Provision of educational service with the use of distance technologies for disabled persons (case study: the state of Alaska and Nothern regions of the Russian Federation)

Abstract

The distance education contributes to the solution of educational problems of disabled persons. The study of foreign experience is extremely important. North American universities saved up a wide experience in this sphere. Unlike self-made software products created by many Russian universities, Blackboard is the leading educational software package that professionally helps to solve educational problems of disabled persons. The international University of the Arctic has a growing interest in the use of information communication technologies and open educational resources and networks. In 2008 the subject network of University of the Arctic on distance education and e-learning began to function. The Internet and distance learning creates a new opportunity for disabled persons. Main goal: Whether distance education on Alaska and in Northern and Siberian regions of the Russian Federation promotes the solution of educational problems of the North for disabled persons. Main research problems: to reveal modern educational Arctic problems for disabled persons; to analyse specifics of remote education; to analyse a question of distance training of the circumpolar North; to carry out the comparative analysis of distance training on Alaska and in Russian northern and the Siberian regions; to analyse a contribution of distance training to wider problems of the Arctic policy and management. Relevance of work: The Arctic Human Development Report I specifi es that there are very few circumpolar researches in the fi eld of education, including for disabled persons. This article can begin initial discussion of a subject which can be in addition studied in future works. An emerging trend for Arctic education is its increasing accessibility. Accessibility is about students being able to take classes and fulfi ll their potential, that is, it concerns their possibilities for attending school, both physically and culturally. Even though this increased accessibility of education is occurring in some places, it is not unique to the North. Rather, it is a refl ection of changes that have occurred in urbanized areas around the world, where population growth, increased living standards, modernity, and technology have been transforming schools for the past fi fty years (AHDR I, Arctic Human Development Report I). The basis of researches consists of research works and conferences on distance training for disabled persons in the Arctic; the legal acts created by the international organizations, the American and Russian departments; the websites with information on the Russian and American universities. The international, Russian and American legislation, statistical sources, mass media concerning educational policy for disabled persons.