Project of the Department for Scandinavian/Finnish Studies (ISF) at the University of Cologne to introduce additional e-learning courses into master degree programmes of so called ‘rare subjects’.

Project description

The network initiative j o l n e s – Joint Learning in Northern European Studies (previously E-Master Scandinavian Studies and Finnish Studies) is a cooperation project that aims to interconnect the teaching of Scandinavian and Finnish Studies in German-speaking countries, neighbouring countries and Scandinavia. Each professorship and thus each department is characterised by unique focal points in research and teaching, but access for students is often strongly regionally limited. Within the cooperation network, digital teaching is created and offered to all students of the participating departments.

The digital teaching in the j o l n e s - network complements the local classroom teaching. One to a maximum of two courses are offered per term. These can be online seminars (webinars) and digital or digitized lectures.

Flyer of the project

Purpose / How it works

The project is aimed at linking the international departments of Scandinavian and Finnish studies, to pool the resources and increase the share of digital teaching at the participating departments.

Students benefit from the wider scope of topics, higher flexibility in space and time and of course from studying in international student groups. Moreover, webinars and online conferencing tools take a more and more important role even outside of universities. Thus, students have the possibility to train skills like e.g. intercultural communication in a digital environment or distance team working by participating in the e-learning courses within the project.

The e-learning platform ILIAS used for the realisation of the project gives all students the opportunity to get to know the wide scope of research and teaching from different departments in the field of Scandinavian and Finnish Studies, helping them to individualise their academic profile.

A department entering the network signs a cooperation agreement, contributes at least one e-course or e-lecture to the e-learning platform, and teaches it at least once for the whole network. In return, the department gets access to all courses taught by other cooperation partners. All courses and lectures that are taught within the network are tutored and moderated.

The cooperation agreement guarantees students that credits, which they obtained in one of the network’s e-courses, will be accepted at their ‘home departments’.

Coordination of both the project and the cooperation network is executed by the project staff at the Department for Scandinavian and Finnish Studies at the University of Cologne.

Further information

A project report (in German) was published in 2016, providing more detailed information on the first years of the project and offering valuable tips for those interested in building similar networks.

For further information you are invited to contact our project staff.