ETHICAL ASPECTS OF DISTANCE EDUCATION IN THE EPOCH OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

The article focuses on the ethical issues of distance learning as a challenge faced by education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The author considers the moral and value aspects of distance learning at different levels - from problems of an international nature to individual communication between teacher and student. The range of problems related to the ethical component of distance learning is quite wide: digital inequality, digital literacy, pedagogical relations between "digital aborigines" and "digital immigrants", features of the use of digital material, etc. The author demonstrates the ambiguity of the problems that arose in the era of the pandemic. Thus, on the one hand, distance education requires a complete transition to digital format, on the other - both sides of the educational process are not ready for this format, because they do not have the necessary technical knowledge. Ethical issues are often financially related, such as addressing digital inequality or digital literacy. The article emphasizes that the digitalization of education requires a high level of responsibility and trust from all participants in the educational process. The most important condition of ethical behavior is awareness of digital etiquette and the effectiveness of penalties for its violation or incentives for its observance: compliance with ethical standards is a fundamental condition for success in the format of distance learning. At the same time, this requires first of all the development of distance learning principles and a corresponding code of ethics at the level of a specific educational institution.