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Организация межличностного взаимодействия в дистанционном богословском образовании
The presented paper demonstrates the results of a survey conducted at the Institute of Distance Learning (IDL), Saint Tikhon’s Orthodox University. The survey aimed at investigating the attitude of scientists and practitioners to the issue of communication when teaching and learning theology through distance education. Familiarization with the teaching experience at DEI was organized by means of interviewing teaching staff of the department of new technologies in education in the humanities. Semi-structured interview was employed as a method to collect information for research purposes. Having studied the respondents’ answers to the questions on students and teachers collaboration quality assurance the collective of authors came to the conclusion that agreement of opinion, like-mindedness and trust among the participants of distance educational process are possible and even necessary to make it well-worked. The research fi ndings illustrate that the instruments of distance educational system allow achieving deep interpersonal interaction between learners and teachers and high quality of education on the condition that the participants of educational process are minded to use these instruments and skilled for that. Comparing foreign approach to communication process organization when teaching theology online with the experience of the research participants, authors drew the following conclusions: 1. IDL teachers apply a blended teaching and learning model referring to the point that a teacher may act as an expert translating knowledge, on one hand, and organize, moderate interaction among the learners, on the other hand. 2. Study participants, like their foreign colleagues, face the lack of methodical competence when organizing teaching and learning online. 3. Surveyed teachers utilize in an inadequate degree the opportunities provided by the distance educational system to organize interpersonal interaction.