The e-learning based degree programmes are fully integrated into the university's academic structure and procedures, meaning that student registration, course registration and exam registration are all carried out in a single electronic system; likewise, the content development of electronic course materials is made by the faculty members integrated into the institutional educational programme based on Hungarian law requirements. During the process of e-learning based education the electronic tutoring, individual tutoring as well as examinations are the lecturers' responsibilities, who, from an organisational viewpoint, are the members of the well-known traditional organisational structures: the departments.
The teaching staff, employed by the departments, closely cooperates with the Institute of Distance Education helping the tutor faculty members' work and giving them an incentive to develop teaching methodologies that are very much different from the traditional practices. The virtual environment of e-learning, the LMS (Learning Management System), which gives students access to the course materials, also supports, through different technical methods, self-study as well as constant communication between tutor and student, student and other students, and student and the educational organisers.
It also provides practice and sample exam tests. Based on five years' experience of testing different types of LMS, nowadays KJU uses the so called MOODLE open-source system [http://moodle.org], a worldwide known system, well adaptable to the educational structures of higher education and flexible enough to serve individual expectations, too.
E-learning is highly integrated into the institutional academic structure: an e-learning Bachelor's programme is made up of semesters. There are trainings at the beginning of each semester followed by tutorial contact days in mid-semester and examination sessions at the end of it. Besides these meetings, self-study is pursued - away from the institution as such - supported by the learning management system.
The education here is focused on self-study supporting course materials as well as means of communication providing regular tutoring opportunities. KJU has developed a study package for each course, made up of an electronic course material downloadable from the Internet, different traditional paper-based course books, test books and other printed handouts.
Contact and communication integrated into the MOODLE-LMS (Learning Management System) is provided via synchronous (video conference) and asynchronous (mailing list and forum) communication platforms. The online tutoring in each course is provided based on a schedule. The forum and the mailing list enable public or individual communication, meaning that the students can put questions either to the tutor or to the course organiser's office, receiving an answer within a maximum of 5 days. However, there are working examples, when the forum helps the process of self-study in a way that opinions or experiences are shared between students on different course topics in the tutor's coordination. Within the system of distance education and e-learning several other self-study supporting functions have been developed by KJU professionals, which by combining technology and the modern theories of teaching methodology provide comfortable, fast and flexible opportunities for efficient learning which meet the demands of the 21st century.
To illustrate these functions, here are some examples: the academic programme starts with training for students in computer techniques and self-study methodology. During the whole programme the assessment system is based on the use of an electronic portfolio, likewise, the institution's web-based service system enables students to access the library catalogues from wherever they are inland or abroad. They can also provide course books online from the institution's bookshop and electronically handle the registration and administration procedures, as well.
