A digital educational platform is an information space that brings together participants in the learning process, which allows for remote education, provides access to teaching materials and information, and allows testing to control the level of knowledge of students.

The popularity of electronic educational platforms with interactive learning capabilities is growing, especially in the conditions dictated by modern reality. The transition to distance learning requires the introduction of modern methods of education using not only computers, but other modern technology.

Tasks of an online educational platform

We can distinguish three main tasks that digital online learning platforms help to solve:

• Distance learning and knowledge control for the educational institution;
• Automation of the process of professional development and training of company employees;
• The organization of training courses in different areas of business.

The structure of an educational platform for training

Educational platform has a block structure, on the basis of which you can create a system of training courses to solve a variety of tasks.

The necessary blocks in the structure of a digital platform for online learning:

• a complex for independent work with learning materials using a personal computer, PDA, cell phone, DVD player, TV and other devices;
• online chat or teleconference to get consultations, advice, evaluations from a remote (territorial) expert (teacher), providing the possibility of remote interaction;
• a block for the creation of a distributed community of users (analog of social networks) engaged in joint virtual learning activity;
• an electronic mailing service for the timely 24/7 delivery of electronic educational materials; manuals, standards and specifications for electronic educational materials and technologies;
• the ability to plan and form training courses;
• block for testing and control of obtained knowledge;
• service for creating video tutorials and online lectures, with the ability to download video and audio files and manage access to the content.
• a knowledge base with the ability to download and upload materials, with the management of access levels;
• a block for teachers with the ability to create a community, organize chats and teleconferences, access to the block of knowledge control and service of forming new courses for training;
• a service for the administration of the entire system;
• a block for the collection and analysis of statistical data.

Educational platforms advantages and disadvantages

The most popular learning platforms are mainly aimed at improving skills or obtaining a new profession, now began to appear platforms that can also be used for distance learning for children and adolescents. The main areas of training courses built on such platforms: programming, marketing, design, software testing, all kinds of online courses in foreign languages: English, French, Spanish, etc. are widespread.

All platforms have common problems, which they can solve, the only difference is the interface of the platform, rate plans, information content and the choice of teaching methods.
Advantages of digital educational platforms

One can talk for a long time as far as facilitating the process of creating training courses online platforms, but let’s focus on the main advantages:

• The learner can receive information at a convenient time, regardless of location;
• the use of modern technology and multimedia
• training material can be visual, interesting and easy to understand and master;
• all the necessary training materials are available to the trainee;
• independent work develops self-organization, discipline, initiative;
• possibility of distance learning for people with disabilities;
• it is possible to form courses using the latest training methods;
• obtaining statistics at all stages of training on the effectiveness of methods and feedback from trainees on the quality of teaching and accessibility of the material, which provides a unique opportunity to modify the platform and improve the learning process.

Disadvantages

Such platforms are not without some disadvantages, as psychologists remind us:

• A lack of communication and the social aspects of learning – information sharing and emotional involvement in the process;
• lack of control in terms of discipline, but this aspect is important only in the learning process of children and adolescents.