АЗЯРБАЙЪАНДА ДИСТАНТ ТЯЩСИЛИН ИНКИШАФ ПЕРСПЕКТИВЛЯРИ ВЯ ПРОБЛЕМЛЯРИ

Distance Learning is educational or learning process in which the teacher or instructor is separated geographically or in time from his or her students; or in which students are separated from other students or educational resources. From the correspondence studies in shorthand in England initiated by Pitman in 1844, and the establishment of the first University Correspondence Teaching department at the University of Chicago in the 1880s by Harper, and many other similar developments in other places to the present day, we have come a long way in our educational journey. The term “distance education,” originally used in England and the Commonwealth, was endorsed in 1982, when the International Council for Correspondence Education (ICCE) met in Vancouver and adopted the more media-conscious title “International Council for Distance Education.” Desmond Keegan (1986) defines distance education as characterized by five elements: 1. Separation of teacher and learner; 2. Planning and preparation of materials under the influence of an educational organization; 3. Use of technical media to unite teacher and learner; 4. Provision of two-way communication; 5. Absence of the learning group. Contemporary distance learning is affected through the implementation of computer and electronics technology to connect teacher and student in either real or delayed time or on an as-needed basis. Content delivery may be achieved through a variety of technologies, including satellites, computers, cable television, interactive video, electronic transmissions via telephone lines, and others. This article is devoted to prospects of development and problems of Distance Education in Azerbaijan. Three elements are important to successful Distance Education program in Azerbaijan:  instructional design  technology  support Models of distance education developed in advanced countries like the US or United Kingdom simply do not remain relevant in educational environments like Azerbaijan, because the financial circumstances are fundamentally different. Distance learning technology used in developed countries are extremely expensive for Azerbaijan in terms of both hardware and software. Many common distance education problems that are prevalent in Azerbaijan are:  Resource constraints. The most commonly mentioned problem is lack of financial resources;  Infrastructural limitations;  Problems with course materials design and development;  National communication systems (telecommunications, postal systems) are not sufficiently reliable or pervasive to meet the requirements of distance education system. Experience of using Distance Education at Khazar University and Azerbaijan State Economic University have been described in the article. It was mentioned that the following groups are prone to distance learning at Khazar University: Master students who are working and not able to participate in face-to-face classes;. Students with physical disabilities; Foreign students; Adult learners, etc. In authors opinion distance learning in Azerbaijan should be developed further in evolutionary way, step-by-step: 1. Electronic mail system (Asynchronous text files and attachments) and Internet (Instructional delivery over the Internet, either learning modules or entire courses) 2. Software tools (Internet software package for Distance Education, likes WebCT) 3. Full scope and scale system (Deliver learning using all types of distance learning methods, including teleconference, Internet videoconferencing) Difficulties related with distance learning in Azerbaijan also require certain changes in Azerbaijan education system. There is need to undertake an entire set of measures to provide successful implementation of distance learning. For this reason, fundamentals of distance learning, as well as its pedagogical, methodical, technical, organizational and psychological aspects should be studied.