Norway appoints Commission to inquire into online higher educational courses
Historical archive
Published under: Stoltenberg's 2nd Government
Publisher: Ministry of Education and Research
Press release | No: 32-13 | Date: 25/09/2013
The Norwegian Government has appointed a Commission to investigate how Norwegian educational authorities and institutions shall relate to the rapid developments of higher educational courses supplied through the Internet.
The Norwegian Government has appointed a Commission to investigate how Norwegian educational authorities and institutions shall relate to the rapid developments of higher educational courses supplied through the Internet.
Recently, there has been a strong growth in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and similar educational offers. In principle, anyone may now attend courses taught by the world´s leading academics. The only requirement is an Internet access. Millions of people across the world are taking advantage of this opportunity. The number of courses and participants are increasing day by day.
- The development of MOOCs may bring about new forms of global competition, and may have consequences for both higher education and lifelong learning. Due to rapid developments in this field, it is necessary to carefully consider the impact this may have on Norwegian higher education. Therefore, it was necessary to appoint a fast-track committee to inquire into the challenges and possibilities provided by this development, says Ms. Kristin Halvorsen, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research.
The Commission shall map out the development of MOOCs and similar offers and compare the information gathered. The Commission shall also provide Norwegian authorities and educational institutions with recommendations on how they shall relate to this development and the opportunities provided by such educational offers.
The Commission will present its first report by the end of 2013.
In the summer of 2014, the Commission will present a more detailed report, including specific recommendations.
The Commission will be chaired by Professor Berit Kjeldstad, pro-rector for education at NTNU.
The remaining members of the Commission are:
Mathis Bongo, assistant professor, Kautokeino
June Breivik, development manager, Oslo
Endre Olsvik Elvestad, student, Lillehammer
Ola Erstad, professor, Oslo
Eva Gjerdrum, manager, Tromsø
Trond Ingebretsen, manager, Oslo
Arne Krokan, professor, Trondheim
Bergljot Landstad, manager, Molde
Ingrid Melve, technical manager, Trondheim
Harald Alvestrand, software engineer, Trondheim and Stockholm