Present-day management of universities in Russia: Prospects and challenges of e-learning

The E-learning market is becoming more and more popular in the world. This is evidenced by the increased budget allocations for e-learning programs, the growing prevalence of e-learning in various markets all over the world and new trends in modern technology and tools. The study aims to evaluate the readiness of university management and students for active e-learning. The objective is to identify the prospects and problems of the information and communication technology in educational management when introducing e-learning. To achieve the research objectives, we conducted a survey in the form of a questionnaire among the first-year graduate IT students of three Moscow universities directly involved in e-learning initiatives. The survey involved 135 teachers, 19 information and communication technology (ICT)/e-learning specialists, 6 university managers and 3 heads of university management, one from each of the three universities. The research showed that despite the potential of a learning management system to support both blended learning and e-learning, most e-learning initiatives are not fully realized; they completely or partially fail. Poor marketing strategies, poor service strategies and insufficient technical support are some of the most likely causes of failure. The possibility of students and teachers to interact and the expansion of the geography of education should be noted among the prospects of modern management in the implementation of e-learning. It has been revealed that more than half of the students (54%) independently develop applications and programs for e-learning. The results of our research can become the basis for further research in e-learning and its prevalence in developing countries.