Olga V. Galustyan
Southern Federal University, Russia
Volume 7, Number 3, 2015 I Full Text PDF
Abstract: This article is devoted to the problem of improving the quality of university education. It discusses the problem of using virtual educational area. Virtual educational area is one of the innovative technologies in education. Digital Campus of the Southern Federal University is demonstrated as an example of virtual educational area. Digital Campus “Incampus” includes all available information resources connected with training, social and administrative activities. It allows using electronic libraries of textbooks, giving consultations, creating students’ e-portfolio. The Digital Campus system allows the students to progress at their own rates. Tutors serve as guides during the studying process of the students. Active cooperation with the invited users from the other universities allows studying and implementing the best experience, conducting joint programs, publishing educational materials. All these form an electronic image of the Southern Federal University and develop identity of university. The author concludes that the use of Digital Campus in teaching encourages students’ self-education and reflection. All these increase the effectiveness of studying.
Key words: Digital Campus, electronic image, virtual educational area, e-portfolio
INTRODUCTION
Education in the modern world is undergoing significant changes. A number of researchers (Collin, K., 2009; Filliettas, L., 2011; Gänzle, S., King, C., Meister, S., 2009; Hökkä, P., Eteläpelto, A., Rasku-Puttonen, H., 2012; Moriarty, B., Danaher, P., A., Danaher, G., 2008; Nerland, M., Jensen, K., 2007; Nyström, S., 2009; Vähäsantanen, K., Eteläpelto, A., 2009) believes that society requires an innovative system of education. The aim of new system is to form the students’ ability to project thinking, self-education and reflection. In this connection, the program of social and economical development of Russia determines the main purpose of the development of the system of higher education. The most important factor is the quality of training process. The realities of modern academic life are active cooperation with international specialists and commercial organizations, students’ participation in international educational and scientific projects, effective implementation of the education process of the international standards of information technology. Russia’s integration into the international scientific and educational space is impossible without restructuring of the system of training. Educational structure requires developing of innovative strategies in order to prepare contemporary professionals. The notion of “innovation” is used in the context of different reforms and expected changes. The forms of innovation are new information technologies. Implementation of information technologies in higher education is becoming more popular nowadays. The fact is that a great number of universities use and develop new information resources. Professors and lecturers use teaching tools, which they create using benefits of computer technologies. A lot of attention is paid to the participants of the educational process who create and / or use virtual educational areas or educational portals. Digital Campus of the Southern Federal University is demonstrated as an example of virtual educational area.
The fact is that the role of the Southern Federal University is to preserve and to accumulate moral, cultural and scientific values of the Russian society and the cultural environment in the South of Russia. The purpose of creating of Digital Campus is developing a unique informational space. It provides image of the leading modern university. Digital Campus helps to strengthen the leading position of Rostov Scientific Educational Community in the South of Russia.
Digital Campus is a social and an educational network. Diplomas of the winners at such exhibitions as “Global Education – Education without Borders”, 11th “Educational Week – 2009”, “IT-Leader 2009” confirm a high quality of the resource.
The organizers of the resource Digital Campus of the Southern Federal University (SFU) conduct the work connected with the promoting of this resource and attracting a great number of the users from the staff and the university students. A number of the users of Digital Campus has increased according to the statistics in five times since 2009. Digital Campus is innovative technology in education. Digital Campus “Incampus” includes all available information resources connected with training, social and administrative activities. It allows using electronic libraries of textbooks, giving consultations, creating students’ e- portfolio. Using Digital Campus of the Southern Federal University (Incampus) helps to gain total interaction between the professors, lectures and the students…Full Text PDF