CC BY
28
Hakimov A.R.1, Tadjibaeva A.E.2 ©
1a student; 2an English teacher, Fergana Branch of Tashkent University of Information Technologies
THE PERSPECTIVES OF USING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES IN DISTANCE
LEARNING
Summary
The article considers information technology as one of the most promising tools and vivid example of their efficient use for distance education. Based on the conducted observation it discusses and proposes the Web sites that can be used as an effective additional distance learning tools.
Аннотация
В статье рассматриваются информационные технологии как один из наиболее перспективных инструментов и ярким примером их эффективного использования для дистанционного образования. На основании проведенного наблюдения он обсуждает и предлагает веб-сайты, которые могут быть использованы в качестве эффективных дополнительных инструментов дистанционного обучения.
Keywords: distant learning, create, website, language, method.
Today you can hardly find a man who knows nothing about computers. Laptops, tablets, gadgets and mobile phones - all of them entered into our life only quarter of century ago, but nowadays we cannot imagine even one day without it. We start our day with a cup of morning coffee and some news from Internet, chatting with friends while doing our work, check own email before going to sleep.
But there is one more, not as developed as social networks or Internet commerce, branch that has great perspectives of using Information Technologies - Distant Learning.
The Idea of Distant Learning is not so new. Practice of distant learning has a long history and widely spread in some states of Australia and North America, where normal schools cannot be built because of lack of pupils or peculiarities of local people's life. It was a routine, sometimes even hard work of students and teachers, which results might not justify the invested efforts. But this was a situation until the invention of suitable devices. That's why in our time, when computers are portable and global network covers every corner of the Earth, this process is not as severe, and can even be fun.
Let's look at abilities and perspectives of using distant learning at all and computers in particular in process of learning.
First of all, distance learning - it is a good means of increasing the level of knowledge. Sure, here in well-developed countries distant learning has perspective only as extra-classes or scientific conferences, but if we speak about less developed areas of Africa or Australia, distant learning definitely has a rational grass.
Sometimes schools and colleges in such areas have certain staff of teachers, but sometimes pupils need consultation of high-skilled experts of subspecialty which these schools and colleges may lack. Bring such specialists in the country only to advise students is not such a good idea. But this specialist easily can read lectures, using webcam and Internet connection. Another advantage of this method is that professor might give lectures in several countries at the same time. Using of this technique as a basic learning concept for today is still impossible due to a number of factors, but as additional training - a very good idea.
© Hakimov A.R., Tadjibaeva A.E., 2016 г.
There are also some ways of using distant learning even in highly-developed countries. First of all it can be used to obtain additional skills. And what if we try to use the computers as the primary source of learning? What if the student has to miss the classes and asks one of his friends to switch on webcam on his laptop? It certainly has some positive aspects: the student will be at the lecture and won't miss anything. In addition, he can ask the teacher if something is not clear.
If we talk about some specific situations, there are some recommendations on use of computers as regular means of learning, for example, if a student has to be absent for a long time. And if the student is on long-term treatment, in addition to the new knowledge he will get extra motivation when studying with the peers remotely. This technique is particularly effective for the level of knowledge of all students.
Let's imagine prospects of integration of modern computer technologies to the learning processes. Computers that we have today with some recently announced extra-additions to them, can in future work in exactly the same way as the current teacher. Now it sounds too crazy, but idea of radio nanny was also funny in recent past...
"Could androids study among students" - is the paraphrase of Philip K. Dick [1968], is the most suitable question for recently announced remotely controlled robot by Japanese scientists. Undoubtedly, at the moment, it is impossible to give a robot to each student, but what if we try to exchange it for a laptop which is an access of the majority of students. We have video conferences, but what if we use video chatting at every class?
We already have a stable Internet connection, and the teacher can control the level of students' knowledge, even if someone is absent.
"Do you need a tutor? - Use computer". Having such a good digital libraries, why we do not use the computer as a tutor? There are many expert systems in economics, geography, higher mathematics, physics, science, and other academic areas, but they are still hidden from us. The downside is that they are useless because students never used them. To create something really useful we must first at least try something and urgently.
"We play together, we learn together - artificial intelligence" - every video game, released on console or personal computer has own system of support or opposition to the player called artificial intelligence. Of course, its level of development is now too small for the man now, but some games still can give you full illusion of real opponent. So, why not use it as an assistant or an examiner in our lessons? Many programs and educational websites have similar functions, but how about a full-fledged assistant for you, or the examiner, who, in contrast to traditional tests, questions of your own? Learning all of the questions with such an approach will definitely be difficult issue.
Thus, formulating some theses, let's also create a few requirements to be our criteria for success or failure of the use of computer media in the education system. We also use these criteria to the analysis of existing educational systems and to built on their base a concept of own computer system for education.
First of all, the environment must be interesting. Today, we have lots of education systems where the main trouble is they are boring. It's obvious that effective technique of learning is important, but even the most effective educational technique is useless if the students won't be interested in it. That's why we need to develop some interesting and non-trivial approaches to transfer our knowledge to students.
Secondly, we need an appropriate mix of theory and practice for the user. Most modern educational complexes include some multimedia supplements, but this is not enough. Using, for example, supplements included at the moment in all of the most famous English learning system definitely provides some additional benefits, but they still do not make you hundred-percent ready to communicate with a native English speaker. The reason for that - defects caused by such 'interactive' method (it shouldn't be confused with the dialogue method). For example, listening skill requires only listening, analyzing and memorizing. But there is no need in real life to remember absolutely everything, just because you can ask again. And usually there is no technique of making questions for each specific text. Here we have in mind, all of today's 'interactive'
methods are reduced to the principle of "I say - you're listening, I ask - you answer," but we need a real dialogue such as "My question - your answer, your question - my answer."
Creation of such expert systems based on the home computer will be difficult, maybe even impossible due to the many options of answers and questions, which will increase exponentially with each new question and answer.
That's why we need more flexible and less predictable means - another user. Modern messengers or social networks have a powerful voice, and video communication and conferencing. This is the third requirement for our educational system - community, and 'live' lessons.
Having these three basic requirements we can test some educational web-services which are found in Internet from their point of view.
Let's agree in advance - this analysis is only done in order to prepare the ground for our own concept of educational system and reflects only our attitude towards it in terms of our three criteria.
Codecademy.com.
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Codecademy main page Codecademy.com - an educational portal, whose main task is to provide basic knowledge and programming skills in many Web and object languages such as C ++, C #, Java, Python, PHP and etc.
Codecademy has basic training course learning on language data that run on the principle "I give a task - you give the decision". The server checks answers online and gives some advices and hints to solve the given task. Also, the server has some "arbitrary" tasks prepared by other users of the portal and the opportunity to make own project based on the implemented task.
Analysis of this website: Interest: The project is very interesting because of the possibility of creating own website or webpage. It works like desktop book which gives you instructions how to do it and reminds some information you have forgotten. But the project would be boring for those who are not interested in programming, and not willing to spend a few hours a day to study it. .
Mix of theory and practice: The practice is all right, but theory is not so good. It means that you get only the necessary skills to do the task and if you want to create something special for your project you will have to search for information on their own or ask other users for help. Community: Community of this project counts several millions of programmers from beginners to professional developers. Interaction is a distinctive feature of this project: educational courses are created by live users on the basis of public voting and each task has its own forum where you can discuss it, ask questions or advice.
Codecademy - is a vivid example of efficient use of IT in the education system. It's main disadvantage in its subspecialty.
Another example of using IT in distant learning is website Lingualeo.com.
Lingualeo.com.
Lingualeo - is an educational website for learning English. The main idea of this website is to make process of learning more interesting and less boring or strict. You can do everything you want to increase your language skills.
Interest: Developers had made their best to make this project unusual and interesting. And they succeed - movies, music, articles, short and long stories - all this make process of learning funny. Project will be interesting for you even if you don't want to learn English - you can just read articles and watch movies with subtitles.
Mix of theory and practice: The website gives you a complete analogue of the curriculum or education program at the college. It is also based on your needs and level of language and gives a personal training plan. But with the live communication it has a number of problems. Instead, you can increase your knowledge by reading or listening to interesting and sometimes funny stories. Community: The website counts nearly 12 million users, but they can interact only with comments or sharing some materials. It is just like English-speaking Social Network with basic abilities of chatting.
In conclusion we would like to share with you the concept of Distant Education System, which is described in the next thesis:
- "Sandbox" learning system, where users can offer the topics they want to learn and share own knowledge.
- Online lessons of real teachers with the opportunity to ask the interested question.
- Alternative learning tools, such as joint lectures , watching movies, online games.
- Live discussions or "cross-tests" of live users in addition to traditional quizzes and computer-controlled tasks.
But this concept is considered as an additional learning tool, where some of its parts can be used in traditional schools and universities as extracurricular activities or as the basic education for under-treatment students or places typical schools are not available.
Literature
1. Honeyman, M; Miller, G (December 1993). "Agriculture distance education: A valid alternative for higher education?". Proceedings of the 20th Annual National Agricultural Education Research Meeting: 67-73.
2. Holmberg, Börje (2005). The evolution, principles and practices of distance education. Studien und Berichte der Arbeitsstelle Fernstudienforschung der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg [ASF] (in German) 11. Bibliotheks-und Informationssystem der Universitat Oldenburg. p. 13. ISBN 3-81420933-8. Retrieved 23 January 2011
3. Stanton, S. (2001). Going the distance; Developing shared web-based learning programs. Occupational Therapy International, 8(2), 96-106.
4. White, M (1982). "Distance education in Australian higher education - a history".Distance Education 3 (2): 255-278.
Web-resources:
http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/distance-learning/advantages-and-disadvantages-
%E2%80%93-why-choose-distance-learning/
https://www.codecademy.com/
https://lingualeo.com/
