Towards a policy for distance learning in Iceland

Arnór GuðmundssonDirector of Education

Overview• Previous policy and its lessons: – distributed learning– Implementation and infrastructure– link to regional policy

• Ongoing work on new policy– process and challenges– vision and strategy– next steps

Distributed learning

Implementation of policy

• Differences between levels of education.• Link to regional policy• Infrastructure• Learning Centers

The Geography of Services

Number of students in distance learning

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 20110

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Upper Secondary schoolsUniversities

Distance students by region in fall 2011

Suðvestursvæði

Vesturlandssvæði

Vestfjarðasvæði

Norðvestursvæði

Norðaustursvæði

Austursvæði

Suðursvæði

Erlendis

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600

UniversitiesUpper Secondary schools

Vision• In Iceland students have access to distance learning that

provides more access to learning resources, flexibility in studying and diminishes regional and social differences

• Distance learning supports the opportunities of education institutions in the country side to offer greater variety of courses, increase quality and meet the needs of people in less populated areas

• Distance learning is of high quality and contributes to efficiency in education and the financing of educational provisions

Strategy

• Students• Teaching and learning• Curricula and course offering• Governance• Funding• Research and evaluation

Next step: ask the questions• What are the needs of the students?• What changes are happening in the area of

teaching and learning, f.ex. digital pedagogy?• How should we structure the curricula and

course offerings?• What kind of governance? Networks? Regions?

Centers?• Funding models: money follows the student?• Research on pedagogy, evaluation