A NORTH-East college will be the first to use a pioneering system to enable students to study online.

Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College, Darlington, has signed a deal with a Norwegian IT company, Fronter, to create an online virtual classroom to allow more flexibility for students.

If the system proves a success, the region could lead the way in establishing the program, and create jobs for highly-skilled IT workers.

The application allows students to work on their courses, take tests and exams, view classroom notes, other documents and even hand in their work online.

Mike Pedersen, commercial ambassador for Norway for regional development agency One NorthEast, introduced the two organisations, which led to the deal being struck.

He said: "Both sides are really pleased with this deal. Fronter has taken its first step into the UK market with this product and the college is excited about the difference it could make to its students.

"Half a million students across Scandanavia and the Baltics use this system, but the North-East is pioneering it in this country.

"As the system is picked up by others, there will be a small number of highly-skilled jobs created in order to offer technical support and further development."

Because the system is based on the Internet, it means that students can work at college, at home, or anywhere there is a computer and telephone line.

David Heaton, principal of Queen Elizabeth College, said: "This looks to be an excellent system for the students to use, backing up their normal college learning with a resource to help them get even more out of their education."

Fronter provides the Intranet and e-learning platform for the University of Oslo, which serves all 35,000 students and employees at the university - one of the largest Intranet projects ever carried out in Norway.

The college is to host a presentation to show how far it has integrated the system in just a month.

It will take place tomorrow, between 4.30pm and 6pm. Those wishing to attend the presentation can log on to www.byteachersforteachers. com