Tools for distance learning and e-learning in communities of students and teachers: composition, usage and preferences

Problem and purpose . The article describes the issue of using e-learning and distance learning tools in the communities of students and teachers. The urgency of solving this issue is determined by the need to develop the digital educational environment that can be more or less focused on e-learning and distance learning. The goals of the research were to identify the degree of demand for distance and e-learning tools in the communities of students and teachers, as well as to establish the features of using the proposed tools in the conditions of their joint use. Methodology. In the course of the research the activities of students and teachers of the educational portal of the Volgograd State Social and Pedagogical University in the acade- mic year 2019-2020 were studied. The analysis presented the records of the facts and intensity of using distance (personal correspondence, posting the messages in the public space, presenting the tasks to the teacher) and e-learning (publishing the documents, developing e-course pages, doing self-check training tasks) tools. Based on the research results, teachers and students’ preferences in using e-learning and distance learning tools were determined, as well as features of joint use of tools. Results. The research has shown that there is a wide range of tools aimed at implementing both distance and e-learning technologies in Internet communities. The tools are quite independent from each other, which allows to build different learning strategies, more or less focused on e-learning and distance learning. Distance learning tools are in greater demand in terms of coverage, but e-learning tools are used more intensively. There is a significant difference in the ways the tools are used by teachers and students. At the same time, a considerable number of users combine different learning strategies, acting both as a teacher and a student. Conclusion. The data obtained in the research allow better understanding of the processes associated with the implementation of teaching in the Internet communities. Understanding the nature of these processes, possible strategies and behaviour preferences of teachers and students in the digital educational environment can become a basis for further development and improvement of online educational tools, as well as pedagogical technologies that are the basis for implementing educational activities on the Internet.