Modern distance learning systems help organizations quickly conduct training and certification of employees, regardless of where these employees are located: in Moscow or Blagoveshchensk, at a computer in an office chair or with a tablet on board an aircraft.

Judging by the descriptions on the websites, all LMSs are similar to each other: they have a simple interface, have the necessary functions and, at the same time, are cheaper than all the others. But as soon as you “push the buttons” in each one, it becomes clear that in fact all LMS are very different.

2. Mirapolis LMS - a platform for training and automating HR processes

Example of a standard user interface in Mirapolis LMS

3. ShareKnowledge - convenient integration of online learning into SharePoint-based systems

4. Teachbase - distance learning platform in an easy and accessible way

5. WebTutor - flexible configuration of LMS capabilities based on ready-made modules

Description of WebTutor

1. Availability of information. The site provides all the necessary information to get acquainted with the platform - there is a detailed description of the entire system as a whole, as well as each of its modules. After registration, you can create your own learning portal for free. The free version has significant functional limitations, but it is quite suitable to familiarize yourself with the system's capabilities. The Learning Portal has a list of frequently asked questions to help you get to grips with the system. WebSoft customers also get access to a private portal where they can find a wealth of helpful documentation and communicate with peers from other companies.
2. Ease of use. The standard interface of the system looks out of date. To figure out how to use and configure the system, you will need to further study the documentation and instructions or contact specialists.
3. Flexibility of settings. The appearance and structure of the educational portal can be flexibly customized to the requirements of each client; for this, the system has a large number of modules and components. Using these modules, you can build a small training portal or a full-fledged system of complex automation of HR processes. The WebTutor platform can be integrated with various corporate information systems.
4. The system can be deployed on a corporate server or in the cloud. International standards SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004, AICC and Tin Can are supported, there is a built-in test editor, as well as its own tool for developing interactive electronic courses - CourseLab. For the convenience of taking courses from mobile devices, there are mobile applications.
5. User management. The "Personnel and organizational structure" module allows you to add, store and view information about the company's employees, their positions and departments. You can group users and flexibly configure access rights for them. The Gamification module allows you to add achievement badges to the system to further motivate employees to self-study.
6. Communication between users. Using the Portal Management module, you can add forums, blogs, chats, as well as the ability to conduct surveys to the system. The Virtual Classroom module allows you to add a webinar platform.
7. Statistics and reports. Using the "Learning Center" module and the additional tool "Report Generator", you can get detailed analytics about the results of employee training and other system data and then export these reports in Word, Excel, txt or HTML format.
8. The cost of the system does not depend on the number of users and servers used, but on the number of modules used and the cost of services for developing and customizing the system to customer requirements. There is a possibility of renting the SDO. The cost of the minimum version of the LMS for 1000 users, 1 GB of memory is 115,000 rubles per year.

Who is WebTutor for?

Best suited if:	Least suitable if:
the company has a large staff and a complex organizational structure; not just LMS is needed, but a system of complex automation of personnel management processes; the company has specialists who clearly understand exactly which HR processes need to be automated and are ready to draw up a TOR; no system startup required.	the company employs a small number of employees (up to 100 people); there is no clear understanding of how the LMS should work and there is no ready-made TOR; the company has a limited budget; it is necessary to introduce distance learning and certification of employees as soon as possible.

Users

As a rule, users of the WebTutor system are large companies with a large number of employees distributed over a large area. For example, the system is used by: Sberbank, Alfa-Bank, Rosgosstrakh, Transneft, MVideo, Magnit, Svyaznoy, Garant, etc.

You can read customer reviews and their stories of WebTutor implementation on the official website in the section Our clients.

6. Docebo - Modular Online Platform with Social Learning and Skills Management

The system contains 4 modules: Learn (formal learning module), Coach & Share (non-formal social learning module), Extended Enterprise (module for training external users), Perform (skills management module). Learn - the main module, the rest can be purchased. You can also purchase additional options for them for a fee.

Description of Docebo

1. Availability of information. The Docebo website has a knowledge base with detailed instructions for managing the system. There are separate manuals for different LMS users: for administrator, manager, expert and students. However, all information is only available in English. You can ask a question about the product by contacting Docebo representatives directly - by phone or email, or through the official Russian partner - Competentum. There is a 14-day trial version. But in order to get demo access to LMS, you need to send a request from your corporate mail.
2. Ease of use. The interface is quite simple: employees will be able to independently figure out how to take a course or solve a test. To learn how to configure the platform, the administrator does not need IT skills. However, to understand how to use individual options, such as customizing the interface for different roles, the administrator may need to look into the knowledge base.
3. Flexibility of settings. You can design the platform in the corporate style of the company: change the color scheme and upload the logo. The administrator also has the opportunity to modify the portal interface for different roles by selecting the necessary widgets and their location. All of these features are available at an additional cost.
4. Learning content management. In the LMS, you can download an unlimited number of educational materials in PPT, PDF, docx, xls and video formats, as well as electronic courses in SCORM, AICC and Tin Can formats. The system does not have a built-in e-course editor, but there is a tool for creating tests and surveys. You can view educational materials offline in a mobile application on smartphones and tablets. It is also possible to sell courses if you buy an integration with an e-commerce service.
5. User management. Administrators can add users manually by email, by importing from a CSV or XLS file, or via SalesForce if integration with a CRM system is enabled. They can also remove users, give them flexible access, and group students by department and other criteria. You can assign courses to individual users or to an entire group of students. A paid gamification module is available in the LMS. It allows you to add ratings, points, badges and certificates to the training system.
6. Communication between users. By connecting the Coach & Share module, you can create a virtual social environment for employees to communicate. The LMS allows for the appointment of experts and enables experts to share knowledge. Users can ask questions to experts, as well as suggest content, publish their own posts, rate and comment on posts of colleagues. To conduct webinars, integration with external services (Adobe Connect, GoToMeeting/Training/Webinar, Cisco Webex, etc.) can be purchased for a fee.
7. Statistics and reports. The platform allows you to create 17 types of reports: by users, training courses, tests, training programs and sales. Including there is an opportunity to take into account the results of face-to-face classes.
8. Cost and licensing policy. You can use the demo version for free for 14 days. Docebo offers a basic plan (from 300 users with limited functionality) and an advanced plan (from 500 users with the option to purchase all modules). Each user in excess of the selected tariff is paid separately. Additional options are also available for a fee: e-Commerce, customization, gamification, interface modification, face-to-face training management, integrations and webinars. The cost of tariffs and individual options can be clarified on an individual basis with a Competentum representative.

Who is Docebo suitable for?

Users

Docebo's clients are representatives of medium and large businesses. For example, Thomsons Reuters agency, Denny's restaurant chain, Starbucks coffee shop chain, Cineplex film company.

Brief Summary

Docebo is a cloud-based modular LMS with many options. The system allows organizing not only formal but also informal learning in a virtual collective environment, as well as managing user skills. You can connect only those modules and options that users need. The solution is most suitable for medium and large companies that want to flexibly customize their LMS.

7. Unicraft - Corporate Learning Platform for Quick Launch

Briefly about the table. The criteria for comparing and evaluating the LMS are presented horizontally, the compared LMS are presented vertically. The cells of the table are scored according to the following principle:

• zero points - if there is no comparison criterion in the system;
• one point - the criterion is presented in some way;
• two points - the criterion is presented well.
• three points - the criterion is an advantage of LMS.

You can use this table as a guide when choosing a distance learning system for your company. We hope that it will help you navigate the possibilities of each LMS, just as a simple compass helps travelers not get lost in a dense forest.

Overview of the TOP-8 domestic and foreign LMS for corporate training: 7 comments

Approximately the same list is in the book of MBA Krakhotin A.V. "Mentoring in Industry".
The coincidence is not accidental. Thanks for the decryption. Very useful article. I agree with Pavel.

Kirill Zotov

But is it possible? We live in 2018...

Alexei

I know there is also Russian Moodle. Is he not in the top?

The importance of a competent solution to the problem of choosing a software platform for e-learning is often underestimated. Almost every university that has been organizing and developing distance and e-learning for several years has a negative experience in this area.

Having dealt with the structure of its needs in detail (project goals, educational programs, pedagogical scenarios, organizational models), the university formulates preliminary requirements for the functionality and power of the necessary EE system in order to proceed with the selection of a suitable e-learning system, which is the basic tool of the software platform.

Of course, the success of e-learning, including distance learning, depends not only on the software platform, but its correct choice is one of the fundamental factors. For example, a low usability characteristic (the concept of developing software user interfaces focused on maximum psychological and aesthetic convenience for the user) can lead to a complete failure of the process of implementing e-learning in a university. First of all, this is due to the insufficiently high level of knowledge of ICT competencies by most teachers: usually the average age of teaching staff in technical universities is about 50 years, at Novosibirsk State Technical University at technical faculties it ranges from 48 to 57 years.

The most common problems faced by users of e-learning systems

1. Unfriendly interface (low usability).
2. Specific business processes inherent in Russian universities are not supported. For example, group training according to a given curriculum, divided into semesters, as well as the interaction of deans, departments and university administration.
3. The complexity or impossibility of integrating EE systems with existing corporate systems at the university.
4. The variety of tasks that the EO system can solve gives rise to all sorts of options for implementing such systems. As a result, modularity is practiced or the use of several systems at the same time that implement the full set of necessary functions. However, this raises the question of the compatibility of e-learning systems/modules with each other.
5. When using several EE software systems within one university or implementing projects that involve the exchange and / or integration of electronic resources, the problem of organizing a single access to electronic resources arises. Partially solved by choosing a system that supports a widely accepted standard. However, at present, standards are only a general guideline for achieving interoperability, so if a course of study complies with the SCORM standard, this does not mean that it can automatically be used in another EE system using SCORM.
6. Unfortunately, for all software products, the high rate of obsolescence and the constant change in user requirements for the system require a high degree of customizability (flexibility) of the EO software platform.
7. Difficulty accessing the system. The transition of EO systems to the web platform has solved many problems in terms of facilitating access. Now it is enough for students and teachers to have access to the Internet and a browser to access the system, but another side of the problem arises: for example, some technologies require the installation of additional plug-ins in browsers, which is not always possible.

The problems listed above arise when the systems being purchased or developed do not meet the highlighted requirements (in italics).

In addition to the above requirements, one important factor remained unconsidered - the cost, which consists of the cost of software, maintenance and hardware. When calculating the cost, it is often forgotten that the cost of software includes not only the EO system itself, but also other necessary system software. It is necessary to consider who will maintain the software: perhaps the existing staff does not meet the necessary requirements, then an increase in the cost of remuneration of more qualified personnel will be required. Hardware upgrades are likely to be required, including: server; power redundancy; data backup system; network and channel facilities, etc.

Implementation options for the EO software platform

The choice of a particular system is almost always a process of reaching a compromise between its cost and other requirements. For the university, according to the author, the following options for implementing the software platform of the electronic learning environment are possible: use ready-made solutions; use and develop own software solutions; integrate ready-made (foreign) solutions into your own system; outsourcing.

Turnkey solutions are commercial and freely distributed EO systems offered on the market.

Commercial systems: WebCT/Blackboad, Naumen University, Docent, LearningSpace 5.0, Learn eXact, eLearning Server 3000, OROX, WebTutor, Prometheus, etc. The main advantage of commercial solutions is that they are mostly reliable products, with an appropriate level of user support, regular updates and new versions. Disadvantages of commercial systems:

• the source code is not available to users, so even small changes at the user level are not possible;
• the high cost of any commercial product, regular payments for a license, for an increased number of users.

Freely distributed systems are open source systems: MOODLE, LAMS, Sakai, ATutor, Claroline, Dokeos, OLAT, OpenACS, ILIAS, etc. The advantages of these systems are directly opposite to the disadvantages of commercial systems and vice versa. Additionally, the following disadvantages should be noted:

• Russian legislation does not define the concept of systems with the GNU/GPL license under which open source systems are distributed; therefore, the legal status of these systems has not yet been determined. In addition, there are examples when open source projects developed into commercial systems, and users of such systems were forced to switch to other payment systems;
• as already noted, the cost of the program consists not only of the cost of the software itself, which in this case is really free, but also of the cost of support, which can be quite expensive. This is due to the fact that you need to pay for the work of your own highly qualified personnel or a third-party company to support and develop the acquired system.

A fairly complete comparative review of freely distributed EO systems is considered in.

Not every university is capable of developing its own software solutions and is a project with a high risk of failure (like any project in the field of complex software development). The undoubted arguments in favor of our own development are the following:

• the developed system fully meets the needs of a particular university;
• The university has full rights to the software product;
• support is provided by the direct developers of the system, so changes are made quickly and efficiently;
• development is usually carried out with the involvement of students and graduate students, which undoubtedly contributes to the development of research and engineering projects in the field of information and pedagogical technologies in education.

Outsourcing is becoming an increasingly attractive solution for universities, especially those that are just now taking the first steps in developing the EE infrastructure and do not have enough qualified personnel to support and develop the software platform on their own. This market of services is developing more and more both in the world and in Russia. As part of the outsourcing of e-learning technologies, companies offer to host courses on their server and conduct training using their EL software system. In this case, the costs for the initial implementation of the e-learning system, as well as its support and development, are reduced.

Software platform of the NSTU e-learning environment

For more than 10 years, the Institute of Distance Education (IDO) of NSTU has been implementing projects to develop EE systems. The systems changed developers and each other, as a result, today the university successfully uses a family of products called DiSpace. It is designed to support e-learning, both at the level of teaching individual disciplines, and at the level of planning and organizing the educational process.

All software products of the DiSpace family are web-based applications: to work with them, the user needs only a web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or any other). They can be used both independently of each other and together. At NSTU, DiSpace systems are partially integrated with the information system of the university.

The DiDesk system (http://courses.edu.nstu.ru/admin.php) makes it easy to create online versions of electronic courses. The process of creating a course is greatly accelerated if the teacher already has materials in electronic form (for example, in the format of MS Word documents, MS PowerPoint presentations, and other files). Students get the opportunity to remotely access course materials, as well as the ability to download files. At the same time, access to materials can be restricted using a password that is set by the teacher himself. Currently, more than 1000 electronic courses have been created in the system (Fig. 1).

Rice. 1. Number of e-courses in DiDesk

The DiTest.v2 remote testing system (http://qti.edu.nstu.ru/new) provides teachers with the ability to create and edit tests, as well as conduct testing remotely. This system meets the modern requirements of actively developing distance and electronic learning technologies, supports the latest version of the international QTI specification of the IMS consortium. Tasks in the test are grouped by topics, and the topics, in turn, are combined into didactic units (DU). This is due to the fact that at present testing on the basis of the set of DUs is becoming a necessary requirement in higher professional education, which is confirmed by the structure of the test tasks of the federal Internet exam. Test questions can be of the following types: single and multiple choice, associations, matching, open question. To prepare a test task, you can use images, formulas, Flash-animation.

The DiClass learning process management system (http://website/do) was developed to support a combined form of learning. The creation of a new version of this system is associated with the expansion of the range of specialties for which training is conducted in a combined form, as well as with the connection to the system of new faculties and departments of the university. In the DiClass system, teachers and students have access to a news feed, a gradebook, seminars and consultations, the ability to receive and send tests and personal messages. For tutors (managers of the educational process), there are opportunities to manage working curricula, manage study groups, and monitor the educational process.

Telecommunication system Editoria (http://editoria.edu.nstu.ru) is an "electronic classroom" for online consultations and classes with remote students.

According to the results of the survey, DiSpace users (teachers, students, tutors and managers) evaluate the system positively in general, note its ease of use and sufficient functionality. From the point of view of management, the transparency of the educational process in the system allows you to track and eliminate its organizational and methodological shortcomings.

Currently, IDO NSTU conducts research and development in the field of solving the following problems:

1. Commercialization of developed EO systems. In particular, the development of outsourcing, within the framework of which it is possible to place courses on the IDO server, work in EL software systems, technical and methodological support.
2. Exploring the possibilities and most appropriate forms of implementation of new technologies, such as web 2.0, intelligent search engines, collaborative learning technologies, etc.

_________________________

LITERATURE:

1. Bogomolov V.A. Review of Free Learning Management Systems / Educational Technology & Society 10(3), 2007. pp. 460-466.
2. Yun S.G. E-learning software platforms / E-learning in a traditional university: Sat. articles / resp. ed. G.B. Parshukova, O.V. Kazan. - Novosibirsk: Publishing house of NSTU; 2010. - 134 p.

01.01.2010 Unified educational information environment: directions and prospects for the development of electronic and distance learning: materials of the IX Intern. scientific-practical. conf.-exhibitions (Novosibirsk, September 22–24, 2010). - Novosibirsk: Publishing house of NSTU, 2010. - S. 58-62.

Distance education system

Introduction

1. Interactive interaction between teacher and students

2. Organizational and methodological models of distance education

3. Organizational and technological models of distance education

4. Main types of technologies in educational institutions of a new type

5. Methods of distance university education

6. Information technologies of distance learning

7. Learning tools in distance education

8. Forms of distance education

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

The term "distance education" means such an organization of the educational process, in which the teacher develops a curriculum, mainly based on the student's independent learning. Such a learning environment is characterized by the fact that the student is mostly, and often completely separated from the teacher in space or time, at the same time, students and teachers have the opportunity to communicate with each other using telecommunications. Distance education allows residents of regions where there are no other opportunities for professional training or high-quality higher education, no university of the required profile or teachers of the required qualification level to study.

Since the mid-70s, educational institutions of a new type began to appear in many countries, called "open", "distance" universities; "electronic", "virtual" college. They have an original organizational structure, use a unique set of pedagogical techniques, economic mechanisms of functioning.

The term "interactive interaction" is widely used both in domestic and foreign pedagogical literature. In the narrow sense of the word (in relation to the user's work with software in general), interactive interaction is a dialogue between the user and the program, i.e. exchange of text commands (requests) and responses (invitations). With more developed means of conducting a dialogue (for example, if it is possible to ask questions in an arbitrary form, using a “key” word, in a form with a limited set of characters), it is possible to choose options for the content of educational material and the mode of operation. The more opportunities there are to control the program, the more actively the user participates in the dialogue, the higher the interactivity. In a broad sense, interactive interaction involves a dialogue of any subjects with each other using the means and methods available to them. This assumes active participation in the dialogue of both parties - the exchange of questions and answers, managing the course of the dialogue, monitoring the implementation of decisions, etc. A telecommunications environment designed to communicate with millions of people is a priori an interactive environment. In distance learning, teachers and students will act as subjects in interactive interaction, and e-mail, teleconferences, real-time dialogues, etc. will be the means of implementing such interaction.

External training. Education, focused on school or university (examination) requirements, was intended for pupils and students who, for some reason, could not attend stationary educational institutions. So, in 1836, the University of London was organized, the main task of which in those years was to help and conduct exams for certain certificates, degrees, etc. for students, students who did not attend regular educational institutions. This task has been preserved to this day along with the stationary training of students.

Education at the same university. This is already a whole system of education for students who do not study stationary (on-campus), but at a distance, in absentia or remotely, i.e. based on new information technologies, including computer telecommunications (off-campus). Such programs for obtaining various certificates of education have been developed in many leading universities in the world. Thus, the New University of South Wales in Australia provides distance and distance learning for 5,000 students, while 3,000 students study full-time.

Cooperation of several educational institutions. Such cooperation in the preparation of distance learning programs makes it possible to make them more professionally of high quality and less expensive.

Autonomous educational institutions specially created for the purposes of distance education. The largest such institution is The Open University in London, on the basis of which in recent years a large number of students have been studying remotely, not only from the UK, but from many Commonwealth countries. In the US, an example of such a university is the National Technological University (Colorado), which prepares students for various engineering specialties in conjunction with 40 engineering colleges.

Autonomous learning systems. Education within such systems is conducted entirely through TV or radio programs, as well as additional printed manuals. An example of this approach to distance learning is the American Samoan television project.

Informal, integrated distance learning based on multimedia programs. Such programs are aimed at teaching an adult audience, those people who, for some reason, could not complete their school education. Such projects may be part of a formal educational program, integrated into that program (examples of such programs exist in Colombia), or specifically oriented towards a specific educational goal (for example, the British Literacy Program), or specifically aimed at preventive health programs, such as programs for developing countries.

3. Organizational and technological models of distance education

Single media - the use of any one learning tool and information transmission channel. For example, learning through correspondence, educational radio or television programs. In this model, the dominant medium of instruction is, as a rule, printed material. There is virtually no two-way communication, bringing this distance learning model closer to traditional distance learning.

Multimedia - the use of various teaching aids: textbooks on a printed basis, computer programs for educational purposes on various media, audio and video recordings, etc. However, the transmission of information in one direction dominates. If necessary, elements of full-time education are used - personal meetings of students and teachers, holding final training seminars or consultations, taking exams in person, etc. This technological model will be discussed in more detail below. For the main object, we will take an electronic textbook (ES).

Hypermedia is a third-generation distance learning model that involves the use of new information technologies with the dominant role of computer telecommunications. The simplest form of this is the use of e-mail and teleconferencing, as well as audio training (a combination of telephone and telefax). With further development, this model of distance learning includes the use of a complex of such tools as video, telefax and telephone (for videoconferencing) and audio graphics with the simultaneous widespread use of video disks, various hyper-tools, knowledge systems and artificial intelligence.

4. Main types of technologies in educational institutions of a new type

The type of information technologies used in the educational process is considered as the first factor (integrated characteristic) of a distance learning university. In doing so, two important aspects must be emphasized.

Firstly, such an order of consideration of factors does not at all mean assigning the highest priority to technology in the organization of the educational process. No matter how powerful and perfect technological applications are, they should serve educational (pedagogical) purposes, and not vice versa. But on the other hand, one cannot underestimate the role of new information technologies, which often offer qualitatively new opportunities for the implementation of the educational process.

Secondly, the following list of the main technologies used in distance learning universities, of course, does not mean that any particular model should be characterized by the use of only one of them. A multimedia approach based on the use of several complementary information technologies seems to be the most effective in the field of education.

Distance education technologies used today can be divided into three broad categories:

non-interactive (printed materials, audio, video media),

computer learning tools (electronic textbooks, computer testing and knowledge control, the latest multimedia tools),

· videoconferencing - advanced means of telecommunication via audio channels, video channels and computer networks.

The means of online access to information via computer networks have given qualitatively new opportunities for distance learning. In the Russian Higher School, they are actively developing in the form of the use of electronic textbooks and the technology of exchanging textual information using asynchronous e-mail.

Developed means of telecommunications, the use of satellite communication channels, the transmission of a packed video image over computer networks have only recently begun to be used in the practice of distance education. This is due to the lack of a developed communication infrastructure, the high cost of communication channels and the equipment used.

Videocassettes are a unique tool for distance learning in almost any discipline. Without requiring large expenses for replicating educational videos, the video recorder has become widespread in all countries. Video cassettes are commonly used as components of teaching kits, partially replacing traditional lectures.

E-mail economically and technologically is the most effective technology that can be used in the learning process to deliver the content of the training courses and provide feedback from the student to the teacher. At the same time, it has a limited pedagogical effect due to the impossibility of realizing the "dialogue" between the teacher and students, adopted in the traditional form of education. However, if students have constant access to a personal computer with a modem and a telephone channel, e-mail allows for a flexible and intensive consultation process.

Videoconferencing using computer networks provides the opportunity to organize the cheapest average video quality. This type of videoconferencing can be used for seminars in small (5-10 people) groups, individual consultations, discussion of individual complex issues of the course being studied. In addition to transmitting sound and video images, computer videoconferencing provides the ability to share control of the computer screen: creating drawings and drawings at a distance, transferring photographic and handwritten material.

5. Methods of distance university education

An important integrated factor in the typology of distance universities is the set of pedagogical methods and techniques used in the educational process. Having chosen as a criterion the method of communication between teachers and students, these methods (techniques) can be classified as follows:

Teaching methods through the interaction of the student with educational resources with minimal participation of the teacher and other students (self-learning). The development of these methods is characterized by a multimedia approach, when educational resources are created using a variety of means: printed, audio, video materials, and, which is especially important for electronic universities, educational materials delivered via computer networks. This is first of all:

interactive databases

electronic journals

computer training programs (electronic textbooks).

In interactive databases, data arrays are systematized, which can be accessed through telecommunications. Using these resources, course developers, for example, can maintain local databases for both students and teachers. Another solution is to provide access to external databases. The number of databases accessible via computer networks is growing rapidly.

Electronic journals are periodicals that are distributed to subscribers via computer networks. They are becoming an increasingly important source of information and learning.

Computer tutorials are software that can be used on a remote computer through a computer network. A communication session with a remote computer may be carried out using, for example, a dial-up connection or Telnet services on the Internet.

Methods of individualized teaching and learning, which are characterized by the relationship of one student with one teacher or one student with another student (teaching "one to one"). These methods are implemented in distance education mainly through technologies such as telephone, voice mail, e-mail. The development of telementoring (the system of "tutors"), mediated by computer networks, is an important component of the educational process in e-universities.

Methods based on the presentation of educational material to students by a teacher or an expert, in which students do not play an active role in communication (one-to-many learning).

These methods, characteristic of the traditional educational system, are being developed on the basis of modern information technologies. Thus, lectures recorded on audio or video cassettes read on radio or television are supplemented in the modern distance educational process by the so-called "e-lectures" (electronic lectures), i.e. lecture material distributed over computer networks using bulletin board systems (BBS). An e-lecture can be a collection of articles or excerpts from them, as well as educational material that prepares students for future discussions. Based on the electronic bulletin board technology, a method of conducting educational electronic symposia is also being developed, which is a series of speeches by several authorities (“first speakers”).

Methods that are characterized by active interaction between all participants in the educational process (many-to-many learning). The significance of these methods and the intensity of their use increases significantly with the development of teaching telecommunication technologies. In other words, interactive interactions between the learners themselves, and not just between the teacher and the learners, become an important source of knowledge. The development of these methods is associated with the holding of educational collective discussions and conferences. The technologies of audio, audiographic and video conferencing make it possible to actively develop such methods in distance education. A special role in the educational process of distance universities is played by computer conferences, which allow all participants in the discussion to exchange written messages both in synchronous and asynchronous mode, which is of great didactic value.

In order to classify distance universities according to the pedagogical principles underlying their educational practice, it is advisable to single out the following principles of telematic education systems:

interactivity of the educational process

learning as a dialogue

learning adaptability

Flexibility of teaching material

“transferability” of material in distance education

student activity.

Distance educational institutions are usually based not on any one of these principles, but on their combination. Nevertheless, dominant ones usually stand out.

6. Information technologies of distance learning

The main role played by telecommunication technologies in distance learning is to provide educational dialogue. Learning without feedback, without constant dialogue between the teacher and the student is impossible. Learning (as opposed to self-education) is a dialogic process by definition. In full-time education, the possibility of dialogue is determined by the very form of organization of the educational process, the presence of a teacher and a student in the same place at the same time. In distance education, the educational dialogue must be organized with the help of telecommunication technologies.

Communication technologies can be divided into two types - on-line and off-line. The former provide real-time information exchange, that is, a message sent by the sender, upon reaching the recipient's computer, is immediately sent to the appropriate output device. When using off-line technologies, received messages are stored on the recipient's computer. The user can view them with the help of special programs at a convenient time for him. Unlike full-time education, where the dialogue is conducted only in real time (on-line), in distance education it can also go in a delayed mode (off-line).

The main advantage of off-line technologies is that they are less demanding on computer resources and communication line bandwidth. They can be used even when connected to the Internet via dial-up lines (in the absence of a permanent connection to the Internet).

Technologies of this kind include e-mail, mailing lists, and teleconferencing. With the help of a list server, distribution of educational information can be organized, personal communication between a teacher and a student is established using e-mail, and a teleconference allows you to organize a collective discussion of the most complex or difficult issues of the course. All of these technologies allow messages to be exchanged between different computers connected to the Internet.

Of the on-line technologies, first of all, it should be noted chat, which allows real-time text messaging over the Internet. In the simplest case, a "conversation" takes place between two users. For a collective conversation, you must connect to a special server - an IRC server. Then, when working, the user sees a screen in front of him, on which messages are displayed, indicating who sent this message. Most programs also allow you to call one of the users present to a "private" dialogue, closed from other users. To work with chat, there are a large number of programs, for example, MIRC. The effectiveness of on-line technologies is especially high when organizing network seminars and group consultations.

7. Learning tools in distance education

In distance education, learning tools are implemented through new information technologies. Traditional textbooks, teaching aids, workbooks, etc. are widely used in distance education systems. In foreign systems of distance education, where the technical level of equipping the educational process is high, the share of printed publications is large (for example, in the USA - 85%, in Germany - 95%).

When developing didactic printed materials for distance education, it is necessary, as experience shows, to be guided by the following:

· teaching aids for the completeness of the content should be designed in such a way as to minimize the student's recourse to additional educational information;

When building the structure of educational material in the manual, it is advisable to use the modular principle;

Detailed instructions for studying the material and organizing independent work should be given;

· Mandatory elements in the manual should be control tasks, explanatory dictionaries, questions for self-examination with answers, training tasks.

In general, the rational structure of the educational and practical manual on the discipline (course), intended for distance education, should include the following sections.

· Introduction to the discipline (history, subject, relevance, place and relationship with other disciplines of the program in the specialty).

· Curriculum by discipline (training course).

· The purpose and objectives of the study of the discipline.

· Guidelines for self-study of the course.

· Main content structured by sections (modules).

· Tests, questions, tasks with answers for the training (by sections).

· Final test.

· Practical tasks for independent work.

· Topics for small research projects.

· Explanatory dictionary of terms.

· List of abbreviations and abbreviations.

· Conclusion.

· List of references (basic, additional, optional).

· An anthology (digest) on the discipline, containing excerpts from textbooks, scientific and journal articles, methods and other educational materials on the subject of the course. J, Brief creative biography of the author of the manual.

It is advisable to build network educational materials as a network educational and methodological interactive complex, which belongs to the network electronic textbooks of the second generation with enhanced interactivity functions through the use of such Internet services as teleconferences and videoconferences.

The complex contains the following canonical didactic functional blocks: organizational-methodical, information-training, identification-controlling. The psychological and pedagogical functions of the complex are implemented through the presentation of educational material in the hypermedia environment, didactic interaction of students with teachers and with teaching aids through e-mail, "chat", tele- and videoconferences. The complex consists of the following didactic blocks:

1. Organizational and methodological. Substantially includes information about the goals, objectives of the discipline, its relationship with other disciplines included in the curriculum; a brief description of the content of the topics of the curriculum, the procedure and recommendations for studying the discipline with the help of the complex; a review of the literature and forms of reporting and control, the procedure for organizing interaction with the teacher. For the psychological comfort of students, the module is visualized and is a recording of the orientation lesson on a video cassette with subsequent digitization. The content of the module is duplicated by a text file.

2. The information and training block consists of modules equal in volume to the educational topic. The modules are made in the hypermedia environment. Each module is accompanied by tests for self-examination, and the entire block is accompanied by a final test for the course and exam tickets for the course. Hypertext links available in the educational text enable the student to get acquainted with a specially created electronic reader on the subject of the course, Internet information resources, and resources of the electronic library.

Computer training programs declared themselves as a means of education in the early 70s, during the appearance of personal computers, but still do not have a generally recognized, "legalized" name. The most common formulations are software and methodological complex, software for educational purposes, controlling training programs, etc. Such software is usually intended for use in the traditional educational process, in the training, retraining and advanced training of personnel, for the development of the personality of the student, intensification learning process and for other purposes.

The study of the content, methods and means of developing PSES allows us to highlight the main functions that they perform in the educational process:

individualize and differentiate the learning process;

To carry out control with diagnostics of errors and with feedback;

to carry out self-control and self-correction of educational activities;

free up study time by performing labor-intensive routine computational work on a computer;

visualization of educational information;

· to model and imitate the studied processes or phenomena;

carry out laboratory work under conditions of simulation on a computer of a real experience or experiment;

to form the ability to make the best decision in various situations;

develop a certain type of thinking (for example, visual-figurative, theoretical);

Strengthen the motivation for learning (for example, through the visual means of the program or interspersed with game situations);

to form a culture of cognitive activity, etc.

PSUN at the present stage include: electronic (computerized) textbooks, electronic lectures, controlling computer programs, reference books and databases for educational purposes, collections of tasks and generators of examples (situations), subject-oriented environments, computer illustrations to support various types of classes.

8. Forms of distance education

Teaching methods and means are among the essential characteristics of the didactic process. They can ensure the achievement of the required learning objectives if the necessary material and technical base is available for this, and the teacher will be given the right to choose the organizational side of learning, i.e. form (or type) of employment. The educational process in distance education consists, as a rule, of successively alternating periods of contact and non-contact time. Their duration is different. In some cases, the contact period in the learning process may be absent altogether.

In pedagogical practice, such well-known forms of education have been developed, such as lectures, seminars, laboratory classes, tests, term papers, tests, exams, consultations, independent work, etc. and during non-contact periods of study.

Let us give some characteristics of the listed canonical forms of learning when they are used in LMS, meaning them, therefore, and as a form of distance learning.

Lectures are one of the most important forms of training sessions and form the basis of the theoretical training of students. The purpose of the lectures is to provide a systematic foundation of scientific knowledge in the discipline, to reveal the problems, state and prospects of progress in a particular field of science and technology, to focus on the most complex and key issues. Lectures should stimulate the active cognitive activity of students, contribute to the formation of creative thinking.

In methodological terms, a lecture is a systematic problematic presentation of educational material, any issue, topic, section, subject. A systematic course of lectures, which consistently presents the material on the curriculum, includes, traditionally, introductory, installation, ordinary, review and final lectures. In distance education, orientation lectures are of particular importance.

The general requirements for a lecture in the LMS are preserved. These are scientific character, accessibility, unity of form and content, organic connection with other types of training sessions. The requirement of emotional presentation is also fully satisfied; it is achieved in audio and video versions, and even in "electronic lectures" presented in the form of text files, with the help of special characters. For example, a smile on the screen is displayed by a combination of characters resembling a rotated laughing face.

Lectures in DL can be conducted in real and "unreal" time, frontally and individually. Television is used for frontal lectures. Computer videoconferencing can be used for an individual option for conducting classes, and in the presence of projection equipment for projecting an image from a computer monitor onto a screen.

The first encounter with the material in writing, rather than directly from the teacher's message, is still preferable (although this does not coincide with the spontaneously established tradition of adult education). At the same time, the greatest didactic effect is given by the option when this is followed by a consultation, carried out, for example, by e-mail.

Seminars. They are an active form of training sessions and are widely used in teaching all academic disciplines. Seminars are built, as a rule, on the basis of a lively creative discussion, a friendly discussion on the topic under consideration. In fact, as many educators point out, the main drawback of seminars at the present time lies in the passivity of the listeners, in creating the appearance of activity through the preliminary distribution of questions and speeches, in the absence of a truly creative discussion.

Seminars can be held in distance education using computer video and teleconferencing. In the pedagogical aspect, the video version is no different from the traditional ones, since the participants in the process see each other on the screens of computer monitors. Videoconferencing takes some getting used to. There is some delay in the image on the screen when the participants move, some unusual interior stuffed with equipment affects, distraction, etc.

Consultations. This is one of the forms of directing the work of students and assisting them in independent study of educational material. Consultations can be individual and group. During the consultation, the individual properties of the listener as a person are manifested (his intellectual, moral qualities, and especially the characteristics of the psyche and consciousness of the student: attention, memory, imagination and thinking).

The LMS mainly uses consultations using such means as: telephone, e-mail, video and teleconferencing. The choice of NIT tools will be determined by the available hardware and software equipment at the student's and teacher's workplaces. The most commonly used telephone and email.

Laboratory works. This type of occupation is more important for technical specialties. They can be carried out when remote access via computer networks to laboratory facilities or a central computer simulating an experiment is required, or when it is necessary to deliver a portable laboratory practice “at home”.

Studies of these areas have shown that the first direction (within the concept of a remote laboratory workshop) is preferable for didactic and economic reasons, which allows solving a significant part of the problems when conducting laboratory work in distance education, as well as implementing the concept of "training forms".

control measures. Control in the educational process consists in checking the progress and results of theoretical and practical assimilation by students of educational material. The assessment of knowledge, skills and abilities acquired in the process of distance learning is of particular importance in view of the lack of direct contact between the student and the teacher. The role and importance of objective and multi-criteria forms of knowledge quality control is increasing. A feature of control in LMS is the need for additional implementation of the functions of identifying the student's personality in order to exclude the possibility of training falsification.

Two types of control are used: procedural control and self-control. With routine forms of control, it is advisable to organize continuous communication in the form of input, current and output control. Self-control is carried out by students both with the help of computer training systems and elementary methods, by answering control questions or tests in sections of the curriculum.

The informatization process is a natural and objective process characteristic of the entire world community. It manifests itself in all spheres of human activity, including education. Largely due to this process, a new synthetic form of education became possible - distance learning, which incorporates the best features of traditional forms of education - full-time, part-time, external studies, and integrates well with them. One can pay attention to the trend when all known forms of education will merge in the future into one single form with the predominance of the characteristics of modern distance learning. The use of video teleconferencing, the Internet and other data transmission systems as tools will “bring together” the teacher and the student who are far from each other, will bring distance education closer to traditional, to direct communication between the teacher and the student, the lecturer with the audience, group seminars, tested for centuries. That is why distance learning is often called the form of education of the XXI century.

Significant experience in distance learning has been accumulated in Russia and abroad. It becomes obvious that research and practical work on the problems of distance learning, methodological, methodological and technical support of distance education should be constant and continuous. You can be sure that the results of such work will bring real results in the modern educational process, and at the same time in the development of telecommunications systems.

1. Baltsuk N.B., Bunyaev M.M., Matrosov V.L. Some possibilities of using electronic computers in the educational process M .: Prometheus 2009.

2. Evreinov E.V., Kaimin V.A. Informatics and distance education. M.: VAK, 2008.

3. Karakozov S.D. Development of the content of education in the field of information and educational systems: training a teacher of informatics in the context of informatization of education / Ed. N.I. Ryzhova: Monograph - Barnaul, 2005.

4. Lavrent'eva N.B. Pedagogical foundations for the development and implementation of modular teaching technology in higher education. - Barnaul, 2009

5. Markhel I.I., Ovakimyan Yu.O. An integrated approach to the use of technical teaching aids: Proc. allowance. - M.: Higher. school, 2007.

6. Mashbits E.I. Psychological and pedagogical problems of computerization of education: (Pedagogy - school reform). - M.: Pedagogy, 2008.

8. Olifer V. G. Olifer N. A. Computer networks. Principles. technologies, protocols: Textbook for universities /: Peter, 2009.

9. Pugovkin, A.V. Fundamentals of building telecommunication systems and networks. Part. 1: Transmission systems. -Tomsk: TMTsDO. -2008.

10. Robert I.V., Polyakov V.A. The main directions of scientific research in the field of informatization of vocational education - www.informatika.

11. Simonov V.P. Pedagogical management: 50 KNOW-HOW in the field of educational process management. Tutorial. M., 2007.

12. ISDN - NEW SERVICES. Materials of JSC "Tomsktelecom" (www.telecom.tomsk.su)

Olifer V. G. Olifer N. A. Computer networks. Principles. technologies, protocols: Textbook for universities /: Peter, 2009.

Baltsuk N.B., Bunyaev M.M., Matrosov V.L. Some possibilities of using electronic computers in the educational process M .: Prometheus 2009.

Pugovkin, A.V. Fundamentals of building telecommunication systems and networks. Part. 1: Transmission systems. -Tomsk: TMTsDO. -2008.

Evreinov E.V., Kaimin V.A. Informatics and distance education. M.: VAK, 2008.

Simonov V.P. Pedagogical management: 50 KNOW-HOW in the field of educational process management. Tutorial. M., 2007.

Markhel I.I., Ovakimyan Yu.O. An integrated approach to the use of technical teaching aids: Textbook-method. allowance. - M.: Higher. school, 2007.

Mashbits E.I. Psychological and pedagogical problems of computerization of education: (Pedagogical science - school reform). - M.: Pedagogy, 2008.

ISDN - NEW SERVICES. Materials of JSC "Tomsktelecom" (www.telecom.tomsk.su)

Robert I.V., Polyakov V.A. The main directions of scientific research in the field of informatization of vocational education - www.informatika.

Karakozov S.D. Development of the content of education in the field of information and educational systems: training a teacher of informatics in the context of informatization of education / Ed. N.I. Ryzhova: Monograph - Barnaul, 2005.

Lavrentieva N.B. Pedagogical foundations for the development and implementation of modular teaching technology in higher education: Abstract of the thesis. diss. d. ped. n. - Barnaul, 2009

In the current decade, following the global trend, distance learning is beginning to play an increasingly important role in the Russian education system. First of all, the development of the Internet and web technologies, which have provided new opportunities in the development of this form of education, contribute to the activation of this process.

The demand for this kind of educational services, which has sharply increased in recent years, is obviously dictated by the realities of modern life: an increasing number of specialists need to receive, in the harsh conditions of time pressure, firstly, this or that specialized education, and secondly, a certain amount of additional knowledge, certified by the appropriate certificates.

Benefits outlined

Speaking of distance education, most of us today imagine only online learning. Meanwhile, at the dawn of the formation of technology, other forms of distance learning also had a certain circulation. So, among the means of technological support for distance learning, there are three main groups: case technologies, TV technologies and IT technologies.

Case technology involves the completion of educational materials in a special set - a case, which is sent to the student for independent study. As questions arise, it is expected to periodically contact the consultant teachers in the relevant training centers.

TV technology is more extravagant: we are talking about television lectures. Today, this direction is the least popular and seems to have finally given way to rapidly developing information technologies. Nevertheless, the development of training courses in accordance with the digital television standard, certified, in particular, by the US Federal Telecommunications Commission, continues. In the near future, it is planned to use WebTV technologies, which allow using a decoder to receive educational programs via the Internet directly to a home TV.

The most relevant direction in the field of development FROM TO now are IT technologies, which involve the use of the wide possibilities of Internet technologies and the latest achievements in the field of multimedia. The Internet provides access to educational and methodological materials, as well as interactive interaction between teachers and students, guarantees constant contact with the training center.

A distance learning system via the Internet (or otherwise, an online learning system - OLS) can be defined as a set of software and hardware tools, methods and organizational measures that allow the delivery of educational information to students via the network, as well as testing the knowledge gained in the course of training by a specific listener.

Market of distance education systems ( FROM TO) can be conditionally divided into the following sectors:

Source: Granada Research, 2001

Source: Sibneft

Source: eBCA

Source: IBM

According to experts, the most promising in Russia today can be considered not the state or university, but the corporate market of distance business education. Due to its development, Russian companies will be able to improve the skills of their personnel, expanding the opportunities for obtaining additional professional (including postgraduate) education.

Possible applications FROM TO in the Russian corporate market are associated with the provision of professional training by companies with a geographically distributed structure for their own specialists, as well as for partners' specialists. The most demanded areas of training courses, in accordance with current needs and market conditions, are the following:


• review courses on new products (services) for managers of trade enterprises, insurance companies;
• courses on maintenance and repair of complex technical products (cars, household appliances, computers);
• training in working with software products;
• training in how to work with one or another technological equipment;
• training in new methods of work for specialists of financial departments, accounting and other departments of the company.

  
  Development companies and service providers in the field of DL

  A few years ago, Western distance learning systems were predominantly represented on the Russian market. At the same time, the number of domestic companies developing their own products of a similar class is more than a dozen. They mainly offer off-the-shelf online courses or course creation services rather than do-it-yourself course development, creation, and administration solutions.

  Foreign companies-developers and service providers in the field of distance education
  
  

  Company FunctionalFROM TO SmartForce System modules: Learning management suite- Resource management and tracking of student completion of training programs. Content management suite- Interactive content creation and management. Competency suite- integration of a set of skills and business roles with corporate strategies and goals. Collaboration Suite- learning platform with learning resources. Customization suite- adequate distribution of corporate training content DigitalThink E-Learning Catalog- more than 3,000 hours of courses on IT, management, sales, financial services, HR, etc. E-Learning Platform- a scalable, open platform that provides management and analysis tools, as well as the ability to seamlessly integrate with other applications in the enterprise. E-Learning Services- services in the field of curriculum development, its implementation and maintenance. Macromedia eLearning Studio Package: Authorware 6- a program designed to develop an application in the field of education; flash 5- a program designed to develop flash animations; Dreamweaver 4- a program designed to work with the publication of materials on the Web. Interwise Enterprise Communications Platform (ECP): iMentoring- application for live classes in groups (or personal lessons, consultations) iMeeting- group or personal meetings iClass- interactive classes iSeminar- seminars with interactive interaction for large groups iCast- information meetings, meetings, information broadcasting IBM Package: Lotus LearningSpace 5.0: Mindspan Planning- initial analysis of the level of the student, development of a strategy and teaching methods. Mindspan Design- a system for creating the structure of courses, certification and analysis of learning outcomes Mindspan content- creating and posting content Mindspan Technologies- support for various content, integration with mail systems, personnel and financial management systems, skills management and testing / certification black board Package: Blackboard 5: Blackboard Learning System- enterprise course management system; Blackboard Community Portal System- a portal that provides access to resources, course administration, communication tools, schedules, etc. for the relevant categories of users; Blackboard Transaction System- an Internet system that provides identification of students, provision of access and management of tuition payments, etc. Docent Docent Enterprise - Applications: Docent Learning Management Server ( LMS), Docent Outliner, Docent Content Delivery Server (CDS), and Docent Mobile Centra Centra Symposium 5.0: virtual classroom- holding live classes, conferences among the staff, partners and clients of the company, as well as conducting trainings on products and sales. Centra Conference: - holding live web-conferences for a small number of participants Centra eMeeting: - holding personal meetings and presentations Centra Knowledge Center- content management, course catalog HP e-learning-on-tap virtual classroom- hosting service for online training in real time Pathlore Pathlore Learning Management System ( LMS): Global Learning- the main portal through which training is planned, access to the catalog of courses, etc. is provided; Administration Center- course management program and training plan; content center- a program for managing "objects" of content, posting information on courses and tests; Design Center- a block for creating and managing the interaction (interface) of courses, System Center- back office management program (monitoring functions of connections with the system).

  Despite the active development of information technologies, the emergence of more and more powerful platforms for supporting distance education systems, the pace of development of Russian online learning is not comparable to Western ones. Implementation experience FROM TO often turned out to be unsuccessful or ineffective for a number of objective reasons. Russian developers FROM TO they cannot always fully take into account all the regularities of the learning process, and therefore they use not quite correct models. Characteristically, the most successful e-learning solutions are rarely scalable.
  
  

  Company FROM TO Computer Training Center "Specialist" at MSTU. N. E. Bauman Bauman Training Bauman Computer Training Company RBC Soft Saba NOU Institute of Virtual Technologies in Education LMS "Prometheus" Cognitive Technologies "ST Course" City-Info "Intraknowledge" Informproject "Bathysphere" HyperMethod eLearning 3000 Uniar "Docent" Hyper Media "FROM TO" Websoft WebTutor

  With all the interest of corporations in the quality and cost of systems, methods for measuring the effectiveness of online learning are still not clearly defined. In general, in contrast to university education, which is focused on identifying the effectiveness of the educational process, corporations are usually limited to measuring costs and compiling formal reports. Of course, online training can significantly reduce the company's costs, in particular, the organization of study trips for employees. Thus, IBM, which has already carried out the transfer of about 40% of corporate training courses to a distance form, ascertains savings of $395 million in 2001.
  
  

  According to the results of the study Nucleus Research, many companies that promote online learning systems state a significant reduction in the costs associated with training, as well as an increase in the efficiency of staff. According to some companies, in particular, IBM and Lucent Wireless University, the ROI from the deployment of online learning systems is more than 1000%. As Nucleus Research points out, the successful implementation of online learning systems is determined by the following strategies: Define goals before deploying the system. Success depends on being able to define goals and steps to achieve them before talking to technology providers. Deploy the system quickly. Successful implementation of online learning methods means adhering to the principles of rapid implementation and the use of open platforms that allow you to quickly deploy and grow the system. Nucleus recommends no more than six months to deploy initial system components. The system must be accepted by users, adapted to the needs and capabilities of the employees being trained.

  The issue of return on investment (ROI) in training has recently come to the fore in discussions of training budgets. The level of knowledge/skills of personnel has long been regarded as an intangible asset that does not require reflection in the balance sheet. Now the balance sheet is beginning to include the costs of telecommunications and system infrastructure needed to deliver online content, and in the face of austerity, companies are forced to raise the issue of evaluating the ROI of online training projects, ascertaining the justification for such costs.

  There are no standards in Russia for FROM TO. Existing Western LMS standards ( SCORM (Shareable Courseware Object Reference Model) and IMS (Instructional Management System ) do not allow evaluating learning outcomes, since they operate with concepts related to text markup, programming, indexing of individual objects for learning systems in order to facilitate the reuse of digital learning materials.

  Thus, the standards make learning technologies more accessible, created training materials reusable, but do not allow assessing the increase in the level of competence of employees based on the results of courses.

  Thus, the need to calculate ROI for training projects involves the definition of a training strategy, which is often driven by technology parameters rather than corporate goals. In particular, the limitations imposed by the IT infrastructure (most often network bandwidth) can appear as a key element of an online learning strategy.

  On the other hand, from a company-wide perspective, it is first necessary to identify the areas of competence that are required to achieve the company's business goals, and then determine the appropriate training methods that will be necessary to achieve competence in the right areas, taking into account existing experience.
  

  What should SDO be able to do?

  An online learning system should have the following main features:

  • Placement of course materials on the Web on web resources;
  • Registration of a trainee online;
  • Passing the course, including offline work with the material and online communication with the teacher;
  • Checking knowledge, testing students in the learning process, certification of students at the end of the course.
    Complete FROM TO should be able to present information of the following types:
  • Text
  • Graphic arts
  • 3D graphics
  • Animation, Flash animation
  • Audio
  • Video
    The implementation of online video courses is carried out in the presence of powerful telecommunication capabilities and in Russia can be in demand only in rare cases for corporate systems.
    Other ways of presenting information on the Internet have already become quite traditional. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of a particular course and the bandwidth of channels of specific users.

    Most online learning systems are built on the basis of a portal scheme. The technology is based on a three-tier client / server architecture, which splits the data processing between the client, application server and data warehouse.
    

    Some features of technological platforms for online learning systems

    Possibility Application area Technical requirements Messaging systems and chats Used to train an individual/group and to form groups of learners Low bandwidth requirements, high potential for solving many learning problems (synchronous and asynchronous). Presentation systems Streaming audio and video (live and recorded) Medium throughput/processing requirements, closure on presentational learning model (synchronous and asynchronous presentations) Conference systems "Live" audio and video conferencing in real scale High bandwidth/processing requirements, information security concerns, designed primarily for synchronous learning

    
    
    

    
    Implementation of LMS

    The most common way to purchase FROM TO is the purchase of a ready-made solution with documented capabilities, on the basis of which the customer company solves the problem of organizing distance learning. The cost of software usually includes detailed documentation, methodological and technical support. At the same time, the customer company independently puts the system into operation.

    Input FROM TO into operation by the developer is carried out as part of an implementation project, which is much more expensive and, as a result, less common among Russian companies. Nevertheless, upon completion of the project, the customer company receives a unique system capable of solving almost all tasks.

    The least risky scheme in terms of financial costs is the use of an ASP service. The essence of the service is that the user gets access to an existing functional FROM TO created on the basis of a particular product.
    
    

    Ways to purchase LMS Advantages Flaws Turnkey solution Relatively low cost Self-implementation; LMS may not meet all customer requirements. DMS implementation project LMS meets all customer requirements High price ASP service Low cost; No cost to put the system into operation. Low speed due to the large number of users; LMS may not meet all customer requirements.

    The most common "way" to create a distance learning system for a long time was to translate educational materials into HTML form and post them on the websites of educational institutions. Now all market participants agree that access to educational material via the Internet alone is not enough to talk about a full-fledged training system. Obviously, learning involves not just reading the educational material, but also its active comprehension and application of the acquired knowledge in practice.

    As you know, the “activity” of comprehension implies the opportunity to ask additional and clarifying questions to the teacher, therefore, such an opportunity should be provided by FROM TO, including due to the form of construction of the material, which should, as it were, “provoke” questions. At the same time, a synchronous training course should be designed to provide answers in real time, and an asynchronous one should be designed for the maximum efficiency of the teacher.

    The "practical application" of knowledge can be realized in the form of taking tests or performing more complex tasks. In both cases, the results of the test or task must be checked - either automatically or directly by the teacher.

    An online training course, unlike a presentation or a website, not only provides access to information, but also provides for interactive interaction between the student and the teacher, control of the acquired knowledge and accumulation of information about the learning process. Statistics on the results of the learning process is an important component of corporate FROM TO, because it allows HR departments and managers to control the training activity of employees and the educational process itself.

    The course development team typically includes three groups of specialists:

  • experts in the subject area - carriers of knowledge on the training course, which is translated into an online form;
  • specialists in the translation of training course materials into an online form;
  • experts in the field of web-technologies.
    
    
    

    
    Prospects for the development of DL in Russia

    The development of distance learning in the system of Russian education will certainly continue and, presumably, will become more active: despite the existing problems, the real cost savings for universities and corporations are quite obvious. The online form of education contributes to the mass dissemination of education, making training courses available to those categories of students who were not previously covered by traditional full-time education. Nevertheless, we have to state the low quality of education, which is natural in the context of existing priorities - cost minimization, compliance with standards and the number of curriculum modules.

    One should probably take into account the fact that the cost of developing quality training courses is (and will continue to be) high. At the same time, it is necessary to develop clear criteria for measuring the effectiveness of online courses - only then will online learning be able to realize its full potential.

    According to the market players themselves, distance education will become widespread only when appropriate technical capabilities and good telecommunications channels appear in Russia - and first of all in the province for which this training option was originally designed.
    

    
    Glossary

    
    
    Distance learning (DL)
    training in which all or most of the training procedures are carried out using modern information and telecommunication technologies with the territorial disunity of the teacher and students.
    Remote education
    education through distance learning
    Distance learning technology
    a set of methods and means of teaching and administering educational procedures that ensure the conduct of the educational process at a distance based on the use of modern information and telecommunication technologies.
    Case technology
    a type of distance learning technology based on the use of sets (cases) of textual, audiovisual and multimedia educational materials and their distribution for self-study by students when organizing regular consultations with tutors in a traditional or remote way.
    DO system
    an educational system that provides knowledge through distance learning technologies. Includes: staff of the administration and technical specialists, faculty, educational materials and products, teaching methods and means of delivering knowledge to students (corresponding to one or more types of distance learning technologies), united organizationally, methodically and technically for the purpose of conducting distance learning .
    virtual audience
    a set of workplaces remote from each other, united by data transmission channels and used within the framework of distance learning technology by students to perform the same educational procedures in terms of content, with the possibility of interactive interaction with each other and the teacher.
    Virtual Lab DO
    a remote access laboratory in which real teaching and research equipment has been replaced by mathematical modeling tools.
    Tools DO
    software and information support used to present educational materials in the information and educational environment of distance learning.
    Tutor
    a methodologist, teacher or consultant-mentor, who is a member of the teaching staff of the distance learning system, providing methodological and organizational assistance to students in the framework of a specific distance learning program.