Distance teaching: opportunities, challenges and prospects

Abstract

Russian universities were forced to switch to distance teaching format in the spring of 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Such way of teaching has become a specific testing ground for the development and testing the effectiveness of new information and digital interactive technologies and online teaching methods. Detailed descriptions of the methods and technologies for conducting all types of classes remotely in various disciplines are not freely accessible. Hence, the transition to distance teaching demanded from teachers to develop new methods and forms of teaching and to establish remote monitoring of knowledge acquisition by students. The purpose of the article is to analyze and summarize the results of approbation of methods to organize and to conduct all classes types and their monitoring in a distance teaching format in the discipline “Physics” at the Don State Technical University. The article contains general information and specific recommendations on the methodology for conducting and monitoring the level of mastering competencies by students. The results of the exams for intramural and extramural students confirmed the effectiveness of the methods used. The analysis of such experiences can contribute to creating the optimal online teaching methods.