Norway’s largest university is behind the times when it comes to making lectures available online. - The University of Oslo needs to keep up, says leader of the Student Parliament Mari Helén Varøy.

- Several international universities have broadcasted lectures online for quite some time now. It is time for the University of Oslo to pay attention and keep up. After the media focus in recent days on the decisions at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of Stavanger (UiS) to put lectures on iTunes, several students have contacted us, asking why UiO is not doing the same thing, says Mari Helén Varøy, leader of the Student Parliament.

She points out that the Faculty of Theology (TF) is so far the only faculty at UiO that has chosen to make lectures available online.

- It is positive that TF have chosen to make lectures digitally available at this early stage, but it is a shame that the students at this faculty are currently the only ones who can benefit from this access. Now the other faculties at UiO should follow suit, Varøy argues.

Strengthens learning

TF started making lectures available as podcasts on a separate website in the autumn of 2006, on the initiative of the faculty’s section for competence raising studies. According to Faculty Director Dag Myhre-Nielsen, TF have had positive experiences with this practice.

- Digital access to lectures has strengthened the learning process for our students, and it has not led to absence from lectures as one might fear, he asserts.

Karsten Tillerli, project leader of NettOp, the unit for internet based teaching at the University of Stavanger, emphasizes that lectures in a digital sound format can have a positive effect on learning.

- Our primary goal is that students should be able to access as much information as possible. All digital material that we have publishing rights to will be put on iTunes, from guest lectures to self-produced television programmes. We also want to give students the opportunity to publish their own footage of projects, films, theatre productions, and so forth, he states.

- Not entirely straightforward

The new editor-in-chief of Radio Nova, Kristoffer Ravneberg, aims to gain the right to record and broadcast lectures at UiO.

- We have wanted to broadcast sound recordings from lectures for a long time, but we do not currently have any concrete plans as to how we can make this happen. This is something I want to accomplish as editor, he says.

If a cooperation with UiO regarding this matter was on the cards, Radio Nova would broadcast lectures both on air and on their website.

- We would probably focus primarily on the biggest and most popular lectures, such as ex.phil, Ravneberg states.

Varøy hopes that the new rectorate will recognize the importance of making teaching digitally available.

- UiO has a new rectorate, and this may bring with it new opportunities to make this possible. It is important for the Student Parliament that UiO should follow in the footsteps of NTNU and UiS, she says.

Rector Ole Petter Ottersen emphasizes that UiO is concerned with making educational material available through new and creative channels such as iTunes, but as a state institution, the university must be in step with existing laws.

- This is not entirely straightforward. UiO is interested in everything connected to new teaching methods, but it is essential that this is based on voluntarism and enthusiasm among lecturers, and that the question of copyright is taken into consideration, Ottersen states.