Distance learning?

Distance learning is a way of the organization of the training process based on usage of the modern information and telecommunication technologies allowing to carry out training at a distance without direct contact between the teacher and the students.

Distance education, undoubtedly, has its advantages over traditional forms of training. It solves psychological problems of the user, removes time and spatial limitations, problems of remoteness from the high quality educational institutions, helps people with physical defects having peculiar and unconventional features to study, expands communicative sphere of students and teachers.

Advantages of distance learning:

• the higher adaptability to the level of the basic preparation and abilities of trainees, to their financial position, health, residence etc., and, accordingly, the best opportunities for the process of education acceleration and the improvement of the quality of training;
• the division of the whole educational process into separate stages (modules), completeness of education at each stage which provides trainees with an opportunity of a constant professional growth;
• the improvement of the educational process quality due to the use of the automated training and testing systems, specialized teaching aids with obligatory test questions, tasks for self-checking, etc.;
• the immediate updating of the methodological support of the educational process as it is easier to freshen the contents of methodical materials on machine-readable media;
• the availability of the “cross” information since trainees have an opportunity to find alternative sources of information in the network;
• obtaining professional knowledge and skills on the basis of high educational standards, without changing the residence;
• an opportunity to combine receiving education and continuing professional activity - to earn money, to be engaged in business and simultaneously to receive knowledge and skills for a higher professional level;
• an opportunity to pass training and certification quickly, on a tight schedule, or, on the contrary, to delay certification, that is you can plan your time more reasonably;
• an opportunity to be simultaneously studying in several specializations at different educational institutions;
• equal education receiving opportunities irrespective of the residence place, state of health, elitism and financial security of the trainee;
• the increase of the creative and mental potential of trainees due to self-organization, aspiration to knowledge, abilities to operate computer hardware and to independently make serious decisions;
• the unique character of training for the towns and villages remote from institute, for people living in places where almost no educational opportunities are available;
• a clear cut practical character of training (trainees can directly address the particular teacher and put questions which interest them most ).