Narbut N.P., Aleshkovski I.A., Gasparishvili A.T., Krukhmaleva O.V. Forced shift to distance learning as an impetus to technological changes in the Russian higher education. RUDN Journal of Sociology, 2020, Vol. 20, No 3, pp. 611-621.

Òåêñò ñòàòüè íà ñàéòå æóðíàëà URL: http://journals.rudn.ru/sociology/article/view/24540/18568 (äàòà îáðàùåíèÿ 28.10.2020)

Abstract

The objective request for the compliance of all spheres of life with the requirements of the information society has accelerated processes determined by the restrictive measures of the covid-19 pandemic. Almost all  sectors  of  the  economy were  forced  to switch  to  remote working;  however,  the education system was the most affected. The mass transition to distance learning revealed a number of challenges and contradictions in distant forms of the higher education programs andmade the Russian education system respond to thechallenges of the digital society. This required a deep analysis of various aspects of distance learning, readiness of all education actors to work remotely, availability of material-technical  facilities,  methodological  support  and  software,  and  also  an  assessment  of  prospects  and scenarios  for  the development  of  the  Russian education  system  after  the pandemic.  In May 2020,  the Center  for  Education  Development  Strategy  at  Lomonosov  Moscow  State  University  and  the  RUDN Department of Sociology, with the support of the Russian Professors Assembly, conducted a survey of the academic personnel to study universities’ transition to distance learning. The survey data reveled the real situation in the education system, features of the forced transition to remote working and challenges of such an educational format, and allowed to reconstruct a ‘portrait’ of the teacher most skeptical to distance  learning.  The  study  helped  to  make  a  number  of  recommendations  on  improving  forms  and methods of learning and on developingeducation technologies in universities; to identify the main risks of distance education and to suggest possible forms of mixed learning in Russian universities.