An expert's opinion
mr Ana Gardašević – DLS Coordinator
DLS advantages
The new requirements of the labor market and a time of rapid technological change have contributed to the Faculty of Tourism – Bar so that from this school year, a new form of so-called study called Distance Learning System (DLS) is organized), in order to develop and improve the quality of current curriculum.
We are talking about a completely new way of learning in our country, learning based on the Internet and new technologies. This form of study is dedicated not only to the students who does not live in Bar, but also to those who have a job or from some other reason are not able to attend the class.
There are so many advantages of DLS for the students. First of all, students reduce their rent costs and the other costs associated with their residing place during the study activities. They have a possibility to choose a study programme outside the place they reside in, and at the same time they can work during the period of their studies. DLS is giving them a possibility to organize their learning time from every place and at every time (access to the class from workplace, from house, from the hotel if they are on business trip, in accordance with their needs and life style). Students does not only have unlimited access to DLS and reduced material suring the semester, but also the possibility to have a mentor work and the right of ensured privacy (a student can see only his own marks and teachers’ comments).
We also need to mention that the permanent contact with info technologies contributes to the creative abilities and mastering a special practical skills necessary for the future development of their carrier. Of course, learning from distance is giving the possibility to be included in teaching process to those students who are not able to attend the traditional teaching process because of temporal or permanent psysical problems, damages, illness and so on.
The functioning of DLS
The access to the DLS is beginning after user name and password are input, and a student is provided with it immediately by the administrator of the system. After the successful entry in our system, the student passes to the first page of DLS, which contains the overview of all news related to the teaching process, as well as the overview of all subjects that the student attends during the specific semester.
By choosing a particular subject, the student passes to the subject page. The subject page contains all information related to the specific subject, the form of giving points, as well as the form of online teaching process. All the education materials are found on the subject page. Subjects consist on a particular number of study moduls, the opening and following of which is arbitratry for every student. Within every subject, students can check their knowledge aftr every teaching modul which is passed, by doing homeworks, case studies, test, essay writing etc…
In that way, every student is provided with continuity in work and also the control of the nivel of foreknowledge for passing to the next teaching module. Besides that, every student have an insight into his marks and the result of the test he had done.
Marks and results remain archived in system and they are available to the students during the semester. Student have the possibility to participate more actively in the work through using online forums, chat, video conferences, email etc.
The mentioned forms of info exchange are dedicated to discussion about the different topics related to the study process. Discussion can be started by students or teachers. In this way, professors have an insight in student’s success in mastering the passed material.
Each page of the subject represents a basis for mastering the teaching material related to that subject. After teaching moduls are realized, the student enrolls in final exams inside the Faculty.
Results
From the beginning of the usage of DLS, our students obtained considerable results, which is most confirmed by their success and marks after the first preliminary exam. Results were obtained thanks to their continuous work, summarized and prepared high-quality materials by teachers of particular subject, as well as the control of knowledge after each passed modul (via test, homeworks, case studies etc.). What is really making us happy is the interest of DLS students in cooperation and their desire to obtain a new knowledge.
