Distance education as an effective form of autonomous learning
The article focuses on controversy of the definition of the concept of distance education/learning, autonomy as a characteristic of a learning process, relation between the concepts “intramural”, “extramural” and “distance” education, and efficiency of the latter as a form of autonomous learning. The latter is considered in the article as a complex phenomenon which assumes the determination of conditions, methods and objectives of the learning process by the learner. The identified features of distance education allow consider it as a more effective learning form which includes the best characteristics intramural and extramural education and involves the autonomy of the learner as well as considerable changes in the traditional pedagogical paradigm.