On the Road to Distance Education and E-Learning

The paper is an extended version of the author’s key-note speech at the 4th International Conference on Engineering and Natural Sciences (ICENS 2018) on May 4th 2018 in Kyiv. A short historical overview of the problem in the context of distance and blended learning has been suggested. Formally, modern e-learning exists for about twenty years. In fact, the phrase “e-learning” was łrst formally introduced in November 1999 at the TechLearn Conference at Disneyworld by Elliott Masie who was later awarded the number one position on E-learning Industry’s Movers and Shakers List in 2017. E-learning as a branch of teaching and learning technology is less than 20 years old. But it is based on approaches which have much longer history and solid roots. There are two aspects in modern e-learning. These are indirect contacts between teacher and student also known as distant education and different kinds of technical assistance. As an approach, distance education is contemporary with the Babbage machine. Distance learning started in 1840 as Sir Isaak Pitman introduced education via correspondence in Great Britain. Assignments were distributed to students per post and in the same way they sent their home assignments. As far as technical assistance is concerned, the automated testing began in 1920 as Sidney Pressey invented a mechanical testing machine. By 1936, there were nearly 700 devices patented for educational uses. The way from mechanical testing to programmed teaching took another 30 years and was introduced by B. F. Skinner in the middle of 1950s. A new important movement in programmed learning was inspired by computers created in the middle of the 20th century. But a real paradigm shift in programmed training was due to personal computers, their graphical interface, and computer networks. At the end of 1990s, learning management systems (LMS) were introduced. The author’s experience in teaching software engineering and computer programming based on modern e-learning tools MOODLE has been summarized. Special interest issues which need more precise solutions have been pointed out. These are calendar and enrollment, forming academic groups, teamwork, tracking student activities, students’ peer review, antiplagiarism testing, and evaluation, internship support.