Tartu opens e-university

TALLINN - Tartu University's launch of an Internet portal for online studying means students can take about 100 courses without leaving their dormitories.

The university has had video conferencing facilities since 1998, but the service was not popular due to sluggish Internet connections.

The new portal which opened last week is still mainly designed to handle text, but, with the aid of a password, students can now submit written work to tutors directly.

Starting next semester students will be able to choose whether to attend lectures or study from home.

With some 15,000 students Tartu University, founded in 1632, is Estonia's largest higher education institution.

Online studying gets a thumbs up from Reet Merilaine, second-year student majoring in Estonian as a foreign language, who has taken course in Estonian folklore through the Internet.

"The materials were at hand all the time, with plenty of links to additional data on the Internet," said Merilaine.

"It saved time and I could prepare for the exam properly - not at the last minute as often happens. For people who cannot often come to Tartu for lectures the online courses are the most suitable form of studies."

Within a year the university plans to offer some courses entirely over the Internet, said Aune Valk, director of Tartu University's open university.

"If e-studies are properly arranged, students find them fascinating and then online education might have even better results than traditional education," said Valk.

But traditional face to face contact with a teacher will always have its place, said Urve Mets, training consultant at Baltic Computer Systems IT company.

"We still cannot deny the major role of a teacher," said Mets.

"He or she can explain new material, draw examples and do other things computers still cannot do. I think that getting education purely online is not appropriate for Estonian students. International experience shows a mixed form of education gives the best results."