Summer exam session in new realities: the experience of the department of philosophy

 On May 20, instructors and students of NULES of Ukraine began the examination session. Together with the whole university, the instructors of the department of philosophy, which is an integral part of the faculty for humanities and pedagogics and provides the study of philosophical disciplines for students of both the basic institution and for our separate departments, are summing up the semester results.

     Probably for the first time in the history of world higher education, the session takes place exclusively online. NULES of Ukraine was prepared for this new challenge of modernity thanks to many years of experience in the mode of distance education on the elearn platform. Certified e-learning courses in "Philosophy", "Logic" and "Religious Studies" allowed to study these disciplines in conditions of self-isolation, without reducing the quality of education. Zoom-video conferences, online meetings, chats are also a great opportunity for joint mobile work. This allowed not to lose relationships with students and continue to communicate in virtual form. The examination session as a whole has confirmed the effectiveness of our work. In particular, tests and exams have already taken place at the faculties for humanities and pedagogy, plant protection, ecology and biotechnology, construction and design, law, food technology, economics, mechanics and technology.

Students demonstrated a fairly high level of knowledge in philosophy, logic and religious studies: studying remotely, they took notes of lectures, prepared presentations, wrote essays on given topics, discussed seminars in online classes. Therefore, we can say that the results of distance learning correlate with the results of stationary classes.

During the online exams, students, as well as in traditional exams, had the opportunity to prove the level of their knowledge to their instructors, because after the written part an interview was conducted, based on its results the final grade having been given.

However, no matter how well we worked remotely, both instructors and students missed each other. Complaints on this topic have been repeatedly voiced on both sides. We lack live communication; we lack a relaxed atmosphere of academic discussions, improvisations, in which the truth is traditionally born. Our everyday life has temporarily become different, forcing us to step out of our comfort zone and learn new skills and abilities.

Not everything worked out for us at once. Therefore, the assistance in ensuring the educational and examination process by the faculty of information technology was extremely valuable. I would especially like to thank Makriev Maksym Volodymyrovych for his round-clock attention to elearn training and constant help and support in all problematic issues. Associate professor Lauta Olena Dmytrivna at the department of philosophy provides an uninterrupted operation of the elearn platform for all instructors and students. We sincerely thank them for their hard and responsible work!

Life goes on and presents us with new and newest challenges, forcing us to solve complex problems, now on a global scale. We are convinced that philosophy can become a consolation, a guide and a help for everyone, as it has happened many times during its more than 2.5 thousand years of history. Therefore, it is important to study philosophy, to reflect on the meanings embedded in it. This should be done remotely, stationary, alone and collectively. Because philosophy is about eternal human problems, about eternal values.

Kultenko Valentyna,
associate professor of the department of philosophy