Future Journalists' Distance Learning in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Barriers to Effectiveness

The article deals with the peculiarities of organizing distance learning and teaching of journalism disciplines under the conditions of the coronavirus pandemic. The current problems of distance education the professors and students of Transbaikal State University (Chita, Russian Federation) have experienced are revealed. The university, leading in the region in terms of the number of specialties and fields of study, in general, was ready for distance learning owing to its electronic educational environment, which made it possible to quickly and effectively establish contact with students when switching to online training. The barriers reducing the educational process effectiveness are formulated and presented in detail. First, there have been technical barriers directly related to the level of mastering digital learning technologies. The increased load on Internet platforms and educational resources led to numerous technical failures. The absence or low speed of the Internet in some localities of Zabaykalsky Krai made the educational process almost inaccessible for some students who were at home during the period of self-isolation. Many professors had insufficient knowledge of how to organize distance learning and use computer educational technologies. Second, there have been organizational difficulties due to the specifics of mastering the professional competencies of future journalists, the inability to use the tools of various communication channels in the distance mode. As distance education requires additional resources, effort, and time, the professors' and students' workload has increased significantly. The remote format of teaching has become a serious barrier for students to master practical competencies in the field of layout design, video editing and graphics. Professors were faced with the urgent question of finding the most effective methods of mastering and consolidating educational material, ways of interacting with students. The source of communication barriers lies in mediated interpersonal communication. Both professors and students repeatedly noted the deficit of personal contacts. For many professors, the psychological problem was the inability to see students' faces and, accordingly, to assess their understanding of the topic and involvement in the work. Students also felt less confident than in the classroom, preferring to remain silent during online classes. On the other hand, the use of visual content had a positive impact on the students' acquisition of the educational material, making it more accessible and understandable. It is shown that, in distance education, it is the personal characteristics of the professor and the student that can make these difficulties worse or, on the contrary, contribute to overcoming them effectively.

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