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Mostly women on web-based courses
statistikk
2012-12-06T10:00:00.000Z
Education
en
fjernund, Adult education, accredited web-based schools (discontinued), Internet studies, adult education, courses, course completion, distance education, e-learning, main subjects (for example languages, social studies, service)Adult education, Education
false

Adult education, accredited web-based schools (discontinued), 2011

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The text was corrected and the tables were removed 26 June 2014, due to errors. You will find updated tables in StatBank.

Mostly women on web-based courses

Web-based schools had almost 20 000 participants in autumn 2011, and almost 7 000 course completions for the school year 2010/11. Women were in the majority on web-based courses, and accounted for around 60 per cent of the participants and 70 per cent of the course completions. Studies within business and administration were the most popular subjects.

The concept of web-based schools was introduced by the “Act on adult education” of 19 June 2009. These schools were previously known as “distance teaching institutions”. These statistics only deal with the web-based schools that are approved by the government in accordance with this Act. There are currently 15 approved web-based schools. Today’s statistics are the first statistics on web-based schools that are based on individuals; previous statistics were presented in a summarised format.

Almost 20 000 participants in web-based schools

Web-based schools are characterized as having a high degree of flexibility as both teacher and participant can communicate independently of time and place. The different web-based schools offer different educational levels; upper secondary education, tertiary vocational and university level. A total of 19 635 participants were registered in web-based schools in autumn 2011, of which women accounted for slightly more than 60 per cent. Akershus, Oslo, and Hordaland were the counties with most participants in web-based schools, with 1 800, 1 600 og 1 500 partcipants respectively. There were fewest participants in Aust-Agder, Sogn- and Fjordane, and Finnmark , which all had around 300 participants.

Course completions

There were 7 179 course completions in the school year 2010/11. Women were in the majority, and accounted for as much as 70 per cent of all course completions. About half of all course completions were by participants aged between 30 and 49 year.

Examination

Pupils who complete a web-based course at upper secondary level must sit their exams at an upper secondary school because the web-based schools are not licensed for this. However, web-based schools that offer vocational studies are licensed to hold exams within their field. Only BI is licensed for web-based studies at university and college level. Some of the web-based schools cooperate with another university or college, but students at this level mainly have to put themselves forward for examination at a university or college.

The number of course completions was highest in 'business and administration subjects', which had around 2 300 course completions. This accounted for 33 per cent of all course completions. The share of women in this subject was 70 per cent. 'Health, welfare and sport subjects' had 1 200 completions, the same number as 'Teacher training and pedagogy subjects'. The share of women in these two subjects was 88 and 92 per cent respectively. Men were in the majority in 'Natural sciences, vocational and technical subjects', and also in 'Transport and communications, safety and security and other services' with 51 and 84 per cent respectively.

15 approved web-based schools

There are15 approved web-based schools in Norway. Measured by number of students, NKI Fjernundervisning AS was the largest in 2011, with more than 11 000 participants, followed by NKS nettstudier, with 3 800 participants, and Folkeuniversitetet Nettstudier, with about 2 000 participants. Many web-based schools had few participants, for instance Studieforbundet næring og samfunn only had 31 participants. A further three schools had less than 100 participants.

With regard to the number of course completions, NKS Nettstudier had the most, with 3 050 completions, followed by NKI Fjernundervisning AS, with 1 050.

Most participants on upper secondary school level

Two thirds, or 13 000 pupils, participated in a web-based course at upper secondary school level. A total of 2 500, or 13 per cent, participated at a tertiary vocational school level, and 4 200 students, or 21 per cent, at university level.

Web-based schools are approved and subsidies are granted by the Ministry of Education and Research under the Act on adult education. In order to be approved, a web-based school must operate as a non-profit organisation, and distance learning must be the main activity. Approved schools must develop distance learning as a method of learning and ensure flexibility and quality in the education in order to fulfil the needs of the pupils in work and society, according to each individual’s qualifications.