ATTITUDE TO DISTANCE LEARNING IN RUSSIAN HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM

The article is devoted to analysis of the current status and prospects of distance learning in Russia. Based on a poll among students and tutors of the University the authors describe the benefits and also limitations and risks of online education, compare the effectiveness of traditional and digital (electronic) forms of learning. The paper presents the respondent' s opinions about effectiveness of different educational formats and their prospects in the Russian higher education system.

The study involved 105 people (42 men and 63 women). The sample consisted of subjects aged from 17 to 62 years (average age was 28.5 ± 9.6 years).

Respondents were offered a questionnaire consisting of 16 yes/no questions, 14 alternative questions, 4 general. Students and university teachers were asked to assess the effectiveness of their full-time and distance learning experience on a ten-point scale. In the final part of the questionnaire respondents expressed their attitude to the perspective of the spread of distance learning in the higher education system. Mathematical data processing was carried out with nonparametric statistics (Spearman correlation coefficient, Mann-Whitney test). Dispersion analysis (F) was applied in addition.

The study we conducted on a sample of students, lecturers and staff members of Ural Federal University has revealed the biased attitude of the teaching community of different status and age towards the promotion of e-learning in higher education.

Regardless of the distance-learning experience significantly more respondents believe that total replacement of the full-time education by a remote one is impossible.

Subjects with the experience of e-learning noted such important characteristics of this type of education (on a 5-point scale) as "opportunity to plan time", "opportunity to learn not leaving your office or home", "individual learning pace", "accessibility for people with disabilities".