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WARNING: Rector Svein Stølen of the University of Oslo is aware that limiting infection is a social responsibility. At the same time, he believes that students should not be given the greatest emphasis on that responsibility. In August, he was a sponsoring protector of students in Oslo. Photo: Fredrik Hagen
Rector Svein Stølen of the University of Oslo fears that further campus closures will lead to school dropouts and loneliness.
Making all education in higher education digital is a measure the government is considering to stop the spread of COVID-19. It became apparent during Thursday’s press conference.
Rector Svein Stølen of the University of Oslo believes this is unreasonable.
– We cannot get into a situation in which everything that has an economic aspect must come before the students, because it seems right away. The long-term effect on society of not giving this group of young people the follow-up they need is much greater than what we get from the economic effect.
– These are young people. They build their own competition and the competition of society, and then we must help. This is an incredibly important investment for society, and we can’t imagine them developing so much competition by staying at home, says Stølen.
The leader of the Oslo University student parliament, Runa Fiske, tells VG that many students are having a hard time now.
– When you lose the social part of the learning environment and feel alone in a new city, it becomes difficult to learn. Digital teaching is not a good substitute for meeting.
– We think you have to think carefully before closing, he says.
This is how the government defends it
Research and Education Minister Henrik Asheim (H) is also concerned about students. But he defends the possible measure.
– This is a measure designed mainly in crisis situations to deal with local outbreaks, as we have seen in Bergen. I can assure Stølen that the threshold for closing educational institutions is high and I think they work well with infection control, Aasheim writes in an email to VG.
– I am also concerned about how our students are doing. Many have had to sit too alone in the bedroom, and it is clearly a challenge. Everything we do together in society now is to avoid having to close again, writes Aasheim.
It’s worse digitally
Studies conducted at NTNU and the University of Bergen show that students did not perform as well when all teaching was digital.
According to Universitetsavisa, 53 percent of Norwegian students thought the situation this spring was more demanding than before, and 23 percent thought it was much more demanding.
The students think that the worst thing about the situation is that they were not allowed to meet friends and that it was difficult and less efficient to study from home.
A survey by the University of Bergen shows that seven out of ten students say their study efforts deteriorated after the shutdown.
The case continues after the video …
Fear dropping out
Much of the teaching at the University of Oslo is already digital. Stølen says they do what they can to give students some physical meetings, but that is very limited.
– It’s a challenging situation. Students who have been home for weeks and months lack an important part of being students. It’s easy to think that it’s about watching a few lectures and then sitting down and reading alone, but you learn a lot together.
He is also concerned that the situation will lead to fewer people completing. By moving all teaching online, you suspect that students will lack routines and follow-through.
– We can lose a much higher proportion of students in this situation than otherwise, and I think the best way to avoid this is to have a certain physical presence, with infection control and strict rules.
