USE OF E-LEARNING ELEMENTS IN PHYSICS FULL-TIME COURSE FOR BACHELORS WITH TECHNICAL MAJORS

The use of Internet in all areas of life is a basic human need in modern digital society. Development of information technologies brought about the evolution of distance learning (DL), which implies, first and foremost, self-study. There are two main technologies that are used in DL in Kazakhstan: case technology and network technology. Distance learning at our university is carried out on the MOODLE platform. This system provides a physics course developed for students with various majors. The courses allow students to explore theoretical base, take tests, perform labs and fulfill a final knowledge test. The courses proved successful for many years of use. They are regularly refined and updated with digital training tools. Teaching methods are also continuously advanced. It was decided to apply the gained DL experience in the full-time course. The need for that is clear. The fact is the credit technology of education significantly decreased the number of classroom hours on physics. Physics course is a basic discipline, which is designed for students in their first years of university-level studies. Frequently, they have neither the skills for self-study nor the proper baseline knowledge from secondary school. Therefore the most important task for these students is to nurture the skills necessary for continued learning and professional growth. In order to accomplish this task, it is extremely important to active students’ self-study skills by using various informational technologies. Among those the most common are cloud technology and so-called smart technology. Social networking is also widely used in the learning process. After weighing all the pros and cons of different methods, we decided to apply the DL portal for traditional teaching. The result was a hybrid system of learning, which optimally combines full-time and distance learning forms. Starting conditions were equal for all groups. Later, students registered in the Distance Learning portal were offered additional theoretical material, exploratory and heuristic tasks and virtual labs. As a result of this experiment, not only the students improved their grades, but their increased engagement with the field of physics as well as with the learning process itself became evident. Thus, it is apparent that the modern student training must utilize the so-called hybrid approach through the widespread adoption of ICT in the educational process. This goes fully in line with the concept of modernization of education. Additionally, the use of various computer technologies unquestionably creates a positive effect on students’ motivation for learning.

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