Design of distance learning in professional development of power engineering specialists considering USERS’ PSYCHOLOGICAL QUALITIES

The paper considers the application of a distance learning portal for professional development of masters of electric power grids. Distance learning is especially essential for this category of power engineering specialists due to minimal distraction from work process. The central issue of distance learning portal design is compilation of educational content that meets users’ interests, needs and features. A key principle of distance learning is a student-centered approach. In Russia this question is particularly deeply considered in works by leading experts on distance education such as E. S. Polat, M. V. Moiseyeva, M. Yu. Bukharkina and others. In the frames of distance learning student-centered approach is realized due to the construction of individual educational pathways personally for each user of the e-learning portal. The paper describes a specially developed method “Inventory of distance learning portal content for masters of electric power grids”, which makes it possible to determine the basic characteristics of educational pathways in the design phase: themes of requested training courses, levels of complexity of educational material, and forms of electronic training as well. Differences of requested educational content in groups of masters of electric power grids with different psychological characteristics were revealed. Motivational characteristics were investigated with the diagnostic questionnaire of personal motivation structure by V. E. Milman and with the test of achievement motivation by A. Mekhrabian. The correlation between introversion and extraversion (with Eysenck Personality Inventory) and the direction of the control locus (with Rotter’s test) were studied among the personality features. Intellectual abilities and cognitive activity-style were considered as cognitive features. Masters with strong success and professional development motivation choose longer educational pathways (with a large number of training courses) and higher educational levels. Extraverts are significantly more likely to attend webinars, while introverts prefer electronic books. Internals are more independent and active in the process of distance learning. Masters with significant mathematical abilities often choose courses related to technical aspects of electric power grids. It also discovers and describes the differences in educational pathways created for masters with different cognitive style characteristics, such as the leading channel of perception, style of thinking and operating with ideas, and work style. Observed regularities were empirically confirmed in the process of the pilot training on the e-learning portal

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