Instructor Readiness for Open and Distance Learning in Turkey

The main purpose of this study is to examine the readiness of the instructors at universities in Turkey to open and distance learning (ODL) in terms of the ODL factors (distance teaching, technology, communication, and time) regarding competencies (knowledge-skills and attitudes-beliefs) and resources. A multiple case study design was employed, and 36 instructors from four different universities participated. Qualitative data were gathered through personal interviews and analyzed with descriptive analysis. Overall, the results indicate that the instructors in this research have competencies for all the ODL factors. Also, a majority of instructors has given their positive beliefs about ODL, but they all noted their concerns such as lack of interaction with the students and conveying university culture and lifestyle as the disadvantages of ODL. The study has revealed that almost every instructor has enough resources to give distance courses, whereas the problem is with lack of time for updating course content and self-development.

External practices in distance courses

The problem of this research focuses on the communication between the organizing center and the external tutors at practicum centers. A non-experimental methodology is followed to explore the connections between the different variables. Six correlations between the following variables stand out. Positive correlation: gender with sports specialty, academic degree with distance training expertise, and age with collaboration with the organization. Negative correlation: sportive degree with needed training and received information; and, collaboration with the organization with received information. In addition, a dendrogram was constructed from the qualitative question with five large nodules. The results indicate that tutors do not receive information and that they are not related to the organization at any of the formative moments. It would be convenient to prepare a communication protocol where all participants could contribute from different points of view.

Telepresence with Hologram Effect: Technological Ecosystem for Distance Education

One of the most significant challenges of telepresence distance education is to bring the professor and the students closer together in a synchronistic educational experience where the professor is perceived as anatomically proportionate. Telepresence, an educational technology ecosystem using holograms, offers a way to solve this technological challenge. Our mixed exploratory research investigating this methodology had two purposes: (1) propose the key elements to teach distance courses synchronously in an educational technology ecosystem, and (2) demonstrate the technological, didactic practices that result in positive student learning outcomes in several specified courses. This methodology included applying a student questionnaire to collect their perceptions of the educational experience. The scores and written comments from the questionnaire were analyzed using Grounded Theory. On a Likert scale from 1 to 5, the students scored their educational experience, attaining a mean of 4.05. The positive perception affirmed that they valued: (a) recreating the natural dynamics of face-to-face classes, where the students perceived their professors as being physically present in the classroom; (b) professors renowned in their disciplines; (c) professor–student and campus and intercampus learning community interactions, and, finally, (d) class design and content. The main conclusions of this research were that students positively perceived the “wow” effect of the technology, feeling comfort, amazement, interest, and engagement. In addition, we found that professors and keynote speakers with excellent pedagogical skills and experts in their disciplines were well appreciated. Key elements for the success of the experience were professor–student, campus, and intercampus interactions and the quality of the technological and communication infrastructure.

SYNCHRONOUS AND ASYNCHRONOUS FORMS OF ACCOMPANIMENT OF REMOTE PROJECTS AND COURSES

Предлагается анализ феноменов дистанционного и электронного обучения. Представлены этапы становления технологии дистанционно организованного учебного процесса. Анализируется уровень сформированности ИКТ-компетенций учителей, студентов педагогических вузов, обучающихся общеобразовательных организаций. Рассмотрены вопросы оперативного (онлайн) и отложенного во времени (офлайн) сопровождения деятельности педагогов, связанной с проведением и участием в ИКТ-проектах в рамках собственной профессиональной деятельности. Работа основана на реальном опыте осуществления проектов на территории Алтайского края в 2012–2018 гг. Описывается опыт сопровождения проектов и курсов по формированию ИКТ-компетенций, в том числе моделей организации оперативного консультирования учителей средствами чат-ботов, специализированных групп в социальных сетях, сайтов с форумами и др. Рассмотрены вопросы онлайн-сопровождения офлайн-организованного учебного процесса студентов, что соответствует осуществлению и поддержке какого-либо предметного курса обучения. Материал базируется на опыте преподавания в период локдауна, связанного с пандемией новой коронавирусной инфекции. Введены понятия вертикально и горизонтально организованной распределенной поддержки, рассмотрены различные способы и методы ее осуществления. Описывается авторская технология организации дистанционных курсов повышения квалификации учителей по тематике внедрения ИКТ в образовательный процесс. Указывается, что при организации сопровождения дистанционных и очно-дистанционных проектов и курсов наиболее оптимальным является использование комбинации синхронного и асинхронного вида коммуникации. The article offers an analysis of the phenomena of distance and e-learning, presents the stages of the formation of the technology of the distance-organized educational process. The level of formation of ICT competencies of teachers, students of pedagogical universities, students of general educational organizations is analyzed. The issues of operational “online” and delayed “offline” support of teachers’ activities related to the implementation and participation in ICT projects within the framework of their own professional activities are considered. The work is based on real experience in implementing projects on the territory of the Altai Territory (2012–2018), including the experience of supporting projects and courses on the formation of ICT competencies, including models for organizing operational counseling for teachers using chat bots, specialized groups in social networks, sites with forums, etc. The issues of online support of the offline organized educational process of students are considered, which corresponds to the implementation and support of any subject course of study. This material is based on teaching experience during the quarantine period associated with the coronavirus epidemic. The article introduces the concepts of vertically and horizontally organized distributed support, discusses various ways and methods of implementing this support. The author’s technology of organizing distance courses for advanced training of teachers on the topic of ICT implementation in the educational process is described. It is indicated that when organizing support for remote and intramural-distance projects and courses, the most optimal is the use of a combination of synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Usages des Reseaux Sociaux par des Etudiants du Departement de Socioanthropologie a l’Universite Alassane Ouattara en Periode de Crise Sanitaire COVID 19

Face à la psychose liée à la COVID-19 dans le monde, les individus et les institutions ont mobilisé divers mécanismes de résilience. A l’Université Alassane Ouattara (UAO) durant le confinement, des innovations pédagogiques, à savoir les enseignements par visioconférences, des cours en ligne et à distance à travers les mails sont entrepris. Plusieurs plateformes et espaces d’échange entre enseignants et étudiants ainsi qu’entre pairs étudiants sont créés. Toutefois, peu d’études ont été conduites pour renseigner avec exactitude sur les usages réels de ces réseaux sociaux par les étudiants durant le temps du confinement. L’objectif de cette étude est de déterminer les différents usages que font les étudiants du département de socio-anthropologie de l’UAO des réseaux sociaux en période de COVID-19. L’étude porte sur trente (30) sujets choisis de façon empirique dans les différents groupes sociaux (Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.). L’ancrage théorique de cette étude est la théorie de l’action raisonnée de Fishbein et Ajzen (1975). L’étude est qualitative, notamment phénoménologique. L’observation, la recherche documentaire et l’entretien semi-directif ont été utilisés comme techniques de recueils des données. Selon les résultats le facteur principal de l’utilisation des réseaux sociaux est l’anxiété suivie des activités lucratives et des besoins d’étude. En ce qui concerne, l’ordre de préférence des réseaux sociaux les plus visités WhatsApp vient en tête, suivi de Facebook, ensuite YouTube et enfin d’Instagram. Faced with the psychosis linked to COVID-19 around the world, individuals and institutions have mobilized various resilience mechanisms. At Alassane Ouattara University (UAO) during confinement, educational innovations, namely teaching by videoconferencing, online and distance courses through emails are being undertaken. Several platforms and spaces for exchange between teachers and students as well as student peers are created. However, few studies have been conducted to provide accurate information on the real uses of these social networks by students during the time of confinement. The objective of this study is to determine the different uses that students of the socio-anthropology department of the UAO make of social networks during COVID-19. The study covers thirty (30) subjects chosen empirically from different social groups (Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, etc.). The theoretical grounding of this study is the theory of reasoned action of Fishbein and Ajzen (1975). The study is qualitative, in particular phenomenological. Observation, desk research and semi-structured interviews were used as data collection techniques. According to the results the main factor in the use of social networks is anxiety followed by profitmaking activities and study needs. With regard to the order of preference of the most visited social networks WhatsApp comes first, followed by Facebook, then YouTube and finally Instagram.

Methodology for Constructing and Using a Mathematical Model for Assessing Labor Costs for the Development of Distance Learning Courses

Distance learning plays a significant role in solving the problem of the sustainable development of society. Unfortunately, the development and implementation of distance courses are still carried out intuitively, which does not allow practical implementation of effective mathematics methods and slows down the introduction of breakthrough technologies. The aim of the research was to develop a new model and a methodology for assessing the labor costs of designing distance learning courses by university teachers based on a comprehensive assessment of the courses’ quality. The suggested model originally extends the constructive cost evaluation model already used in IT industry. The developed criteria make it possible to assess labor costs in relation to the quality of course development. The paper provides and analyzes such calculations on the example of courses in the theory of algorithms and programming.

Distant professional training of additional education teachers at Pedagogical University

Examined are possibilities of an innovative approach to improving the qualifications of teachers of additional education on the example of the Altai State Pedagogical University. The advanced training program for teachers of additional education “Professional activity of a teacher of additional education in modern socio-cultural conditions” contributes to the development of the competencies necessary for the professional activity of a teacher of additional education in accordance with the requirements of the professional standard “Teacher of additional education for children and adults”. The innovative content of distance education for this category of teachers is dictated by changes in the regulatory framework of pedagogical activity, namely, the approval of the 2018 “Professional standard for teachers of additional education for children and adults”, new requirements of innovative projects of the Development Program of an educational institution. The remote form of organizing advanced training courses for teachers of additional education at the Altai State Pedagogical University serves as an experimental platform for further designing retraining programs for teachers of additional education and contributes to obtaining high-quality advanced training for specialists from the most remote parts of the region without interruption from work. The presented program of distance courses for advanced training will have positive results in terms of promoting IR technologies in the educational space of the Altai Territory.

The possibility of using distance learning technologies in the process of teaching surgery in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Актуальность исследования заключается в анализе роли интерактивных методов, а именно, дистанционного обучения в преподавании хирургических дисциплин в медицинском вузе в условиях пандемии коронавирус. Изучили применение технологий дистанционного обучения при преподавании хирургических дисциплин в условиях пандемии коронавируса. Цель исследования: анализ применения технологий дистанционного обучения при преподавании хирургических дисциплин в условиях пандемии коронавируса. Материалом исследования явились информационные платформы LMS Moodle, Google Meet, модифицированные к on-line обучению рабочая программа дисциплины, учебно методические рекомендации кафедры при изучении хирургических дисциплин on-line, данные опроса студентов относительно восприятия новых методов обучения и их эффективности. Методами исследования были вебинары, видеоконференции, чат, форумы и прочее. Карантинные мероприятия в связи с пандемией COVID-19 заставили образовательные учреждения перейти на дистанционное обучение и стали настоящим вызовом для всего российского образования по его организации. Образовательными ресурсами дистанционного обучения стали дистанционные курсы, виртуальные лабораторные работы, тестовые задания, учебные и методические материалы, веб-ресурсы, терминологические словари. Дистанционное обучение имеет свои преимущества и свои специфические изъяны. Необходимость сохранения непрерывности обучения, обеспечение эффективности усвоения учебной программы обусловило необходимость скорой перестройки методики преподавания, внедрения современных инновационных информационно-коммуникационных технологий. The relevance of the study lies in the analysis of the role of interactive methods, namely, distance learning in teaching surgical disciplines at a medical university in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. We studied the use of distance learning technologies in teaching surgical disciplines in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. The research material was the information platforms Zoom and Microsoft Teams, the work program of the discipline modified for on-line training, educational and methodological recommendations of the department in the study of surgical disciplines on-line, data from a survey of students regarding the perception of new teaching methods and their effectiveness. The research methods were webinars, video conferences, chat and ICQ, forums, etc. Quarantine measures in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic forced educational institutions to switch to distance learning and became a real challenge for the entire Russian education in its organization. Distance learning educational resources have become distance courses, virtual laboratory work, test tasks, educational and methodological materials, web resources, terminological dictionaries. Distance learning has its advantages and its specific flaws. The need to preserve the continuity of learning, ensuring the effectiveness of the assimilation of the curriculum necessitated the rapid restructuring of teaching methods, the introduction of modern innovative information and communication technologies. The purpose of the study: to analyze the use of distance learning technologies in teaching surgical disciplines in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.

Biotechnology data analysis training with Jupyter Notebooks

Biotechnology has experienced innovations in analytics and data processing. As the volume of data and its complexity grows, new computational procedures for extracting information are developed. However, the rate of change outpaces the adaptation of biotechnology curricula, necessitating new teaching methodologies to equip biotechnologists with data analysis abilities. To simulate experimental data, we created a virtual organism simulator (silvio) by combining diverse cellular and sub-cellular microbial models. silvio was utilized to construct a computer-based instructional workflow with important steps during strain characterization and recombinant protein expression. The instructional workflow is provided as a Jupyter Notebook with comprehensive explanatory text of biotechnological facts and experiment simulations using silvio tools. The students conduct data analysis in Python or Excel. This instructional workflow was separately implemented in two distance courses for Master's students in biology and biotechnology. The concept of using virtual organism simulations that generate coherent results across different experiments can be used to construct consistent and motivating case studies for biotechnological data literacy.

Author's distance courses in the system of lifelong art education

The purpose of the article is to substantiate the advisability of using distance courses in the process of improving the qualifications of teachers of art education institutions. The methodology of the work is based on the use of methods of analysis and synthesis. The analysis of the problems of the quality of knowledge in distance courses made it possible to turn to different forms of education. On the basis of synthesizing the obtained research results, the laws of knowledge improvement are established. The method of concretization reconstructed the versatility of connections in the personality – process – education system. The method of generalization made it possible to fix the expediency of using distance courses in order to improve the qualifications of teachers of art education institutions. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the author's distance course "Methods of teaching musical disciplines" has been analyzed and introduced into the educational process of the National Academy of Leading Cadres of Culture and Arts, the Center for Continuous Art Education. The text of the article can be used in the preparation of a lecture on the methods of teaching musical disciplines. Conclusions. Based on the analysis of work with the distance course "Methods of teaching musical disciplines", the possibilities and expediency of its use in refresher courses for teachers of art education institutions are revealed. Working with DK has advantages in improving the professional skills of teachers, allows you to save time as much as possible and receive a creative incentive for practical use in teaching, to identify new aspects of creative approaches in the art of music. The absolutely new selected material of the DK enriches the teaching experience (with a repertoire in performance, theoretical studios for musical-theoretical and musical-historical disciplines), including people of different age groups. The distribution of lectures, practical and independent tasks has a positive effect on the final learning outcome.