We are living in an era of rapid changes, which is why online learning has come to replace the common “offline” format. Today, South Ural State University is actively demonstrating to the society its solutions and capability to provide education in a new format, for which the university has the necessary tools and skills.
The current move to online learning is an indication of the technical readiness of our university, but besides this, you must also have a good online course. To create a good online course, you need very competent pedagogical design: a clear “architecture” of the subject. At SUSU, we have the Institute of Open and Distance Education, which has been providing courses in this format for years now, and has gained a lot of experience. The staff of the IODE provide guidance, consultation, and sort everything out. The teachers have a new task ahead of them: not only must they hold online classes, they must also organize tests and exams. Thanks to the preparatory work that has been done, SUSU students and teachers have been able to adjust to this new format very quickly. Today, they note the advantages of online learning, although they admit that this transition was not the easiest for them, just like for the rest of our country.
SUSU Online is a space for providing online classes. This is a well-organized and clearly structured space. Here, students receive their assignments, provide their answers to them, attend live stream classes, speak with their teachers, and find all the information they need.
Having gained some experience with this form of learning, the teachers are pleased to note, for example, the tendency towards better attendance. All of the students who have academic debts can close them online. The Head of the Department of Sociology Sergey Odyakov shared his impressions of online learning.
“I believe that the online learning model is making us more disciplined. Students will learn to complete their assignments on time and teachers—to plan out their schedule and give assignments based on the work load. I think that in the future, this experience will be useful, since SUSU Online can store course materials, and the course structure can be copied to be used in the next semester for the same subject.”
Teachers have noted that many students enjoy this form of learning. Second year Master’s student Vildan Nizametdinov spoke more in-depth about the advantages of online learning.
“Nearly all Master’s students are working, and combining work and studies is very difficult at times. I like online classes because I can complete the assignments in a calm, comfortable environment. In addition, with SUSU Online, the text of lectures is always available, and I can open and read them at any time. During the lessons, the teachers are always online, so if we have any questions, they can always help us.”
Students and teachers noted that the standard form of education can be replaced by online learning when necessary. The efficacy does not suffer from this, and in a number of cases, it may even be more convenient.