Information and Methodological Support of Students’ Self-Governing Independent Work

Abstract

The author presents the results of scientific research on informational and educational support of students’ self-organizing independent work, which is complicated and comprehensive, because it includes sequential and consistent execution of large stages of educational and cognitive activity requiring creative approach to decision making. Starting point of this activity is assignment from the lead instructor to study and acquire given learning material. Having received the assignment, the student assesses the individual work effort required to complete it, sets time limits, draws up the schedule, manages the workplace, gets acquainted with information and training materials available and, if necessary, searches for additional required literature. After that, the student is to study educational theoretical material and perform practical exercises and tasks. Finally, he/she carries out self-control of acquired knowledge and skills. Assuming that acquired knowledge and skills do not fully comply with the fund of evaluation assets the student is to reexamine the learning material or correct the mistakes in the practical exercise. The next stage is to submit the accomplished work to the lead instructor. For holistic and figurative appreciation of this complex didactic process pedagogical science uses system modeling. In the present article the author introduces the functional model of students’ self-organizing independent work adapted to distance education. The model under consideration is of practical interest because it can be applied to forecast the process of knowledge acquisition in students’ self-organizing independent work and monitor the influence every link of this work has on the final result of independent work. In the long run, decision is made as to which educational technology proves the best. The efficiency of informational and educational support in the structure of the presented model has been confirmed by the results of the pilot study and final testing.