Research of the Development of Distance Learning under the COVID-19 Circumstances Based on Video Conferencing Software and MOOCs

With the rapid diffusion of information technologies in recent years, learning and teaching approaches are facing profound changes. Video conferencing software is a visual tool for two or more users to communicate remotely. Its principle is to provide users with video calls, screen-sharing, meeting recording, and other helpful features through transmission lines and multimedia devices to achieve the purpose of long-distance meeting and learning. As online courses that anyone can register and participate for free, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are flexible, global and sustainable. MOOCs are based on the Internet and electronic devices. With studying the use of video conferencing software in distance education and the explosion of MOOCs, this paper also discusses distance education examinations. Result shows that during COVID-19, there has been a surg of interest in how to cheat in online examinations. This article summarizes the historical framework of distance education and explores the trends of distance education under the pandemic. It inspires educators to explore the advantages and challenges of distance education.