Model for promoting the sense of community in distance learning

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami nuotolinio mokymo ir bendruomeniškumo jausmo skatinimo aspektai. Atkreipiamas dėmesys, kad Lietuvoje įvedus karantiną dėl COVID-19, ugdymo įstaigos (universitetai, mokyklos) pradėjo ugdymą organizuoti nuotoliniu būdu. Pedagogai susidūrė su informacinių komunikacijos technologijų (IKT) kompetencijų stygiumi ir kitais didaktikos (metodikos) taikymo iššūkiais. Publikacijose apžvelgiamas technologinis pedagogikos žinių (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge–Web, TPCK-W) modelis. Norint sėkmingai vykdyti ugdymą nuotoliniu būdu, pedagogui reikia didaktikos žinių, orientuotų į žiniatinklio (interneto) naudojimą (Web–Pedagogical Knowledge), dalyko metodinių žinių, susijusių su šiuo žiniatinkliu, taip pat jo mokomojo dalyko turinio pritaikymo prie žiniatinklio (interneto) žinių ir kompetencijų. Ugdymo turinio kūrėjams dėstytojams ir instruktoriams pateikiamas bendruomeniškumo jausmo skatinimo modelis, kuris sudaro sąlygas gerinti rezultatus, kelti studentų pasitenkinimą studijomis ir mažinti jų atkričio (angl. dropout) galimybę. Reikšminiai žodžiai: bendruomeniškumo jausmas, nuotolinis mokymas, didaktika, informacinės technologijos.The topic and content of the article are relevant and important not only in distance learning but also in traditional/contact teaching. However, the Decision No. V-357 of March 2020 on COVID-19 (coronavirus) management measures of the State-level Emergency Operations Manager and Minister of Health Aurelijus Veryga has made distance learning activities the most relevant. Educational institutions were required to prepare for remote educational process in 2 weeks, i.e. from 16 to 27 March 2020. The new circumstances presuppose that the educational process will change fundamentally and instructors and lecturers will have to adapt to the distance learning in order to create conditions for servicemen to achieve their progress. It is probable that the transition to a distance learning model or a mixed one, when contact and distance education will be combined, in the long run will create favorable conditions for the improvement of computer literacy competencies of the staff, cadets, servicemen and/or course participants at General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania. When organizing the educational process, instructors and lecturers strive for cadets to achieve teaching goals and objectives the way they do in a contact way in classes or outdoors. When the educational process is remote, it is necessary to rethink and apply other educational methodologies, and, therefore, the role of educators must also change (Desai, Hart and Richards, 2009; Ignatova and Kubilinskienė, 2018; Mishra and Koehler, 2008; Shulman, 2019). The teaching paradigm must be changed to the learning paradigm and tasks must be reviewed and redesigned to respond to the paradigm shift. Curriculum developers must not forget that learning occurs only in collaboration among the teacher, instructor and cadet. It is also important to keep in mind the horizontal relationships among learners (Boling, Hough, Krinsky, Saleem, & Stevens, 2012). Successful learning outcomes are influenced by various aspects, such as a desire to learn (motivation), involvement in practical activities, practical application of knowledge, feedback, reflections, and partnership (Race, 2015; Sadler, 2013), therefore, distance learning provides more opportunities for the educator - the content creator - because it allows the use of additional didactic/methodological competencies (Aldama, 2018; Boling et al., 2012; Bower and Hardy, 2004; Brevik, Gudmundsdottir, Lund and Strømme, 2019; Koehler, Mishra, & Cain, 2013; Mishra & Koehler, 2008). [...] Pedagogical idea and innovation: to integrate didactic/methodological aspects into distance learning focusing on the promotion of the sense of community. Research question: what didactic/methodological aspects does a lecturer/ instructor have to integrate into the distance learning to promote the emergence of the sense of community? The aim of the research is to create a model that promotes the sense of community. The object of the research is the promotion of the sense of community. Research tasks: 1. To single out the challenges educators face in distance learning; 2. To define the aspects of the sense of community; 3. To develop a model for promoting the sense of community