Online learning: a way to solve the problem during COVID-19

Up to now the majority of educational institutions in Russia have been based on traditional teaching methods, i. e. schoolchildren and students were trained offline directly facing the teacher in class. However, the sudden outbreak of a deadly disease called COVID-19, caused by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), h as had a global impact on t he economy, healthcare and, of course, education. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus pandemic. The emergency situation challenged the global education system and forced teachers to switch to online learning almost instantly. Academic institutions simply did not have any other choice. There are several arguments in favor of online learning, namely, accessibility, flexibility, continuity, etc. At the same time, some drawbacks peculiar to online learning can also be observed.The main one is the lack of proper competencies, which can help both students and teachers to be effectively involved in the process of online education. This article discusses online learning, analyzes its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges during a pandemic. The authors also suggest that it is necessary to improve the content of online courses and to use technology rationally.