Distance education pros. Distance learning: pros and cons

The article we examined the question of how relevant it is today to have a diploma of higher education, and came to the conclusion that people with a diploma have slightly more chances for a more successful life than people without a diploma. Situations are different, and if earlier a lot rested on the geographic factor, finances and time, today getting higher education has become much closer and more accessible for all segments of the population. Let's talk about distance education, as well as consider the possible pros and cons of remotelearning.

Distance learning higher education is a modern reality that gives many a chance to receive the coveted document necessary for successful career growth and advancement. The pros and cons of distance learning are not axioms, these are only the opinions of most experts, but perhaps some minuses will seem like pluses and vice versa.

The pluses include:

1. Expanding access to education for those people who have no other opportunities due to work, family or physical disabilities.
2. Provides a teaching method that is best suited for a specific type of student.
3. Greater flexibility in planning lessons: students can determine the time and place of their lessons.
4. Greater flexibility in terms of location: students can study at work, at home, in the park, on vacation, and basically wherever there is electricity and a network.
5. Distance education makes students more independent and disciplined.
6. Facilitates student-teacher interaction.
7. The opportunity to meet new people from different cities during online lectures.
8. Save time and other resources, including paper. Most of the materials are in electronic form.
9. More affordable tuition fees than full-time training.
10. Democracy and the opportunity to get an education regardless of place of residence, physical abilities and other criteria. This type of education is of great social importance.

Students come to the university for various reasons. They may be interested in improving their careers, or they may simply want to broaden their horizons. someone wants to learn a new language, or get an advanced degree that has been postponed due to family needs or other reasons. And the main reason for choosing distance education is that students can study at their own pace or at a specific time and place that is convenient for them.

TO pros and cons of distance learning be sure to add your own criteria that only you know. There are people for whom such education does not fit in the head, as an equal to full-time education.

Well, such an education system also has disadvantages:

1. Lack of social interaction. If you are a fan of talking live with people, then you will clearly lack conversations and contacts with society. There will be emails, chats, letters. This is a slightly different communication.
2. The format is not ideal for all students. If you know that you have problems with motivation, discipline and other similar moments, then think about whether you can be collected and do everything on time. Online training is also training with a tight schedule.
3. Some employers do not take distance education degrees seriously. Of course, this is a temporary factor. Everything goes to digital technologies.
4. Requires adaptation to new technologies. If you've never been someone who enjoys working with new technology, you will likely get a lot less from your online courses than your more tech-savvy counterparts. Make sure you feel comfortable with computers and online programs before enrolling in this type of study.
5. Not all specialties can be offered on the Internet. It is logical that more practical specialties, such as medical professions, cannot be taught in absentia. But the list of available professions is still long.

Availability

Distance learning is a great opportunity to improve your level of knowledge and get a diploma wherever you are: even in the capital, even in the outback of Russia, even abroad. Therefore, this form of education will be very convenient for people with disabilities, young mothers, housewives and even military personnel. In most educational institutions, for the entire period of distance learning, the personal presence of a student at the university is required only to pass the state exam and defend the thesis.

Acceptable cost

As a rule, education via the Internet, in comparison with full-time and part-time education, is a more budget option. And some universities even provide the opportunity to get free on a competitive basis. Also, this way of teaching helps to avoid costs that ordinary students cannot do without, for example, for textbooks and stationery.

Ample opportunities and peace of mind

The Internet contains a huge amount of information, and students have the opportunity not only to correspond with the teacher, but also to conduct videoconferences. In addition, in the virtual world, as well as within the walls of the institute, essays and tests are written, tests and exams are taken, but already without that characteristic student fear and nervous tension.

State diploma

If you are at an accredited state university, you do not have to worry that the diploma will subsequently not be quoted on the labor market. You will be given the same state diploma as if you were studying full-time or part-time, and the form of study is not indicated in the document on education. Moreover, everyone knows that employers value practitioners who do not interrupt their work experience during their studies.

Available for people with different levels of education

The big plus is that with the help of this form of education, you can get both basic higher education and additional or second higher education. The palette of programs, terms of study and qualifications is also quite rich.

Not for all specialties

This is the main disadvantage - after all, you cannot learn without practice, for example, to be a doctor. Therefore, if you have a medical education, you will not be able to master such an important and responsible profession. This also applies to creative specialties, for example, acting, music education, ballet.

Personal motivation

Distance learning students must be willing to learn. When teaching over the Internet, teachers will not be able to control you. Therefore, this form of education is usually used by adults and independent people who understand why they need a diploma.

Underdeveloped system

Due to technical and legislative gaps, distance education in Russia is not yet so strongly developed as abroad, its quality can sometimes be inferior to traditional forms of education.

Appendix 16

MBOU "Secondary school

them. Dm. Batieva "s. Gum

Methodical development:

LEARNING AT HOME.

PROS AND CONS OF SCHOOL DISTANCE LEARNING

Katerenchuk Tatiana Borisovna,

IT-teacher

The history of distance learning in Europe and Russia ……………………… ... 3

Distance learning technology ………………………………………… ... 5

How it works............................................... .................................................. ..eight

Pros and cons of school distance learning ……………………… 10

List of sources and Internet resources used …………………… 12

History of distance learning in Europe and Russia

In Europe at the end XVIII century, with the advent of a regular and accessible postal service, "correspondent training" arose. Students received educational materials by mail, corresponded with teachers and passed exams to a trusted person or in the form of scientific work. In Russia, this method appeared at the end of the 19th century.

The beginning of the 20th century is characterized by rapid technological growth, the presence of the telegraph and telephone. But there are no reliable facts about their use in teaching. At the same time, the era of "correspondence education" continues, many universities around the world have conducted and continue to conduct it to this day.

The advent of radio and television has revolutionized distance learning methods. This was a significant breakthrough, the audience of the training increased hundreds of times. Many people still remember the educational TV programs that were broadcast since the 50s. However, television and radio had a significant drawback - the student did not have the opportunity to receive feedback.

In 1969, the world's first distance education university was opened in the UK - Open University of Great Britain, it has been named to show its affordability due to its low cost and lack of frequent classroom attendance.

Other notable universities with distance learning programs abroad: University of South Africa (1946), FernUniversität in Hagen(Germany, 1974), National University of Technology (USA, 1984) (DO programs in engineering), Hagen Open University (Germany), INTEC College of Cape Town (South Africa), Spanish National University of Distance Learning, British Open University Open School of Business, Australian Territory Information Network.

In the late 1980s, the availability of personal computers provided new hope for simplifying and automating learning. Computer training programs appeared on the first computers in the form of various games.

In 1988, the Soviet-American School E-mail project was implemented.

The pioneers of satellite distance learning technologies in the 1990s were the Knowledge International Association and its collective member, the Modern Academy for the Humanities.

In Russia, the date of the official development of distance learning can be considered May 30, 1997, when the order № 1050 of the Ministry of Education of Russia was issued, which allows conducting an experiment of distance learning in the field of education.

In the 21st century, the availability of computers and the Internet makes the spread of distance learning even easier and faster. The Internet has become a huge breakthrough, much larger than radio and television. Now it is possible to communicate and receive feedback from any student, wherever he is. The spread of the "fast Internet" made it possible to use "on-line" seminars (webinars) for training.

In Russia, distance learning is playing an increasingly important role in the modernization of education. According to the order 137 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of 05/06/2005 "On the use of distance learning technologies", the final control when teaching with the help of DOT (distance learning technologies) can be carried out both internally and remotely. The State Duma of the Russian Federation is considering draft amendments to the law on education related to distance learning.

Distance learning technology.

Distance learning is a way of organizing the learning process, based on the use of modern information and telecommunication technologies, which allow learning at a distance without direct contact between the teacher and the student. In some cases, it is necessary for a student to come for consultations, pass tests and final work.

The purpose of distance learning is to provide students with the opportunity to master educational programs directly at their place of residence or their temporary stay, to acquire knowledge on additional educational programs. As a rule, distance learning is an individual form of education.

The technology of distance learning consists in the fact that learning and control over the assimilation of the material takes place using the computer network of the Internet, using on-line and off-line technologies.

Interest in distance learning has been constant lately. At school, it confidently begins to win its place in the educational process along with traditional forms of education. In the field of informatization of school education, this phenomenon is undoubtedly positive: in its essence, programmed, distance learning requires the use of computer technology, and therefore, organically includes it in the educational process and attracts an increasing circle of school teachers to its development.

Distance learning is based on the use of computers and a telecommunications network. Computer communication means remove distance problems and make communication between teacher and student more efficient. Modern means of information technology make it possible to use various forms of material presentation in teaching: verbal and figurative (graphics, sound, animation, video). Computer training and control programs help students to master the educational material faster and deeper, enable the teacher to carry out operational control of the level of mastering the educational material.

In the process of conducting distance learning at school, all the main types of information services are used: e-mail; data transfer (FTR servers); hypertext environments (WWW - servers); resources of the world Internet (pages of the World Wide Web, databases, information retrieval systems).

With the help of each of these types of interaction between a student and a teacher, specific and didactic problems are solved.

With the help of e-mail, communication has been established between the teacher and the student: distribution of educational assignments, questions from the teacher and to the teacher. E-mail makes it much easier for the teacher to send out the material in bulk. Allows you to track the history of correspondence with the student.

FTR server services are used to transfer data (files), including large ones. FTR servers have convenient functions for organizing and controlling such transfers.

The teacher posts educational materials on WWW-servers. These materials are organized in hypertext. Hypertext allows you to structure the material, link links to sections of educational material that clarify and complement each other. In WWW-documents, you can place not only text, but also graphic, as well as sound and video information.

The resources of the world WWW-network, organized in the form of hypertext, can be used in the learning process as a rich illustrative and reference material.

A teacher, using search engines, reference books on Internet resources, prepares a set of links on WWW-pages containing material interesting from his point of view on the topics studied, and inform these links to the students. If they have Internet access, they will be able to use this material.

The means of new information technologies provide students with a variety of modern teaching aids. In addition to traditional teaching aids and abstracts, students are offered: computer training programs; electronic teaching aids; computer systems for testing and control of knowledge; electronic directories; educational audio and video materials; information materials.

The listed means are certainly capable of improving the quality of education, accelerating the study, assimilation of educational material, and control of knowledge.

In the remote mode, it is possible to send educational materials. In this case, it is possible to transmit through telecommunication channels not only text information, but also video materials. It is also not difficult to control the level of mastering of educational material through a system of tests and control questions for students. For these purposes, the systems of computer testing and processing of results are used. At the same time, the elements of distance learning are successfully applied in innovative forms of education focused on the development of students' creative abilities.

Modern means of telecommunications in distance education provide an interactive way of learning. Students are given the opportunity to communicate quickly, and the teacher is given the opportunity to quickly respond to student requests, monitor and correct his work.

Due to the interactive style of communication and operational communication in distance learning, it becomes possible to individualize the learning process.

This teaching method is quite effective in the following cases:

Implementation of projects and research works;

Working with disabled or frequently ill children;

For correspondence (external) training;

Working with gifted children (individual additional tasks of an increased level);

Working with children from the "risk group" (individual tasks with the involvement of parents);

Networking.

Distance education undoubtedly has its advantages over traditional forms of education. It solves the psychological problems of the student, removes time and space restrictions, the problem of distance from qualified educational institutions, helps people with physical disabilities to study, having individual traits and extraordinary characteristics, expands the communicative sphere of students and teachers.

How it works

How are all distance learning systems built? Naturally, on the basic principles of the modern Internet, combinations of web technologies, video communication, e-mail. So, for distance learning you need:

Internet at normal speed and a PC with a webcam.

Software for video communication - for example, skype (Skype) on the PC of the teacher and students.

A specialized website with training courses, which you go to, as a rule, following a link from the website of a distance learning school. The Moodle learning management system is most suitable for hosting distance learning tools.

Rice. 1. Distance learning scheme

How it works? Pupils sit in front of computers at home, the teacher - at the workplace, or also at home. Communication takes place through video communication, for example, via Skype (which has already become the de facto standard for voice and video communication on the network). At this level, the explanation of the material can occur and receive answers to questions. "How can you explain without a board and chalk?" - you ask. This is not a problem, the teacher shows the students his desktop, launches a drawing program (any tool that facilitates an explanation, presentation, video) and draws with a mouse or graphic tablet in the same way as on a regular school board. Tasks can be solved both in special notebooks and on a personal page opened in a web browser on a student's computer. The personal page displays the content of a website, for example, created in a special learning management system "Moodle". On this page, a student, having passed authorization, can choose a subject of study, view assignments, send them for verification, view auxiliary materials, etc. In turn, this web site is hosted just like millions of ordinary web sites on the Internet, on a server, dedicated or shared hosting. Accordingly, the teacher has his own level of access to the system and has slightly more opportunities than the students. Can create and edit course content, view assignments, and more. Test tasks, as a rule, are checked immediately in automatic mode. And the results of the studies are entered by the program and the teacher in an electronic journal. The efficiency of the entire distance learning system is maintained by a dedicated administrator, but this, of course, is primarily a problem of the school. The responsibility for the performance of the client side, the one that the student has at home, rests with the parents. Here are the most general principles of a distance learning system.

Pros and cons of school distance learning.

When considering this issue in relation to healthy (or relatively healthy) children, it should be concluded that ordinary, “live” interaction with the teacher is preferable, possibly supplemented by some elements of distance learning. This conclusion naturally follows from the undoubted importance for the child's mental development of including him in systematic educational activity under the direct guidance of an adult. In other words, the processes of mastering the products of culture and socialization should take place with the mediation of the teacher. It seems that what has been said remains true in relation to sick children and children with disabilities.

Such children need a living mediator not less, but more than healthy children. After all, socialization is difficult for them. Can the modern Russian education system ensure the natural process of their socialization? Can she give children with disabilities a complete education on an equal basis with healthy children? And you try to arrange a disabled child in a regular school. Even if they take him, no one will be able to provide the necessary training conditions for him. Our schools are designed only for children who do not have any restrictions due to illness. And a wheelchair-bound invalid will not even be able to get to the second floor, since there are no ramps in the buildings.

List of sources and Internet resources used:

Gusev D.A. Notes on the benefits of distance learning

Polat E.S., Moiseeva M.V., Petrov A.E. Pedagogical technologies of distance learning / Ed. E.S. Polat. - M., "Academy", 2006

Weindorf-Sysoeva M.E. Pedagogy in a virtual educational environment: a reader. M.: MGOU, 2006 .-- 167 p.

ru.wikipedia.org

http://nsportal.ru/ - article "Distance learning in secondary school"

1. Availability

Studying remotely, you can gain knowledge from anywhere in the world. You can study at home or while traveling, in a cafe or in the country - in general, wherever there is Internet access. That being said, you are not limited to a country or continent. You are free to study at any university in the world. This accessibility is the main advantage of distance learning.

2. Flexibility

In the process of distance learning, the student masters most of the material on his own. This means that he is free to choose the time for classes. For people who prefer to live in a non-standard schedule, distance learning can be a real boon. Also, this form of education goes well with work. Typically, online study times can be easily adjusted to fit almost any work schedule.

3. Saving money and time

An important advantage of distance learning is its relatively low cost. Of course, among the various online courses and schools, there are also those, the price of which is several times higher than the cost of contract day study at the university. But these are rather exceptions. For the most part, distance education is cheaper than daytime education. This is because organizations that provide training services do not need to rent premises, buy furniture and equipment, and maintain a permanent staff of teachers.

Learning remotely, a person does not depend on transport. In addition to saving money, this allows you to save a lot of free time.

4. Specific knowledge

Distance learning gives a person a specific set of knowledge and skills. You get exactly what you pay for.

Everyone who studied at the university came across frankly unnecessary subjects that do not fit into the picture of specialized education. Humanitarians in universities are tortured with mathematics, mathematicians - with philosophy, and everyone is tortured with physical education. Distance learning is free from the excesses of academic education. And if you pay for programming courses, you won't be forced to run and jump.

5. Relevance of knowledge

In recent years, the prestige of traditional education has declined markedly. Many people with a university degree do not find work in their specialty. Graduates of technical faculties become managers in offices, former students of philology become sales consultants. Against this background, the prestige of traditional university education is declining.

On the other hand, the prestige of distance learning is growing. Today, a person who has studied a specific course remotely is in an advantageous position. He has more chances to apply knowledge in practice than someone who has been studying abstract subjects that are inapplicable in real life for years.

Cons of distance learning

1. Limited choice

Unfortunately, not everything can be studied remotely. In some cases, it is impossible to do without practical training under the guidance of an experienced mentor. Remotely you can study history or literature, you can become an excellent designer or programmer. But you cannot learn to be a pilot or a surgeon.

Perhaps the situation will change in the near future. One day, virtual reality technology will allow people from different parts of the planet to take part in joint laboratory work. When this happens, the list of professions and skills that can be learned remotely will greatly expand.

2. Lack of personal communication

Full-time education is valuable not only for the set of knowledge. An important element of offline learning is personal communication. Receiving a traditional higher education, the student cooks for several years in the seething cauldron of university life. He interacts with teachers and classmates in an informal setting. Such communication can generate amazing ideas and radically change the fate of people.

If Bill Gates had studied remotely at Harvard, he would never have met Steve Ballmer or founded Microsoft.

3. Absence of positive "side effects"

The fact that distance learning gives a person a specific set of knowledge can be considered not only a plus, but also a minus. By studying remotely, a person deprives himself of many of the positive "side effects" of an academic education.

For example, the process of taking notes of long lectures trains your writing speed, develops mechanical memory, and teaches you to isolate the most important fragments from the flow of information on the fly. All these skills are very useful in everyday life, but distance learning does not provide them.

4. Insidious circumstances

In the course of distance learning, you are likely to face unforeseen circumstances that will get in your way. For example, at the most inopportune moment, your light may turn off or your computer may fail. And the Internet can go off right during an important online seminar, and you can't do anything about it. Distance learning makes you dependent on technology.

Of course, you can get stuck in an elevator on your way to university. But if you have already reached the physical place of study, there is little that can prevent you from gaining knowledge.

5. Lack of control

The lack of constant control from the teacher is a minus, which can be easily confused with a plus. But not everything is so simple. At first, the student may feel that the lack of control gives him additional freedom. In fact, distance learning requires strong motivation and rigid self-discipline from the student.

In the process of distance learning, you will have to draw up curricula yourself, and then monitor their implementation, constantly struggle with the desire to relax and postpone work for later.

Conclusion

Distance learning will inevitably force you to fight your toughest foe - your own laziness. And if you are not ready for this fight, it is better not to start the fight at all. However, if you are confident in your abilities and are determined to learn, distance education offers a variety of opportunities for professional and personal development.

You can study anywhere. It is not necessary to travel to Moscow, St. Petersburg or any other large city to get an education. And you don't need to spend two hours a day to get to the university;

Most often, the student himself determines the time of study convenient for him;

You can completely change your profession without leaving your main job;

Distance education is usually much cheaper than full-time or part-time;

Your knowledge is assessed more objectively, since the teacher does not know you personally and therefore treats you with an open mind;

The training program is usually drawn up individually, you can shorten or expand it depending on your capabilities and needs;

The latest technologies are used for training, you receive the latest information on your specialty. No outdated tutorials.

There is no personal contact with the teacher. As already mentioned, on the one hand, this is a plus, because the absence of personal contact guarantees impartiality in assessing your knowledge. On the other hand, this is also a minus, since learning is “faceless”: the teacher cannot “infect” you with his interest in the subject via the Internet.

Learning remotely makes it harder to develop practical skills. In some universities, it is envisaged that with distance learning you will come to practical classes, however, in order to consolidate a skill, you still need regular practice.

One of the delights of full-time education is student life, communication with fellow students, and attending lectures. With distance learning, you stew in your own juice. Of course, there is online communication with the teacher, and sometimes with other students, but it is unlikely to be able to replace the live one.

At the moment, the list of specialties that can be studied remotely is relatively small. Basically, these are computer or business specialties.

Distance education does not always imply constant tight control, so you need all your willpower to study, despite the fact that no one "rushes" you.

To date, distance programs are not yet well developed, because this is a relatively new direction in education. By itself, this way of teaching has a number of features, and they should be taken into account when compiling teaching aids, and in practice the same materials are often used as for full-time education.

If this is your first higher education, then there may be problems when looking for a job, since employers still prefer full-time students. True, the diploma or certificate may not indicate the form of education.

Not all universities issue state diplomas.

Who is distance learning suitable for:

Those who are already working in a certain specialty and want to receive an appropriate diploma, while continuing to work;

Those who want to get a second higher education, but at the same time do not have the opportunity to attend lectures;

Women on maternity leave, as this will allow them to combine childcare and study;

Those who want to improve their qualifications;

Those who do not have the opportunity to move to the metropolis for study.

Where to go to study?

If you want to get a full-fledged distance education, then the choice of a university should be approached very carefully. You should not sign up for the first program you come across just because, for example, it is free.

Now many large universities in Moscow offer distance learning, so it is better to focus on the name of the university, although the prices there, of course, will be appropriate.

When choosing distance education, pay attention to the following points:

The name of the university. If you are unfamiliar with it, then check that the educational institution has a state license;

What document is issued at the end of training;

How the training proceeds: what technologies are used and in what form is knowledge tested;

How often do you need to come to the university and how the final exams are passed.

Also, be sure to read reviews about your chosen educational institution and, in particular, about the course you are interested in.

Of course, it is best to receive distance education in well-known and well-established universities. And today, many large Russian educational institutions provide such an opportunity.