Abstract:

Students and universities of the future will be faced with increased emphasis of digital distance learning. Bifröst University was founded in Reykjavík Iceland in 1918 on the model of Ruskin College, Oxford, under the name Cooperative College. From the start its role was to educate leaders for business and society at large. The school was moved in 1955 to 110km north of the capital. This century the University of Bifröst has been leading in digital distance learning in higher education now evolving it´s online based programmes for more than 20 years. When the Covid-19 epidemic hit the world, this university was in a unique position to tackle this crisis. Most of the lectures were already provided online in edited form, average length of 40 minutes each. The university used its existing software platforms to expand the online communication with TEAM meetings and digital workshops with teachers. External guest lectures were brought into the courses that sometimes were streamed to all students. Discussion boards were tried out more in many courses. Online exams and term projects were performed in the digital space. Some teachers experimented with new delivery methods of edited lectures, were shorter themes of 10–15-minute videos were presented to students, based on single theme at a time. This was well received and is in line with the research on attention span assumed to be around 6-12 minutes, taking in new knowledge. Overall, in student surveys about 80% of the students were positive and most of them very happy with the reaction of the university in the crisis and the organisation of the online events and digital workshops that replaced face to face meetings.

The findings so far suggest that a successful digital distance learning is based on well organised and programmed communication. The case shows an established online education provider that increased online touch points and expanded the diversity of digital inputs both with internal and external network partners. This case is an interesting reminder of the meaningful outcomes that can be born in a crisis, as well as providing access to education for people who live in rural areas, regardless of location. This can shed a light on how every educational organisation can learn from the experience of previously existing systems and how a leading higher education player can learn even more in a crisis to help enhance its future digital distance learning platform.

Keywords:

COVID-19, digital, distance learning, communication, Bifröst University.