Disadvantages and Advantages of Implementing Distance Learning in Higher Institutions of Medical Education

Abstract

The article considers the advantages and disadvantages of implementing distance learning for medical students’ training in quarantine. The issues of using e-learning methods in distance learning have been analysed. In the teaching methodology, the questions of determining the feasibility, advantages and disadvantages of implementing distance learning in the educational space and distinguishing between the concepts of “distance learning” and “e-learning” appear. The term “e-learning” is often interpreted as synonymous with “distance learning”, but the authors of this article note that this is not entirely correct. E-learning is only one of the forms used in combination with other forms of learning. Distance learning at the modern level involves the implementation of the educational process only by the network. Distance learning is a method of attending class even if students cannot be there physically. According to the Regulation “On distance learning” in Poltava State Medical University, “distance learning is a set of educational services provided through modern psychological, pedagogical, information and communication technologies”. The purpose of distance learning at the university is to introduce modern information and communication technologies to train the specialists at the educational and qualification levels “bachelor” and “master”, training programmes for interns, and advanced training of doctors according to national educational standards. The article analyses the modern pedagogical research of Ukrainian and foreign schools and presents the results of the analysis of students’ and teachers’ opinions on the introduction of distance learning in the educational process. The article also presents the results of implementing distance education at the Poltava State Medical University in the disciplines “Medical Physics” and “Medical Informatics”. The result of the study proved that distance learning has only advantages theoretically. In practice, many problems need to be solved.