TRANSFORMATION OF THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIVE CLUSTERS (OPEN ONLINE COURSES)1

The article mainstreams the problems and prospects of transformation of the educational process, caused by the occurrence of informative and educative clusters (Open Online Courses). The system of high academic education is currently on the verge of radical transformation. The main sources of such transformations are technology and globalization. Acceleration of innovative processes, in various sectors of the modern society, acts as the catalyst for the changes in the methods of acquiring and producing knowledge. The ICDE (International Council for Open and Distance Education) annual report clearly shows that the technological basis, of execution of the educational processes, will substantially change the whole education system (71% respondents) within the next 5 years. Hence, the modern technologies are changing the direction of development of higher academic education, towards remote and mobile access to educational services - creation of open online courses. Within the scope of this article, the open online courses are analyzed as a new technological space, in which a wide range of educational programs, offered by universities as well as private non-professional teachers (coaches), are functioning. The progressive development of society generates new demands and requirements towards the educational process, which are satisfied by the large number of online courses, in social networks, by “practitioners”. Apart from that, the analysis of the labor market, using the synergetic approach, enabled us to identify the stimulating effect on the whole education system, and to identify two interconnected processes - occurrence of new forms of professionals (smm manager, copywriter etc.), as well as the transformation of existing focused specialties - development of Agile-masters. So, the modern information and technological terms & conditions transform the educational process in the following manner: - It is becoming necessary to apply such teaching techniques, which are aimed not at the mechanical transfer of knowledge, but are aimed at personal interaction with the student. - The role of teachers “Practitioners” is growing, as a complimentary form for the “scientific environment of research instructors”. - Individualization of the educational process. - Creation of a fragmented platform for the provision of educational services. - Unification of educational standards, departure from focused specialization in education, which provides for enhanced mobility of students in the labor market. Changes in the economic and technological aspects of the modern world, have brought us to the formation of new information and educational clusters (open online courses), which in turn lead to the transformation of the educational process - transfer and acquisition of knowledge and crafting of skills and capacities needed under contemporary conditions, methods of communication among the participants of the educational process, as well as the occurrence of new positions.