Distance learning is an effective type of information technologies which gives new boundless opportunities in education. Because of the long period of application of methods of classical training, they were fixed in consciousness of people as the most effective, productive methods and enjoy huge confidence. But, nevertheless, they have several shortcomings.
In difference from a traditional classical method, e-learning is absolutely new method reflecting an image of modern life. Of course, personal contact with the teacher is very important in educational process, but, nevertheless, in electronic training there is a possibility of partial completion of this contact. Such kind facilities as answering the questions interesting for students in free and convenient for the teacher time, make training more effective. Teachers have an excellent opportunity of supervision over progress of each student that allows them to emphasize in those points of students’ knowledge where it has any gaps and defects.
Distance learning is very favorable solution of a problem of receiving a certain knowledge and abilities for those categories of people which owing to some circumstances, for example, the loaded schedule of work, remoteness of the place of residence from educational institution, physical restrictions in the movements, lack of opportunities of regularly visit educational institution.
Classical training (training directly in educational institution) is still ordinary phenomenon, that accumulated an extensive experience during the entire period of the application and includes many traditional methods, instruments of effective impact on trainees. However, using of classical training only becomes less actual and fruitful today, and bigger number of educational institutions comes to the decision of introduction of innovative technologies one of which is distance learning.
Training can be carried out in three modes: synchronous, asynchronous and mixed. In classical training the synchronous mode is concentrated on a certain interval of time when the teacher and all pupils are in classrooms or audiences and participate in educational process. At distance learning the teacher and students are present at the same time and participate in training process too, but here the effect of «live training» is reached by means of the special functionalities included in system of distance learning. The text and voice chats, seminars based on web technologies are striking examples of such functionalities [1].
Asynchronous training is the training where a teacher and students are involved not at the same time, and as a result, during this period they can't interact. At classical training students’ independent work, work on the book, homework, that is those actions which the pupil performs independently, and then on the expiration of some interval of time are checked by the teacher can be an example of the asynchronous mode. At distance asynchronous learning a teacher and students are also not in system of distance learning at the same time. But thanks to the system that conducts statistics of training and accumulates questions and results of performance of tasks, there are wide possibilities for teachers to participate in the course of training with insignificant delay. Besides, in some systems there is an opportunity to automate completely some processes in training, for example, opportunity to exclude need of teachers’ participation for verification of answers to a test tasks, the system itself will make it for the teacher.
The mixed training is a learning activity when two and more teaching methods are used. Many educational institutions mix some methods of training for providing the salutary atmosphere for students. It can be various combinations of distance (electronic) learning and contact (classical) forms of education. Possibilities of the mixed training are boundless and their main target consists of involving students in daily training.
Educational institutions and centers of training operating today can be divided into three groups on extent of «immersion» in the Internet.
If educational institutions’ work is completely constructed on Internet technologies that institutions treat the first group. The choice of a training course, questions of payment, work with students, mailing of control tasks and checking answers, delivery of intermediate and final exams, and also many other components of educational process are carried out through the Internet. These educational institutions, which sometimes are called as virtual universities, are equipped with qualitative software and hardware and have the high level of preparation of teachers and service personnel [3].
The next largest group consists of educational institutions that integrate some elements of distance learning with various forms of classical training. For example, some higher education institutions transfer a part of the program courses to a virtual form. Realization options can be various but in each case only certain part of educational process is computerized.
The third group of the educational institutions uses the Internet only as the internal communication environment and as means of placement of educational documentation, such, for example, as information on the training program, lesson schedules, electronic literature.
Modern courses in the system of distance learning can be divided into two types: credit and not credit. The courses which are officially approved in the accredited educational institution are considered as «credit». This course is set off to the student within the training program on any specialty and is one of the ways of receiving an academic degree. The course intended for receiving additional or after university education (for example for the purpose of professional development) and not providing an academic degree belongs to «not credit» courses. Such educational institutions found, so-called, system of «open education» and the prestige of the issued diploma isn't necessary for them. There is a big number of training courses on various subject domains that developed within open education. Courses of development of foreign languages and improvement of skills of work with the computer enjoy special popularity.
References:
- Андреев А. В., Андреева С.В, Доценко И. Б. Практика электронного обучения с использованием Moodle. — Таганрог: Изд-во. ТТИ ЮФУ, 2008.
- Белозубов А. В., Николаев Д. Г. Система дистанционного обучения Moodle. Учебно-методическое пособие. — СПб. 2007.
- Строим систему дистанционного обучения (e-learning) — Дистанционне обучение в ИГУПИТ, www.do.igupit.ru
- http://www.opentechnology.ru/info/moodle_about.mtd Компания «Открытые технологии». Статья «Преимущества MOODLE»
