ANALYSIS OF THE DISTANCE LEARNING FEATURES AND THE POSSIBILITY OF ITS FULL INTEGRATION INTO THE LEARNING PROCESS

The article deals with a very important issue of integrating online learning in higher education process. Due to the development of a pandemic to ensure a quarantine regime, all educational institutions were switched to online learning, using online platforms such as ZOOM, Microsoft TEAMS, Google Classroom, and others.After analyzing the world experience of studying at various universities, including medical ones, we noticed that in Europe, our fellow teachers have practised a mixed type of education for a long time. The student receives parts of lectures and seminars, all homework, atlases, books, videos and video lectures in his/her personal office or classroom (which is located on the servers of the university). Teachers have access to these personal offices, and can track students' progress, namely, the amount of material processed, whether videos have been viewed in full, whether homework has been passed, or tests have been solved. There is also a direct connection between the student and the teacher through this office. The practical part, namely the development of certain skills that are necessary for every medical student in their future medical practice, takes place in a cycle in different departments and hospitals. This scheme of blended learning allows the student to study theoretical material at a time convenient for him. At the same time, his practical skills are also practiced and the student receives quality education. Also, this method reduces the risk that the student will use someone else's homework, pretending to be his own.It is worth noting that the current generation, or children «Z», as they are called, have a well-developed «clip» thinking. This is a type of thinking that is adapted to excessive flow in the period of scientific and technological progress. This generation absorbs most of the information through photos and videos. After all, physiologically it is much easier for them. They learn new programs faster, adapt better to the flow of information, focusing on really important things. Therefore, for them, distance learning is more effective and more digitalized.It will also be reasonable to use as an alternative computer programs that visualize a particular type of disease and simulate a virtual patient. Such programs do not replace live communication and direct practice of a medical student; however, they promote the development of clinical thinking, better topic mastering and are a good alternative in a pandemic.Practical skills can be shown to students in the form of videos with the methodology of a particular skill. To practice it, the student can use relatives or, for example, roommates.Teaching the first-year or third-year courses, which master the basics of medical sciences, can also be made productive and informative. In addition to lecture materials and theoretical textbooks, 3D atlases of anatomy are also worth using in online teaching.Conclusions:After analyzing the data, we did not find obvious reasons that would prevent the full establishment of the distance learning process and provide comfort to teachers and students.Distance learning as a form of learning could be in the process of mastering the future profession.It is necessary to change the approach to the organization of distance learning and develop adaptive flexibility.