POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF DISTANCE TEACHING BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY NAMED AFTER PROFESSOR A.G. KNORRE SPBSPMU

Abstract

Histology is a morphological discipline, therefore, much attention in the classroom is paid to the study of tissue slides in a light microscope with subsequent sketching. Some time ago, proposals began to be heard for a wider introduction of digital educational resources into the work of universities and the possibility of distance education. In electronic distance education (EDE), two main approaches can be distinguished: the first one resembles a traditional occupation, since deliver it in virtual classrooms using any video communication systems, the second one uses specially prepared digital educational resources. Each of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. Ideally, some kind of symbiosis of the described techniques is needed. EDE until recently developed traditionally and relatively slowly. The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on a rapid development of EDE. Teachers and students of Russian and foreign universities faced enormous difficulties, which were initially associated with lack of working and study experience in such educational form. Many problems were associated with lack of necessary technical means both of the staff of the departments and among the students. An equally important problem was low level of self -discipline and motivation of students, which is incompatible with full -fledged distance learning. The control of students’ knowledge in a distance form and in particular while taking exams causes great difficulties. Summing up the results of EDE the majority of the authors agreed that it has proved to be a forced measure; the most acceptable is the combination of full -time and distance learning.