DISTANCE EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

In the XXI century, the world has faced with a pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus.Measures taken by the governments of most states to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus infection have led to the transition of the entire education system to a distance format.Initially, the distance learning format was created and perceived as an alternative to traditional approaches to the training system.Modern technologies and global digitalization have become the starting point towards the implementation of this educational method.However, self-isolation and the need to maintain social distance have brought distance learning to a fundamentally new level.Many higher educational institutions, including those in Russia, were ready for this transition.Nevertheless, in the process of implementing distance learning, significant shortcomings were identified.Social surveys among students conducted during the pandemic's onset showed a relatively high percentage of satisfaction with the transition to the remote format.However, after a few months, a second survey showed that the initial indicators had dropped significantly.The most frequently encountered problems were social distance and lack of communication with classmates, problems with the use of technology and interruptions in the Internet, lack of face-to-face communication with the teacher and group discussions, difficulties in organizing self-control and independent study of the material, increased workload and time consuming while completing the assignments.Even many more problems have arisen in universities where international groups exist.Difficulties in mental perception and language barriers cause the most significant difficulties.In this article, the author analyzes the existing distance learning system implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.The study's result is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of implementing this training format to develop recommendations for its improvement in the practice of higher educational institutions in the Russian Federation. The article aims at:-Identifying and analyzing the main methods and means of implementing the distance learning format in higher educational institutions; -Identifying the main trends associated with the reform of the higher education system as a whole; -Developing recommendations for improving the distance learning system.The research's methodological basis is formed by general scientific methods of cognition, including systemic, formal-logical, and structural-functional analysis.The research's scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of the problems arising in the higher education system and the use of a distancelearning format, identifying positive and negative aspects in the implementation of this approach to learning.The results of this research can be used in the development of training courses, educational and methodological sets, and improving the higher education system.This article's conclusions and materials can be used in research, teaching, lectures, and seminars in the relevant disciplines.