Distance learning in a pandemic: the experience of sociological monitoring of students in Russia and Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article is analysing the experience of using distance learning technologies in higher educational institutions of Russia and Kazakhstan in the context of a coronavirus pandemic. Before the start of the pandemic, in both Russian and Kazakhstan systems of higher education, the practice of using distance learning was limited despite the digitalization trend. The challenges of supporting the continuity of the educational process have led to the fact that, in record time, teachers and students have mastered a number of platforms that ensure their online interaction. Several months of a full-scale distance learning allowed students to form a stable opinion on the new form of education. Today we have empirical material for the period of the coronavirus pandemic and we may assess the possibilities of distance learning. The authors refer to specific case studies in which students from Ufa (Russian Federation) and Karaganda (Republic of Kazakhstan) took part. In general, it can be stated that the majority of students in both Ufa and Karaganda, at the beginning of the pandemic, were not satisfied with distance learning. However, the data from 2021 revealed the opposite trend and indicated an increase in respondents’ satisfaction with distance learning. The complete transition to distance education is not a pertinent question, since the potential of the traditional form of education will remain in demand. The use of proven teaching technologies will guarantee the quality and efficiency of the educational process as a whole. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about digital classes or traditional ones.