EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES OF E-LEARNING IN SPORT MAJORING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Domain-specific cognitive competencies refer to generic skills, more specific to e-learning competencies in Physical education (PE) students over their academic lifespan. When higher education standards benchmark students’ competence development, they relate to all educational stages. E-learning in sports sciences in Serbia is still being developed and is attracting attention of wider educational arena. Faculty of Physical Education and Sport in Nis wanted to contribute more to this area trying to diminish limiting influence of technical and cultural factors. Therefore, the University of Nis and National Sports Academy established distance learning centers for sports sciences to promote e-learning and higher-level diploma attainment. This, in itself, poses educational and economic challenges as well. This paper presents problems, advantages and drawbacks of this IPA Cross-Border cooperation project, how after one-year joint distance learning centers in Serbia and Bulgaria for sports sciences were accredited, and how students benefited from it in the labor market thus meeting economic challenges of introducing distance learning mode of instruction. However, the objective of this paper is not only to describe learning environment and assessment of learning outcomes, but also to emphasize e-learning specific teaching methods and perceived and realistically acquired skills and abilities. Sports sciences courses at the Faculty of Sport in Nis aim to develop generic and sports specific skills. The underlying theory used is Sloan-C Five Pillars managing the quality of online education, its effects, students’ satisfaction, teaching staff commitment, price and investment returns, and access. They encompass: 1) mode of learning, 2) integration manner, 3) forms of learning content and objectives delivery, 4) variety of sports sciences teaching methods, 5) participation of learning subjects, and 6) place of teaching method execution. 81% employers’ satisfaction survey results point to the justification of introducing the e-learning mode in sports sciences at the Faculty of sport and physical education in Nis, Serbia.