DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE CONTEXT OF NEW DIGITAL MEDIA TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

The aim of this study is to map distance learning for the profession of a journalist, or to raise the professional capacity of journalists in the Western Balkans, in institicional as well as non-institutional training centers. The intention of the author is first make an overview of the existing forms of distance learning for media on the territory of the Western Balkans, and to determine on what level of education they are. The next step is to test how much training for new digital media technology would be the most effective if distance learning is implemented because internet is a common denominator between the two. Thus, the subject of learning and the basic teaching method are related to the use of new technologies. The starting point is that in practice the distance learning for the media profession is much more complex than the definition because it involves the use of new technologies and new interactive teaching methods, which are still not implemented enough in the Western Balkans. So, it includes exactly what it is simultaneously preparing students for: setting multimedia content on the Internet and achieving interactivity with the audience. Methods used in this paper are: a) the method of theoretical analysis, which includes a critical analysis of the theoretical assumptions underlying the approaches on distance learning in the field of multimedia platforms on the Internet, and b) descriptive method to describe past experiences of distance learning in academic institutions and non-governmental organizations in the Western Balkans aimed at improving professional standards in the media, c) modeling method, making model of distance learning for working in online media possible. The technique for data collection is the interview. In the teaching process of distance learning the impact of digital technologies in the work is decomposed in terms of each of the following elements: a) contextual information in which distance learning is taking place in the countries of the Western Balkans, b) teacher c) participant (journalism students, journalists) and d) subject/content of the distance learning program (multimedia platform on the Internet), e) application of knowledge in practice, namely preparing journalistic contents for media on the Internet. Basic preliminary results indicate that so far in the Western Balkans, there are no well-developed distance learning programs for the use of new digital media technologies in the creation and deployment of multimedia content on the Internet and for achieving interactivity with the audience.