Lidia Pokrzycka

The article describes the practice of implementing e-learning in Norway and Iceland using Oslo Metropolitan University, Reykjavik University and the University of Iceland as examples. The interest in this problem came from the fact that the Nordic countries are leaders in online learning and I had the opportunity to teach at the universities analyzed. Having close contact with the way of teaching in Norway and Iceland, I asked whether some elements of teaching from the analyzed Nordic countries could be implemented in Poland. Thus, the aim of the article is to introduce the basics of the specifics of teaching at the selected universities and to consider whether the proven methods can be implemented in Poland. The basis of the article was therefore participatory observation, and the results of work with Norwegian and Icelandic students prove that Nordic methods of work can be – at least to some extend – transferred to the Polish educational market (not only in higher education, but also, for example, in corporate e-learning).

This paper describes the system of journalists’ training in Iceland (in theory and practice), on the basis of research and the author’s own experience. After a series of lectures at the University of Iceland, an internship in a popular Icelandic paper as well as teaching courses at Reykjavik University, it can be concluded that the training of journalists in Iceland is modern, tailored to the changing reality. However, it is the media market that decides whether the education is valuable. In case of Iceland, this market is too small to maintain full independence from political authorities and advertisers.

The popularity of using e-learning in higher education in Poland is insufficient. The lecturers have doubts about the effectiveness of this way of teaching. In this article, the author presents examples of conducting classes in the blended learning formula along with the results of surveys, conducted among PhD students learning specialist English in the remote formula. Education in the social sciences is based on the practice orientation, transfer of specific skills, working in groups (eg editorial), discovering creativity through case studies. However, it is necessary to strengthen the trust in online learning, as well as to learn compulsory and verify learning on a regular basis. The basis is proper motivation of students to study and regularity of work using the elements of remote teaching.

The media system in Iceland is distinguished by its specificity. The country is sparsely populated, most of its population live in the capital region, distribution of newspapers for the rest of the island is difficult. Iceland, for a lengthy period, was dependent on Denmark, now people really care about the independence of their state. In this article I describe the condition of the Icelandic press, radio, television, and legal changes that were supposed to make Iceland an enclave of freedom of speech. An important part of the text is a description of the activities of media companies and problems associated with the journalists’ independence.

The Nordic countries are leaders in the readership of the press. For many years, Norwegian newspapers remained under the influence of political parties, but such trends gradually weakened. Usually, the main party groups set up their own diaries or assist in creating titles and kept close contacts with these newspapers. However, since the 1970s, the tendencies to politicize the dailies have decreased, and now officially none of the newspapers of Nordic countries has any connection with political parties. Party newspapers, playing major roles in the systems of polarized pluralism and democratic corporatism, were gradually replaced with commercial, profit-oriented newspapers. The aim of the article is to present the basic features of the Norwegian media system, as well as the specifi city of journalistic education in Norway. The author led lectures at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences in Oslo, so she could – in practice – check the quality of education in the Norwegian higher education system.