Volodymyr SUSLOV, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Head of the Foreign Language Department, Military Academy, Odesa, Ukraine. He teaches English (for Specific Purposes) to cadets and officers of various specialties. He attended Edition #4 of NATO DEEP e-instructors’ course.
Question 1. How has the e-Instructor Certification Programme benefited your career?
The e-Instructor Certification Programme has been highly valuable and helpful. It has only been three months since its completion, so it is still too early to assess its full impact on my career. However, the new ideas and skills that I developed during the course, especially in utilizing modern distance learning tools, are already helping to enhance the quality of the educational process in the department I lead.
Question 2. How could the difference between an e-learning platform and a learning management system be defined?
The primary difference can be defined by their respective scopes and functions.
An e-learning platform focuses on content delivery and interactive learning experiences. It can be used to offer a wide range of courses from different providers and is designed to engage learners and help them adapt to different learning styles. In contrast, an LMS is geared more towards the management of the learning process and the provision of administrative tools for educators and educational institutions. It gives instructors the tools they need to design and manage their own courses, track learner´s progress, and exercise control over the learning environment.
Question 3. What are the main features of a Learning Management Systems?
The main features of a Learning Management Systems are:
- Management and administration – effective administrative tools (for managing all course-related matters – content, users, permissions, system settings, etc.)
- Communication and collaboration – proper communication tools to facilitate interaction between instructors and learners, as well as among learners themselves (discussion boards, chats, and announcement systems).
- Assessment instruments – tools to measure student learning and progress (tests, quizzes, exams, assignments, etc.)
- Progress tracking – monitoring of student engagement and performance (various reports that allow for tracking student progress, completion rates, grades, and scores).
Question 4. When designing a course in the learning management system, what is important to consider by the e-instructor?
It is important to consider different things, for example:
- Learning objectives – specific and measurable objectives for the course to guide both instructors and learners throughout the learning process.
- Target audience – for whom the course is being designed for, what are the needs and interests of future students, their prior knowledge and experience.
- Course structure and organization
- Assessment of learning outcomes
- Communication – clear communication channels for questions, discussions, and feedback.
- Support and resources such as FAQs, tutorials, help, and technical assistance.
- Engaging content and interactive learning materials to keep students motivated and involved.
- User-friendly interface
- Technology compatibility – the course should be compatible with various devices and browsers to accommodate different learners’ preferences.
- Security and privacy measures to protect student data and privacy.
The interview was conducted by the NATO DEEP eAcademy team.