The collective monograph "The Bases of Open Education"
by Andreev A.A. et al.
On March 23, 2002, the collective monograph "The Bases of Open Education" by Andreev A.A.
et al., under edition of V.I. Soldatkin (V.1 - All-Russia State institute of
Open Education - 676 p.) was published. Please find enclosed the abbreviated
ranslation of the preface of Russian minister of education V.Filipov.
Preface
According their role in human history the information and telecommunication technologies might be compared only with printing of books.
Already today it is necessary to review some approaches to education of children and adults - because they will leave in new system of knowledge and work in the spheres which will be significantly different from the systems suggested by the contemporary society. The software and technological means of Internet education provide for the students the possibility of free access to the electronic editions of different purpose, for the teachers - the possibility to use the electronic didactical materials, of the independent design of information and education media, of operative updating of educational and testing programs in accordance with new knowledge and technology. All this makes it possible to differentiate the educational materials with account of the creative activity of students, their abilities and wishes, to promote the social equality in education.
Globalization of education, the increased academic mobility and international cooperation in the field of higher education, Russia's entering into the world market of qualified labor makes it necessary to have the reliable national system of guaranteeing the quality of higher education. The computer means help to avoid subjectivism in evaluation of knowledge and simplify the procedure of this evaluation. And the principles of openness of education should become the basis of mutual trust in the educational process.
Nowadays education should be open and distributed. All over the world the open universities are opened. Among them are British Open University, Dutch Open University, Canadian Open University and in the USA State University for Governors, Californian Virtual University and University of Western Governors.
During the last two years The Ministry for Education of Russian Federation actively works in order to start and develop Russian State Open University. This University should become the social institution capable to provide in the mode of continuous education different educational services and actual professional knowledge. For this purpose it is necessary to provide for each student such an educational trajectory which would the most completely correspond to his (or her) educational and professional ability, independently of location.
It is suppose to organize the network (consortium) of the leading Russian universities with the common space of educational services, providing mutual connection and continuity of programs able to satisfy all the needs and requests.
We suggest you the monograph dedicated to the study of above mentioned problems. The book is prepared by the collective of authors, united by Russian State Institute of Open Education. Hopefully it will be useful to the wide circle of readers.
Minister of Education of Russian Federation,
Academician of Russian Education Academy
V.M.Filipov
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