Distributed learning process: principles of design and implementation

At the present stage, broad information and communication technologies (ICT) usage in educational practices is one of the leading trends of global education system development. This trend has led to the instructional interaction models transformation. Scientists have developed the theory of distributed cognition (Salomon, G., Hutchins, E.), and distributed education and training (Fiore, S. M., Salas, E., Oblinger, D. G., Barone, C. A., Hawkins, B. L.). Educational process is based on two separated in time and space sub-processes of learning and teaching which are aimed at the organization of fl exible interactions between learners, teachers and educational content located in different non-centralized places.

The purpose of this design research is to fi nd a solution for the problem of formalizing distributed learning process design and realization that is signifi cant in instructional design. The solution to this problem should take into account specifi cs of distributed interactions between team members, which becomes collective subject of distributed cognition in distributed learning process. This makes it necessary to design roles and functions of the individual team members performing distributed educational activities. Personal educational objectives should be determined by decomposition of team objectives into functional roles of its members with considering personal and learning needs and interests of students.

Theoretical and empirical methods used in the study: theoretical analysis of philosophical, psychological, and pedagogical literature on the issue, analysis of international standards in the e-learning domain; exploration on practical usage of distributed learning in academic and corporate sectors; generalization, abstraction, cognitive modelling, ontology engineering methods.

Result of the research is methodology for design and implementation of distributed learning process based on the competency approach. Methodology proposed by authors determines specifi cs of educational objectives, learning content and distributed learning lifecycle design, approaches to implementing learning scenarios, as well as the functions and roles of students and teachers in a distributed interaction. Main advantage of the author’s methodology is that it allows to use various paradigms (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism) in instructional design. It is applicable to all levels of distributed learning: traditional face-to-face learning with ICT support, blended learning, distance learning in virtual learning environments.

Conclusion. Methodology presented by the authors has been tested in the professional teachers training programs for IT-teachers to be at the Novokuznetsk Institute (Branch) of Kemerovo State University in the curriculum of disciplines ‘Educational process management informatization’, ‘Innovative methods and technologies for e-learning’ and ‘Distance learning organization’.

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