year of full-time study. In distance education programs,
the study load is normally 10 credit points a year. A national body
accredits study programs for inclusion in a national degree system where
credits may be transferred from one institution to another. Most distance
education programs are financed by course fees payed by students, covering
the greater part of the costs. State support and subsidies from the
institutions' budgets may vary, but usually will cover only a minor part of
total costs.
     Course development and production. Course development and production
processes vary between institutions. Some employ standard textbooks and
little additional course material while others develop extensive multi-
media materials specifically designed for distance education. Such self
study materials are designed by faculty members or by contracted course
designers. In these institutions, designers may have support from in-house
editors, instructional designers, and production specialists. In some
programs, several institutions (consortium institutions and others) have
organized collaborative course development and production.
     Course delivery and student support. A standard course package
comprises printed material in the form of textbooks, study guides and
notes, or specially prepared self study material. In some programs,
additional course material may include television and radio programs, audio
and video cassettes, and computer applications and courseware. The degree
of interactivity varies between institutions and programs. The most common
form of interaction is correspondence--sometimes in combination with
face-to-face classes, telephone support, and audio conferencing. Video
conferencing and computer mediated communication are still uncommon means
of communication, even though these technologies are gaining in popularity.
Student support is based on telephone and face-to-face counselling, local
classes or short seminars organized at a central location. Local support is
often organized by cooperation with local school authorities or voluntary
study organizations. Assessment is based on the correction of written com-
pulsory assignments and on written examinations of course modules and/or
complete programs. Grades are normally based on written examinations--often
the same as in public schools.
     The NKI College of Engineering has offered engineering programs,
partly at a distance, for 25 years, but most of the other programs have
been developed during the last five or ten years. Wilhelmsen (1991) gives
an interesting overview of these post secondary projects. Among these
projects are:
   
     The NKI College of Computer Science, offering a program in Information
     Processing.
   
     The NKS College, offering degree programs in Business Administration
     and in Marketing.
   
     The University in Bergen has offered a local history program via cable
     television and local radio programs that are followed by discussion
     and questions via telephone.
   
     The University in Oslo, conducting exams in Family Law based on
     correspondence courses from NKS, radio and television programs
     broadcast by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, and local face-
     to-face classes.
   
     The University of Tromsoe, offering a history course where compressed
     video conferences, provided to students at four sites, is an important
     part of the course.
   
   
Conclusion
   
     Norway has, in several ways, been a pioneer in distance education. The
country has a comprehensive distance education system that is acknowledged
for its innovative use of methods and technologies. One may also say that
the 1948 Act on Correspondence Education, the "Networking Model" applied by
NFU, and the "Combined Education Model" are models that have gained
international interest. Further, Norway has contributed to international
distance education through the funding of the permanent ICDE secretariat
and as the host of major international conferences such as the 14th ICDE
World Conference and TeleTeaching 93. In the future, traditional distance
education organizations face new challenges as a result of increased
competition from international providers and public universities and
colleges. These new competitors are, generally, resourceful organizations
that apply new technologies for two-way communication and conferencing, and
place less emphasis on traditional, preproduced distance education ma-
terial.
   
   
References
   
Bakken, A. 1991. Norsk Fjernundervisning. In Fjernundervisning--Laering
uten Grenser, eds. T. Rekkedal, B. Johnsen, and D. Blom, 19-22. Oslo: NKI.
   
Grepperud, G. and J. Stenersen, 1992. Open learning, distance education and
the challenge to Norwegian higher education. ICDE Bulletin 28(1):55-58.
   
Karow, W. 1977. Informationen. Privater Fernunterricht in 16
Landern. Ubersicht und Vergleich. Berlin: BBF.
   
Lieungh, G. 1991. Fjernundervisning paa videregaaende skoles nivaa. In
Fjernundervisning--Laering uten Grenser, eds. T. Rekkedal, B. Johnsen, and
D. Blom, 51-58. Oslo:NKI.
   
NOU 28:1988 1988. Med viten og vilje. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
   
Paulsen, M. F. and T. Rekkedal 1990. The Electronic College.
Selected Articles from the EKKO Project. Oslo: NKI
   
Pettersen, R. J. 1991. NRK. In Fjernundervisning--Laering uten Grenser,
eds. T. Rekkedal, B. Johnsen, and D. Blom, 27-29. Oslo: NKI.
   
Rekkedal, T., B. Johnsen, and D. Blom eds. 1991. Fjernundervisning -
Laering uten grenser. Oslo: NKI.
   
Rekkedal, T. 1989. The Telephone as a Medium for Instruction and Guidance
in Distance Education. Oslo: SEFU.
   
Rekkedal, T. and K. Vigander 1990. Forsoek med Telewriter i Matematikk-
undervisning. Oslo: SEFU.
   
SOFF n.d. Summary of Distance Education Projects at University and College
Level 1989-1991. Tromsoe: The Norwegian Executive Board for Distance
Education at University and College Level.
   
St. Meld. 43. 1988-89. Mer Kunnskap til Flere. Oslo: Kirke- og
undervisingsdepartementet.
   
Soeby, M. 1990. The postmodern condition and distance education. In
Distance Education: Development and Access, eds. M. Croft et al., 276-279.
Caracas: Universidad Nacional Abierta.
   
Wilhelmsen, L. S. 1991. Fjernundervisning paa universitets- og hoegskole-
nivaa. In Fjernundervisning--Laering uten Grenser, eds. T. Rekkedal, B.
Johnsen, and D. Blom, 59-66. Oslo:NKI.
   
Oestlyngen, E. 1947. Korrespondanseundervisning i Norge. Norsk
Pedagogisk Aarbok 1946-47, 173-183.
   
   
Appendix 1. List of Addresses
   
ICDE - the International Council for Distance Education
The ICDE Permanent Secretariat
Gjerdrumsvei 12
N-0486 Oslo 4
Telephone: +47-2-950630
Fax: +47-2-950719
   
NADE - Norwegian Association for Distance Education
Gjerdrumsvei 12
N - 0486 Oslo 4
Telephone: +47-2-950630
Fax: +47-2-950719
Telex: 72400 fotex n - att. NADE, Oslo
Contact person:  Executive Director Reidar Roll
   
NFU - The Norwegian State Institution for Distance Education.
box 8197 Dep.
N-0167 Oslo 1
Telephone: +47-2-564310
Fax: +47-2-564311
Contact person: Director Alf Bakken
   
NKI
Hans Burums vei 30
Postboks 111, 1341 Bekkestua
Telephone: +47-2-122950
Fax: +47-2-530500
   
NKS
Postboks 5853 Hegdehaugen
N-0308 Oslo 3
Telephone: +47-2-568500
Fax: +47-2-568537
   
SEFU - Norwegian Centre for Distance Education
Gjerdrumsvei 12
N - 0486 Oslo 4
Telephone: +47-2-950630
Fax: +47-2-950719
Contact person: Managing Director of NKS Erling Ljosaa
(Telephone: +47-2-56-85-00)
   
SOFF - The Norwegian Executive Board for Distance Education at University
and College Level
Norut Group
N-9005 Tromsoe
Telephone: +47-8-380300
Fax +47-8-312520
Contact person: Executive Officer Gunnar Grepperud
   
   
Appendix 2. Distance Education Projects at University and College Level
that Have Received Grants from SOFF
   
The University of Bergen
   
     Norwegian History
   
     Tilfellet Tellus (Environmental studies)
   
     Preparatory Project for Distance Education in Norwegian as a Minor
     Subject
   
     Interactive Video for Norwegian as a Second Language
   
The University of Trondheim - AVH
   
     Ten-credit Distance Education Course in English
   
     Distance Education in Mathematics using Electronic Communication
   
     Distance Education in Biotechnology at University and College Level
   
The University of Trondheim - NTH
   
     Preliminary Project to Develop a Nation-wide Service for Distance
     Education in Engineering Subjects
   
     Production of EuroPACE courses
   
The University of Oslo
   
     Environmental Management - 10 credit Distance Education Course (in
     cooperation with NKS)
   
     Law - Computer-based Teaching
   
     Distance Education in General Chemistry at University Level (5
     credits)
   
Stavanger College of Nursing and the University of Oslo
     Master Degree in Nursing Transmitted by Satellite - Health Profession
     Education
   
Norwegian Lutheran Hospital and College/Norwegian College of Public
Administration and Social Work
     Part-time Distance Education in Social Work
   
North Norwegian Conservatory of Music
     Computer-based Distance Education in Music
   
Oppland College
     Kongsvinger Project
   
Telemark Research Foundation/Telemark College of Education/The University
of Oslo
     Mathematics Education for Teachers-Distance Education with the Aid of
     Micro Computers and Telecommunication
   
The University of Oslo, Institute for Special Education/Bodoe College of
Education/Sogndal College of Education/Norwegian College of Education for
Teachers of Vocational Subjects
     Developing a Distance Education Study Program in Practically-applied
     Special Education for Teachers in Upper Secondary Level Schools-A
     National Cooperative Project
   
Rogaland College/Stavanger College of Education
     Distance Education and Information Technology as an Implement for the
     study of Dyslexia
   
Stord College of Education
     Educational Information Science
   
NKS Distance Education College
     Computer Mediated Communication in Distance Education. Course Develop-
     ment and Analysis within the Field of Computer Mediated Communications
     and Computer Conferencing Systems
   
Tromsoe College of Education
     Norwegian Process Writing in Teaching Practice. Computer-based
     Communication as a tool in Counselling Education for Teachers
   
Nordland College
     Export-Collaborator School for Fisheries and the Fish Farming Industry
   
Sagene College of Education
     A Half-year Distance Education Course in Development Studies and
     Global Understanding
   
Finnmark Regional College
     "Focus on the Firm"-a course in economical analysis and planning for
     small and medium-sized businesses
   
Norwegian College of Public Administration and Social Work
     Decentralized College Education in Economy and Administration for
     Municipal Employees
   
----------------- End of DEOSNEWS Vol. 2  No. 19 ------------------------
   

Top of Page

The American Center for the Study of Distance Education (ACSDE)
The Pennsylvania State University
College of Education
110 Rackley Building
University Park, PA 16802-3202
Phone (814) 863-3764  FAX (814) 865-5878
ACSDE@psu.edu
www.ed.psu.edu/ACSDE

©2001 The Pennsylvania State University
College of Education