What is a distance learning system?

Modern realities require a person to constantly develop. If still some twenty years ago higher education was considered exceptional and was not available to everyone, now it is not uncommon for two, three, and even more diplomas. Implementing ambitious plans allows the availability of such modern technology as a distance learning system.

What is it?

The very name of the system pushes the answer to the question posed. The word "remote" implies the ability to learn remotely, that is, it is not supposed to be present in a certain place in a specially designated time for this. Realize this kind of training allows modern communications in the form of a global network, audio and video equipment, satellite communications.

DLS is a distance learning system that can be characterized as comprehensive, covering a wide range of software and technical communications, guidelines and organizational measures to provide students with educational information. It also includes carrying out the necessary verification of the acquired knowledge. For this purpose, computer networks are used.

It should be noted that such systems do not set themselves the task of ousting the traditional internal form, but only seek to integrate into it as efficiently as possible. The formation of this type of mixed teaching can positively influence the quality of education.

Advantages

Distance learning system has a number of undeniable advantages over other stationary educational forms. They include the following:

• The opportunity to study in comfortable conditions - at home or in the office;
• Individual approach to each student;
• Development of such important qualities as organization and independence;
• Considerable saving of time and effort;
• Availability of communication with the teacher - the opportunity to ask questions of interest in an individual mode;
• Personal terms, taking into account the abilities of the student.

Stages and process of system management

Distance learning system includes several stages:

• The first is the process of learning by means of programs;
• The second is the connection of some elements of classroom education, in the course of which various forms of control of the acquired knowledge are applied;
• The third - independent work, including search and selection of the necessary information for the performance of homework.

Interaction with students, as already noted, is done using global networks. The development of information training programs and materials necessary for the implementation of this process is quite expensive or it takes a lot of time and special skills. Therefore, to create a site, it is necessary to use the same thing that this learning system of remote control requires. This will regulate and control educational content and will provide an opportunity for its rapid development. The specified purpose is provided by systems that allow managing content, - Content management systems (CMS). With their help, you can create, distribute and manage information. They provide an opportunity to form and regulate the structure of the site, the design of its individual pages and navigation.

The meaning of the concept of distance education

The system of electronic distance learning is a comprehensive set of various software products and solutions, some of which are on the server, some on the personal computers of students. Interaction between them, based on the transfer of data, occurs through the global network. All information that relates to the learning process (timetables, programs, sheets, curricula) is stored on the server of the educational institution.

Here the goal of delivery of teaching materials is realized through electronic means. The face-to-face meetings of the teacher and listeners now serve to activate the education and include answers to complex questions, discussion of the problems that arise, discussions, etc. Such an electronic distance learning system enables students to more actively involve students in the learning process.

The spread of the distant form of education

In today's world there are many platforms that allow organizing e-learning. The country of their origin, as a rule, is the USA, but some time ago they appeared in Russia. All existing programs can be divided into two categories: commercial - with closed code, free - with open. One of them is the Moodle distance learning system.

Features of Moodle SDO

The popularity of this educational complex can be explained by its versatility and wide resources, using which you can create your own courses, staffing them with lecture texts, task books, presentations and other supporting material. To use Moodle SDO, any type of web browser is suitable, which makes it accessible to both the teacher and the student. In other words, the system acts not only as a way to organize interactive interaction, but also as an environment for the formation of various categories of educational material.

The author of the first version of Moodle is the Australian teacher Martin Doujiamas, who introduced it to the public in 2002. It was intended for university education, but later it was successfully used to organize the educational process in schools and corporations.

The Moodle distance learning system assumes the formation of an object-oriented dynamic learning environment. This means that its application is not limited to any one program, but forms a special educational sphere, suitable not only for the interaction of the teacher and listeners, but also for supporting full-time forms of education. It can also be used to organize and conduct regular distance courses.

Moodle has many merits. Among them are the following:

1. The possibility of free use, which does not provide for the availability of licenses, provides free updates and receiving of programs.

2. The program code is open, which allows to make its own adjustments taking into account the peculiarities of national education or other needs.

3. Continuous development and improvement of software.

4. Easy to install, update and operate. It is easy to install on an ordinary computer, it can work in all operating systems.

5. Functionality - allows you to manage the entire educational process.

Implementation of SDS in the practice of Russian organizations

The most famous of the applied today is the system of distance learning RZD, developed specifically for the personnel of Russian railways. It was created with the aim of unifying the requirements of the educational program, in accordance with which the training of RZD employees on labor protection and verification of their knowledge is conducted.

Its goal is to create a training system with minimal financial costs, which will increase the level of knowledge of the personnel of RZD in the field of labor protection. All this is reflected in principles that include:

• Creation of a continuous process of personnel training;
• Planning further development through research and assessment of competencies;
• The possibility of making changes in educational materials and programs on the basis of analysis of the statistics of monitoring the learning process;
• Simplicity and accessibility of the training complex;
• Flexibility of training materials and the reality of their adaptation, taking into account the characteristics of the labor protection service of Russian Railways;
• Wide opportunities for evaluating and improving the teaching materials of the courses.

The KASKOR program

An interesting example of controlling the knowledge gained through the SDS is demonstrated by the KASKOR distance learning system. This is a continuation of the above described, designed to monitor the knowledge of listeners - personnel of Russian railways. KASKOR is an abbreviation, which stands for: a corporate automated system for controlling the knowledge of employees involved in ensuring traffic safety based on SDS.

Used by CASCAR in the framework of performance appraisal of employees, quizzes and internal audit of knowledge. The program contains criteria on the basis of which it is possible to determine the degree of the employee's readiness to perform his duties, namely:

• Knowledge of documentation;
• Complex of professional skills;
• Level of psychological preparedness.

Russian version of DLS

The best option, common in the Russian-speaking environment, is the distance learning system Prometheus. This complex allows to organize a full-fledged educational process, including an independent verification of the acquired knowledge. It is designed for large flows of students. "Prometey" can be used both as an independent system and as an aid for traditional stationary forms.

The distance learning system includes a number of automated functions:

• Redistribution of opportunities and rights of access to the management of the system and to educational resources;
• Management of educational process;
• Maintenance and monitoring of activity logs of users participating in the learning process;
• Training and assessment of knowledge in the global network.

The "Prometheus" SDO includes a number of components that make it possible to automate all work. Among them, such as the subsystem of registration, payments, orders, group management, library, testing, etc.

Summing up, we note that modern technologies open up a wide range of opportunities for everyone who aspires to self-development and self-improvement. It's up to small people to find their own system among them.