Distance learning at higher education institutions: Results of an experiment

Abstract

© 2019 Association for Social Studies Educa. All rights reserved. One of the most promising forms of implementing active teaching methods is distance learning or e-learning. During the last decade, e-learning was most often associated with the so-called mass open online courses, the MOOCs. At Russian and Kazakhstan universities, e-learning is often blended with the traditional type of in-class education and is known as "blended learning". A certain lack of research on the use of distance learning at Russian universities determined the topic of this paper. The initial assignment was to launch blended learning in 6 groups of students of general engineering at the Engineering and Technology Faculty of Elabuga Institute of Kazan Federal University and philology students at the Kazakh Philology Faculty of Semey State University named after Shakarim and to study the students' attitude toward distance learning during the 2017-2018 academic year. The methods of research involve a literature review, pedagogical observation, experiment, questioning, and theoretical analysis. The results of the research show some interesting observations on the attitude of students and institute professors toward the use of e-learning. Also, the research shows positive results of the use of the blended learning methodology in studying some general technical disciplines during the bachelor's degree program.