Petrova M. M.

"St. Cyril and St. Methodius" University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria

DISTANCE LEARNING – CHANGING THE WORLD OF EDUCATION

Distance learning is an indisputable fact in the new active educational and learning circles of the contemporary society. Although still uncertain, it strengthens its position as a practice in Bulgarian education, too. The analysis of the existing experience shows that subject of the distance learning are above all limited in volume and comparatively specialized education courses. By means of this education mostly peripheral or out of the main education process problems are solved. Comparatively cautious and incomplete are the attempts to embrace comprehensive education processes and to distinguish it as an independent form of education.

Regardless of its subsequent development, the distance learning practice, which is in process of establishing in Bulgaria, is still not able to discard a number of myths about this kind of education and remains to a greater or less extent dependent on them, as is the situation in other countries.

The first place in significance we can assign to the myth that distance learning in its essence does not differ from extramural education. In order to discard this myth we should note that no matter to what extent extramural education is taken as a close relative predecessor of distance learning, this close relation cannot underestimate and not in the least eliminate the principle differences between the accepted practice and the established standards of extramural education and the new ideas of distance learning.

The second myth is associated with the simplified interpretation of the basic organization principles of education work in distance learning. It oversimplifies and reduces the organization of education in distance learning to placing the lecture material in the Internet and providing a possibility for feedback of the student with the tutor. It should be noted that no matter how great is the importance assigned to videoconference technologies in global information and communication networks, no matter how high is the estimation of the possibilities of interactive digital televisions, they are not the main, and still less the only elements of distance learning. Much more decisive for distance learning is the organization of the independent cognitive work of the student in a developed learning environment. Fundamental for the education process of distance learning is also the independent working communication between the tutor and the student in an adequate information and communication network and a suitable education information resource.

The myth, that to perform distance learning computers and telecommunications are enough, is spread over a very narrow notion about the equipment and the complete administration of the learning process. This myth again unreasonably underestimates the role and significance of the independent cognitive work of students in the educational-methodological administration of distance learning.

The next myth, that distance learning is considerably weaker and has less quality compared to the full-time form of education, is an attempt to transfer a mechanically formed in the past high estimation of full-time education and a negative estimation of the other forms of education. The exclusive place of the traditional form of full-time education on the educational pedestal of quality will be more and more rivaled by distance learning. The reasons for this are: the possibilities to attract highly qualified scientific-pedagogical experts in the field of new information and communication technologies in order to develop quality and in great circulation educational-methodological administration; the great intellectual potential of the education information environment of the distance learning; the high level of independence in the cognitive activity of students; the rich variety of assignments (part of them in the field of research); the huge potential for collective creativity in network environment and videoconference connections; practical possibility for independent working communication between tutors and students.

In the basis of the fifth myth lies the groundless assumption of the desire to believe that the Bulgarian education system has been and inertly continues to be one of the best in the world; and that with the presentation on the education market of the new service “distance learning” it will have no problems to integrate on the global market. No matter what and how good the evaluations of the education in our country are said to be, they should be related to its history. The expectations for efficient participation on the international education market are extensively superficial and are not objectively reasoned. We would rather distinguish reasons and tendencies for a drain of the traditional contingent of students in Bulgaria to educational institutions or specialized business education outside the country.

The marketing research that was carried out on the education market shows that the necessary reasons exist for scientifically grounded revision of the education services that are offered by the organized education in our country. At that revision the highest priority should be given to the designation of the attractive subject areas and the forms of education that they can take. In this process of proving the social need for every education service more and more attention will be directed to distance learning.

The organized education in Bulgaria more or less moves along the strenuous course of development and application of its own or established in practice new technologies of learning. Parts of this course are the attempts for development of intra-school information and communication networks; conducting experiments inside these networks for upgrading the traditional information technologies for education or maintenance and reviving of the classic learning process. Considerably wider is the capacity for innovation experiments and wide-ranging psycho-pedagogical and didactic-methodical understanding of the need for development and launching of new information technologies in education provided by introducing the corporate school network into the global information and communication network. With the transition into this entirely new level the objectively necessary conditions are created for application of the simplest organization and technical decisions for introduction of elements of distance learning in the traditional learning process.

The fast growth of the distance education branch activates old questions without answers as well as produces a wide range of new problems at accelerated rates. The information-communicational globalization for its part increases the need of creating science-grounded strategy for development of the distance education. A prior object of this strategy should be the support of high quality on all educational stages. The need of creating private and shared standards for distance education is objectified.