Spherum Video Service for Teaching and Communication of Russian Schoolchildren

The main articles are:

• Types and capabilities of modern VKS systems
• Distance Learning Technologies

2024

Launch of Friendship by Classes project

The Spherum and the Forum of Class Teachers (FKR), with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, are launching a joint project "Friendship with Classes." He will help teachers from different regions of Russia organize friendship between classes. The project will be implemented through the capabilities of a chatbot in the Shefum training profile in VK Messenger. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on October 21, 2024.

In order for the class to participate in the project, a class teacher with the confirmed status of a teacher or employee in Shefum must launch a special chatbot and fill out a questionnaire in it to find a friendly class from another region. The chatbot, having analyzed all the introductory information about the age of schoolchildren, their hobbies and hobbies, will offer classes with students whose interests are common.

Befriended students will be able to communicate and perform special tasks together in Shferum. They will help schoolchildren rally and get to know each other better. The tasks proposed by the chat bot can be performed until December 20, and from December 16 to 20, class teachers will be able to publish posts on their pages or public of VKontakte schools with photos and videos about new friends and joint interests. The results of these activities will be announced on December 25. Classes that come up with and implement the most creative approaches will receive prizes from the FKR and Spherum team.

Friendship with Classes is one of the flagship projects of the Class Teachers Forum. It is in its fourth year and we are very proud that it continues to grow and evolve. The author of the project idea, Saule Sadykovna Battalova, a class teacher from the village of Milogradovka, Omsk Region, came up with a wonderful idea familiar to many of our participants from the Soviet past - friendship by correspondence. We know that for the guys who participate in the project, going to the mail itself, sending a parcel or regular letter is already a big adventure. And we are very glad that thanks to the development of Spherum, even more guys will be able to find friends. And they will be able to be friends both in digital and in analog space, - commented Alexandra Poblinkova, director of the FKR.

We strive to make Sferum an assistant in all areas related to education and parenting. Thanks to our chatbot for the Friendship with Classes project, both teachers and schoolchildren will be able to find real friends and learn something new about the culture, sights and history of both their native land and other regions of Russia. We hope that this format will be of interest to both teachers and schoolchildren, and the project will give interesting and pleasant impressions, - said Rustam Khaibullov, vice president for strategic projects at VK.

The FKR has been conducting the Friendship with Classes project since 2021. As a result of the implementation of several seasons of the project, more than 20 thousand schoolchildren from all over the country took part in it, who were able to find friends from other cities, exchange postcards, books with them, conduct joint class hours and other useful activities.

Add Online Whiteboard

Spherum released an update to the interactive whiteboard for the education system. The service was launched a year ago in pilot mode and showed its demand among teachers and employees of regional ministries and municipal departments of education. During this time, feedback from teachers was collected, as a result of which the interactive board was significantly supplemented. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on October 9, 2024.

The updated version will increase the effectiveness of online classes, interregional interaction of teachers, meetings and other educational events.

The interactive whiteboard allows teachers to ensure a continuous educational process inside the Spherum. Directly inside the online call, teachers can open the board on the screen, demonstrate tasks there and explain new material in a more visual and interactive form.

During the lesson, children can join the work on the board, leave their answers and solutions to the teacher's tasks. In the service, you can also work in groups, creating a different window for each of them.

The online board has extensive functionality to:

• work together online;
• display the cursors of the participants on the board with their names;
• work with fonts, shapes, including 3D;
• Use different ways to write text on the board.
• draw shapes, insert external files, photos and other visual content, use a laser pointer;
• Organize space based on the purpose of the lesson or event
• give editor rights to other participants in the lesson;
• share files in the board interface that other members can download directly;
• start several slides in parallel on the board to work in groups or on various topics;
• Create different backgrounds (ruler, cage, and others)
• You can rename, save, and delete boards.

We regularly receive feedback from our users and know that it is very important for teachers to conduct online lessons no less clearly and interestingly than in a regular class. That is why we are launching an updated interactive board, which has all the useful functions for organizing the educational process, "said Rustam Khaibullov, vice president for strategic projects at VK.

Add Apprentice Assistant

By the 2024-25 academic year, in accordance with user requests, Shefum has prepared additional functions for teachers, parents and students. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on August 28, 2024. In the educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger, a mini-application "Student Assistant" appeared, with the help of which students of grades 5-9 will be able to independently prepare online for the All-Russian verification work (VPR) and the main state exam (OGE). Call and broadcast capabilities have been significantly expanded, as well as chat rooms and channels have been updated, in particular, now you can quickly and easily configure the Do Not Disturb mode for teachers.

A chat bot has already been launched in Shefum, which helps schoolchildren and teachers quickly and without leaving the service to get acquainted with cultural events (performance, concert, cinema, exhibition, etc.) within the framework of the Pushkin Map program.

In order to take advantage of all the features of the updated Shefum training profile, users need to update the VK Messenger mobile application. It's also important to link your Shefum training profile to your e-journal and diary account to access all updated training chats right away.

"Digital Apprentice Assistant" is one of the federal services that is a component of the Digital Education Environment. All educational content in the service is verified by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Thanks to the Student Assistant mini-app, students in grades 5-9 get access to the Digital Assistant right in Sferum. They can perform tasks online in various subjects and thus prepare for VPR and OGE when it is convenient for them. Students will be able to find the mini-application in the catalog of educational services in the educational profile.

"Teacher Assistant" is a chatbot designed specifically for Rosbornadzor. The service will help simplify the interaction between teachers and the service, as well as reduce the bureaucratic burden. With the help of a chatbot, teachers will be able to anonymously send their questions, wishes and complaints to Rosobrnadzor. The service will register the appeal and send it to the responsible employee of the department, and the chat bot will send a response within the deadlines established by law. For August 2024, the service is being tested in a number of pilot regions, later it will be scaled up throughout the country.

Spherum is constantly improving its main online communication tools: chats and channels. By the academic year, the ability to quickly search for users by their educational organization and connect to contacts in the phone book in Spherum to expand the circle of communication has been launched. In addition, a new function for safe communication has appeared - correspondence, for example, with a student of a parallel class, with whom the student is not in any chat, will be activated only after confirming the request for it.

Another function, which teachers stated the need for, is the ability to configure the "Do not disturb" mode so that chats do not interfere with teachers after hours.

In turn, in the channels of Spherum it will be possible to publish postponed posts and much more.

Among the updates that affected the calls are the ability to check the camera and microphone before entering the call, as well as access to chat directly inside the call. In broadcasts, the administrator can now moderate the chat, delete comments and manage the list of participants.

Digital awards in Sferum are a handy tool that helps encourage children to study and engage in extracurricular activities. Since launch, they have proven their popularity with teachers, which is why their catalog was expanded by the school year. In addition, it became possible to issue an award to several students at once and do it repeatedly. All awards are visible in the student's profile on the personal board.

The developers of the service also activated the possibility of participating in the All-Russian Olympics through the educational profile of Spherum. In particular, in this way it is already possible to register for the All-Russian Olympiad on Artificial Intelligence 2024.

Updates to the educational profile of Shefum for the academic year are designed to improve the quality of online communication on studies between teachers, students and their parents, as well as to endow educational organizations in Russia with digital tools. Thus, the "Student Assistant" mini-application will help schoolchildren prepare for exams on an individual basis, and a large selection of digital awards will help motivate students not only with good grades, "said Rustam Khaibullov, vice president for strategic projects at VK.

Launch chatbot for cultural events

In the educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger, a chat bot has been launched that will help schoolchildren and teachers quickly and without leaving the service to get acquainted with cultural events (performance, concert, cinema, exhibition, etc.) within the framework of the Pushkin Map program. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on August 6, 2024.

To do this, you need to open a chatbot, it will offer to determine the location or specify it yourself. This is required to search for events in the desired region for the user. The chat bot will show current events for the next period, the selection can be studied in detail and go to the site there to buy tickets using the Pushkin Map. If there are no suitable performances or exhibitions, then the chatbot will offer a new selection.

The chatbot is equipped with artificial intelligence tools and can remember the user's choice. If you click the "I like" button, then in the future the chatbot will form collections taking into account the specified preferences.

Chatbot can be useful for both students 14-22 years old and teachers who want to organize joint leisure with their pupils.

We are constantly developing Spherum in accordance with the wishes of users so that the service is useful and provides unique digital tools. The launch of the Pushkin Map chatbot will allow our users to find interesting cultural events without leaving Shferum, both in their hometown and on trips to Russia, "commented Rustam Khaibullov, vice president for strategic projects at VK.

Pre-installation on ICL Techno laptops supplied to schools under the national project

The educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger will be preinstalled on ICL Techno laptops supplied to Russian educational organizations within the framework of the federal projects "Digital Educational Environment" and "Modern School" of the national project "Education." VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on April 25, 2024.

The corresponding memorandum of cooperation was concluded by ICL Techno and VK Company LLC. Its goal is joint development in the field of educational projects and digital technologies. On a parity basis, the parties will combine their efforts and intellectual potential, as well as organizational, technical and administrative resources and capabilities.

It is assumed that in 2024 more than 50 thousand ICL Techno laptops with a pre-installed educational profile will be delivered to schools in more than 40 regions of the Russian Federation.

{{quote 'The educational sphere is one of the priority areas for our company. Within the framework of the Education national project, ICL laptops are supplied to schools, and cooperation with such a partner as VK Company allows you to create synergy that will form a high-quality and safe educational environment for our children, "commented Ildar Vagizov, Commercial Director of ICL Techno. }}

The educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger is created specifically for the educational process and develops taking into account the wishes of users - teachers, students and their parents. Preinstalling our service on laptops supplied to schools under the Education national project will help to keep pace with the time and build a digital environment in domestic education in solving the strategic task, "said Rustam Khaibullov, vice president for strategic projects at VK.

Opportunity to receive awards for success

On January 10, 2024, VK introduced updated features for educators, parents and students in Sferum. In the educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger, a section "Awards" appeared, thanks to which teachers will be able to motivate and encourage schoolchildren for achievements in study, sports and extracurricular activities. Shefum users have become available to decrypt video calls, with the help of which they can quickly receive text transcripts of pedagogical meetings or parental meetings. The developers also added the function of important messages to the latest version - it will help not to miss the necessary and up-to-date information in the educational correspondence.

As reported, teachers with a verified educational profile of Shefum in VK Messenger can issue awards to schoolchildren directly in class chat or personal correspondence. Awards will be visible in the educational profiles of children.

The "Finest Hour" award can be received for an excellent report, "I want to know everything" - for active work in the lesson, and the "Reliable Assistant" can be the student who helped out his classmates. Special insignia are also provided for the winners of the city Olympiad - "Came, saw, decided everything" and the owners of sports achievements - "Champion Mood" and "School Champion" - for activity in a physical education lesson or winning a sports competition on behalf of the school.

There are six awards available at the start in Sferum. Each student can receive once, but she will forever remain in his educational profile and will be visible to all users.

Users of the Spherical training profile in VK Messenger can use the function of decrypting video calls - it will be useful if you need to get the minutes of a teacher's meeting or a parent meeting in text format. After the call starts, you need to press the decryption button, and after it ends, the file with the text will come to the chat.

The important messages function allows you to notify all chat participants about the message and make sure that everyone gets acquainted with it. For example, it can be an alert about the date of the parent meeting or the final control meeting. To use this function, you need to enter three exclamation marks in the chat message field, then go to another line by pressing Shift + Enter, and write text. After that, a notification will come from the Spherum in Touch community, to which you need to confirm the sending of the message.

Digital tools help teachers in organizing the educational process and remove some of the routine tasks from them. The function of important messages allows you not to miss the necessary in voluminous correspondence, but the ability to decrypt a video call - to get a text protocol of an online meeting or a parent meeting. In addition, students can be motivated by special awards right in Sferum. told by Ruben Akopov, head of service at Sferum, VK

2023

The number of users of the educational profile "Spherum" in "VK Messenger" - 15 million

The number of users of the Spherical educational profile in VK Messenger has reached 15 million teachers, students and parents. The service showed quadruple user growth year-on-year, representatives of the press service of the Spherum project said on October 23, 2023.

The top 10 active regions using Spherum included, and Yamal-Nenets Khanty-Mansi , Nenets Autonomous Okrugs as well as,,,, Penza,, and Orenburg. Vladimirskaya Kemerovo Belgorod Samara Yaroslavskaya region

The number of teachers registered in Shferum increased 3.7 times over the year and amounted to 1.8 million, the number of connected educational organizations increased almost 3 times - up to 88 thousand.

The service regularly updates functionality taking into account the current needs of teachers, students and parents. In the academic year 2023/2024 VK Messenger , a beta version of an interactive collaboration board, session halls inside calls, an Electronic Diary mini-application and other functionality were launched in Shefum. Also, users have access to an easy process of switching between educational and personal profiles in VK Messenger - you can go from one account to another in one click.

"Spherum is a safe tool for a teacher to communicate with parents and students and children with each other. The product is used by over 15 million users from all regions of the country. We make it possible to organize effective interaction on educational issues in a closed and safe educational space. We will continue to develop our product, fill it with useful digital capabilities and functions, taking into account feedback from users, "said Ruben Akopov, head of service at Shferum, VK.

Sferum has already spent integration with electronic magazines and diaries (EZhD) in 72 Russian regions - more than 732 thousand users have already connected their EZhD account with the Sferum educational profile in VK Messenger.

Association with MES

The educational service Spherum and the Moscow Electronic School (MES) have combined their resources. As part of the integration, teachers, students and their parents can now communicate directly from an electronic journal and diary in chats and make online calls using the Russian communication service - the Spherical educational profile in VK Messenger. This was announced on June 9, 2023 by VK (formerly Mail.ru Group).

All dialogs in the training profile can be grouped into thematic folders. In addition, in chats you can exchange educational materials: photos and files videos up to 4 GB in size and conduct polls. Through integration, teachers can also schedule and run a lesson directly from an e-journal, students will see it and join the VK chat. Messenger

In order to take advantage of all the advantages of a single educational space, you need to once link your account in an electronic journal and diary with your educational profile.

One of the most important directions for improving the MES platform is to attract domestic development companies to cooperation. Among them are the creators of educational content, special tools and services for study and self-development, convenient, transparent and safe communications, - said Yevgeny Komarenko, director of the Center for Digitalization of Education at the Moscow Department of Education and Science. - Thanks to the integration of MES with the Spherum service, a messenger for solving educational issues is now available in the electronic diary.

The ability to have a single entry point for all educational processes is one of the main requests of Russian teachers and schoolchildren. Cooperation between Shefum and MES allows you to combine the functionality of both platforms in a safe educational space and make the educational process more modern and accessible, "commented Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC (developer of Shefum).

9.6 million students and teachers

Communication service for schools - the educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger - sums up the work in the 2022-2023 academic year. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on June 1, 2023. From September 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023, the total number of service users increased 2.7 times and reached almost 9.6 million. The number of students registered on the platform increased 2.6 times and amounted to about 8.2 million, teachers - 3.2 times to 1.4 million. Shefum also recorded an increase in the number of connected educational organizations by 2.3 times - up to 79.2 thousand.

The service is actively developing and regularly updates functionality taking into account the wishes and feedback of users. In the Shefum training profile in VK Messenger , a separate desktop application was launched, the function of transferring contacts from chats WhatsApp to on devices with, Android highlighting teachers' messages with a special ram, the ability to see who viewed the message, a mini-application for convenient collection files and other improvements. The training profile is available on,,, and. smartphones tablets computers laptops

In the academic year 2022/23, we significantly expanded the functionality of our service, which allows teachers, students and their parents to communicate conveniently and safely in chats and online calls, send educational materials, create surveys, use electronic journals and diaries. We are pleased that Shefum is helping to organize the educational process taking into account the needs of modern schools to an increasing number of users. We will continue to develop our product in order to provide maximum opportunities to all participants in the educational process, - said Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC (developer company of Spherum).

Spherum is actively working on integration with electronic magazines and diaries (EZhD) in Russian regions. At the end of the school year, 423 thousand users linked their EZhD account with the Shferum educational profile in VK Messenger.

You can also create information channels in the training profile. Official channels were opened by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Academy of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. In them, they report important news from the field of education.

Transfer contacts from WhatsApp chats on Android devices

Users of the school profile Spherum in VK Messenger have access to additional functions that allow them to improve the process of communication on school issues. The service develops taking into account the wishes and needs of users: functionality updates are based, including on the reviews of teachers who took part in focus groups. This was announced on May 26, 2023 by VK (formerly Mail.ru Group).

The latest training profile update includes a separate desktop application, the function of transferring contacts from chats WhatsApp to on devices with, Android highlighting teachers' messages with a special ram, the ability to see who viewed the message, widgets for convenient collection files and other improvements. The training profile of Spherum in VK Messenger has wide cross-platform functionality and is available on,,, and smartphones tablets computers laptops other desktop devices.

In the study profile of Spherum in VK Messenger on Android, the function of transferring contacts from chats in WhatsApp has appeared. All this can be done in the settings of a specific group. Next, chat participants will be able to communicate on educational issues in the safe space of the Spherical educational profile in the VK Messenger application.

To instantly identify messages from a teacher in a chat in a general stream of correspondence, his profile is now marked with a special icon. Thus, it will always be possible to distinguish teacher messages from those of students and parents.

In this update, teachers will also be able to view a list of those students who have read the messages sent. This will allow teachers to be aware of whether everyone has familiarized themselves with important information.

Also, teachers have access to a mini-application for convenient collection of homework and other files from students. To do this, the teacher shares a link or adds the necessary participants from his contacts in the training profile in the application. Students are notified that the teacher asks them to upload the file to the application. As soon as the student sends the document, it is immediately displayed by the teacher and becomes available for download. This function will help teachers organize and structure the collection and storage of documents in one place.

Users of the Spherical training profile in VK Messenger also regularly turn to the function of creating polls. They can contain up to 10 different answer options. Voting time can be limited by setting the polling completion date. In the web version of the Spherical educational profile in VK Messenger, you can now see the list of those who voted.

An invitation to the chat also became available by mobile phone number - the user will receive a special SMS notification with a link to the dialog for joining. This format is especially relevant for the formation of chats of class teachers with parents.

In the Spherical training profile in VK Messenger, you can create information channels. Official channels were opened by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Academy of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. In them, they report important news from the field of education.

We know that there are no minutiae in the educational process. That is why we strive to make our product as convenient and understandable as possible for users. According to a VTsIOM poll, 82% of teachers use up to three instant messengers and social networks to discuss school issues. We understand that this creates an additional burden on teachers, so we decided to offer an easy way to transfer all communication to one messenger. We will continue to improve the functionality of the Spherical educational profile in the interests of our users and taking into account the peculiarities of organizing communications for study, - commented Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC (developer company of Spherical).

Providing an additional 32GB to teachers in the Mail.Ru cloud

On February 1, 2023, the company VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced that the Spherum platform and (Cloud Mail.Ru part of the VK group) are giving Russian teachers a free storage 32GB. More. here

Integration of electronic journal and diary in 8 more regions of the Russian Federation

educational The information and communication platform Sferum and the company "" IRTex conducted integration in eight regions of RUSSIAN FEDERATION the communication service automated control system and the regional education sphere created on the basis of the systems "" and Network City. Education"E-services. Education "and includes an electronic journal and diary. This was announced on January 31, 2023 by the company. Digital education

This affected the Kaluzh skaya, Chelyabinsk, Tver, Ulyanovsk and Amur regions, as well as the Kamchatka and Trans-Baikal territories and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Now, in a single safe educational space of regions, teachers, students and their parents can use the Spherical educational profile VK Messenger to communicate in chats, make online calls and exchange. files Thus, all educational communications can be conducted in. Russian messenger It has all the necessary functionality for the educational process, and is also absent advertisement and not disturbing. spam The service is provided absolutely free of charge.

To take advantage of the advantages of an integrated solution, you must once link your profile in the Network City system. Education "with the educational profile of Sferum. After logging into the training profile, the user will have access to all the chats in which he should be in accordance with the training program.

In addition, teachers can plan and run online lessons from one interface and securely transfer connection links to students via a button in an electronic diary or educational chat in VK Messenger without publishing them in the public domain.

Combining the functions of the Network City system. Education "and the Shefum platform gives teachers and schoolchildren quick, easy and safe access to educational communications, and parents allow them to participate as fully as possible in the life of the school and the learning process of children, remotely attending parental meetings and receiving all information in school channels, - commented the general director of Digital Education LLC (developer of Shefum) Ruben Akopov.

During the pandemic that began in 2020, a shortage of distance learning facilities - both methodological and technical - was sharply manifested. And it is very good that such a platform as Spherum has appeared, which helps to bring new methods to the education process - first of all, training through the development of communications using modern tools, - said Oleg Isaikin, General Director of IRTech JSC.

Sferum also leads the process of integrating electronic journals and diaries in other regions. In October 2022, in the Nizhny Novgorod region and the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, it became possible to fully use Spherum directly from regional educational systems. In addition, the communications service was combined with electronic magazines and diaries in the Pskov, Kirov, Orenburg, Kursk, Kaliningrad and Samara regions.

2022

5 million users

The number of users of the information and communication educational platform Spherum has reached 5 million. Over the month, the increase was 1 million people. The number of registered schoolchildren amounted to about 4.4 million, teachers - 0.6 million. VK (formerly Mail.ru Group) announced this on December 9, 2022.

Also, users are actively registered in the Spherical training profile in VK Messenger, which was launched in September 2022. It was installed by more than 2 million teachers and schoolchildren. The service helps to combine personal and educational correspondence in one application, and also makes communication safe in a closed educational profile, where there are no outsiders - only participants in the educational process.

In order to make training using digital services even more efficient and convenient, VK will provide teachers with free space to store educational materials in the cloud. From mid-December 2022, teachers using the Shefum training profile in VK Messenger will have 32 GB available in the Cloud Mail.ru. Thanks to the service, teachers will be able to work with documents, organize all items by folders and share large materials with schoolchildren and colleagues in a convenient format.

Almost 38 thousand Russian educational organizations have already been connected to Spherum as of December 2022. Among the most actively using the platform are the Republic of Tatarstan, Belgorod and Kursk regions, as well as the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

We are comprehensively developing the educational environment, and the Spherum platform is gradually becoming an important part of it. Today it is a convenient tool for communication between a teacher and students and children with each other. Both video conferencing and messenger are available in it. At the same time, we rely on domestic equipment and technologies, and the platform itself is a secure safe space that is resistant to attacks. "Spherum" is not at all inferior to its Western counterparts, and serves as an excellent addition to traditional learning formats. The growth dynamics of its users both from schools and parents and students speaks of its high demand, - said the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov.

VK is actively developing the educational direction and strives to provide maximum learning opportunities at all stages - from school to advanced training as an adult. In 2022, we carried out large-scale updates of the Shefum educational platform, launched the Shefum training profile in VK Messenger for communication between teachers, schoolchildren and their parents in a closed safe space. We also conduct integration electronic magazines and diaries in the regions. RUSSIAN FEDERATION We are pleased to see that users positively assess our efforts by choosing VK services and the Spherum platform as convenient tools that effectively complement the traditional learning process, "commented VK CEO. Vladimir Kiriyenko

Launch of the training profile "Spherum" in VK Messenger

On September 19, 2022, VK introduced a communication service for schools - the Shefum educational profile in VK Messenger. It will help schoolchildren, teachers and parents combine personal and educational correspondence in one application, and also make communication safe, protecting it from outsiders.

Sferum's profile in VK Messenger is a separate closed and safe educational space where schoolchildren, teachers, parents can communicate with each other, participate chats in conferences and exchange educational materials. Users have access to group chats for more than 1000 people, audio and without video calls restrictions, the ability to record voice messages and read their text, and interpretations to store forward large (2 GB + files). In the Shefum training profile in VK Messenger, automatic translation of notifications into silent mode in non-working mode is enabled time and filtering of profanity in chats works. An instant translation of text in chat rooms into other languages ​ ​ is also available.

The educational profile of Spherum in VK Messenger is adapted for the educational process. Chat participants communicate with each other in a closed protected space, and phone numbers are hidden. To organize communication, the teacher needs to create a chat and share an invitation link or QR code with students and parents.

VK aims to provide more convenient and technological products and services so that schoolchildren, teachers and parents can always stay on. communications The study profile of Spherum in VK Messenger will make it easy to separate communication on study and personal correspondence. VK technologies guarantee the closeness and security of school communication: interaction in chats is completely private and takes place in the secure educational circuit of VK Messenger, commented on Farit Khusnoyarov, vice president of VK, head of VK Messenger.

The updated training service was launched as part of a major update of the Spherum platform developed by Digital Education LLC (a joint venture between VK and PJSC Rostelecom) with the support of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation.

Ministry of Education: VKS-system "Spherum" will begin to be used in schools in the next academic year

At the end of April 2022, the Ministry of Education reported that the Sferum VKS system will begin to be used in Moscow schools in the new academic year, that is, from September 1, 2022. The electronic educational platform will work throughout Russia from January 1, 2023.

As the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Sergei Kravtsov explained, "Spherum" will be integrated into the "Moscow Electronic School" system already used in Moscow. By the end of April 2022, "Spherum" is being tested in 15 regions.

The head of the Ministry of Education stressed that "Spherum" is a domestic development, which is designed to replace foreign analogues of video conferencing. It contains certified educational materials for schoolchildren and teachers, and a social network has been introduced there for communication between students, teachers and parents. All materials are verified, they fully correspond to the curriculum, and the system itself is absolutely protected, and "no one can hack it," said Sergei Kravtsov.

{{quote 'We see that recently, our country faced such an unprecedented information war. Instagram [the social network is banned in the Russian Federation as extremist], YouTube, and other various networks are disabled. We prepared in advance. Social media is something without which it is very difficult to imagine yourself. We have developed our own information system, where there are all these capabilities that are on the same Instagram, on the same Facebook [social network is banned in the Russian Federation as extremist], and it could help you develop and learn, "Kravtsov said. }} According to him, the system has all domestic analogues available in. ON Microsoft It will be possible to cloud store files and work with documents. All services, all computers that store information - they are located on the territory of our country, said Kravtsov.^[1]

Starting the Parental Registration Option

On January 31, 2022, Digital Education announced that the Spherum information and communication educational platform (created jointly by VK and Rostelecom) organized the possibility of registering parents. Now they can join the child's profile on the platform using an invitation link.

To create an account, a parent (or legal guardian) needs to enter a phone number and fill in their details. After authorization, the parent and child will see each other in their profiles on the platform. This function allows parents to confirm the registration of a child in "Spherum," write personal messages to him and make video calls.

The feature is available in the web version and on the Android platform. In the near future, it will appear on devices with iOS. Also in the near future, parents will be able to join the school account and communicate in chats with other parents.

"We see how the number of Spherum users is growing, and we continue to systematically develop our product. Parents play a meaningful role in a child's education, so we are empowering mums and dads. Additional features will help them keep abreast of children's progress, make it easier to communicate with teachers and other parents. And teachers will be able to collect remote parental meetings, "- commented on the CEO of Digital Education Ruben Akopov.

"Spherum" is a part of the digital educational environment that is created Ministry of Education of Russia Ministry of Digital Development of Russia and in accordance with the decree. Governments of the Russian Federation The information and communication platform is designed to make, training including remote, more flexible and technological. It allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on "" technologies social network , Vkontakte registration is available through a single VK ID authorization center - a simple safe and tool. Rostelecom provides digital infrastructure. You can use the platform through " mobile application Spherum" for iOS and Android and on the website.

At the end of January 2022, "Spherum" offers the following options:

• group video conferencing for up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Educators can manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators can post videos, articles, and documents to everyone in the community;
• broadcasts that can be viewed simultaneously by up to 10,000 viewers. They are available to both registered users of "Sferum" and non-authorized participants, such as the student's next of kin.

"Spherum" was launched on March 31, 2021. According information to the company, as of January 31, 2022, over 2.5 million users from more than 50 regions are connected the Russian to the platform.

2021

Integration with school services

On December 24, 2021, Rostelecom announced that the Spherum information and communication educational platform had begun integrating electronic diaries of schoolchildren. This optimizes the process of organizing training and the interaction of all participants in the educational process.

Integration of electronic diaries will optimize the work of teachers and convenience for children and parents. Now it will be easier to switch between services when necessary. We plan to further expand the capabilities of "Spherum" by adding other electronic diaries. said Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC (developer company "Spherum")

In the near future, the integration of the "School Portal of the Moscow Region," the services "IRTech," "ElZhur," "BARS" and other technological solutions for teachers, children and parents will be completed.

In the next stages, you plan to add a schedule and other options for electronic diaries to Spherum. In particular, the ability to initiate calls through Spherum in the electronic diary will be developed and added. In addition, the platform continues to expand the list of participating regions and technological partnerships.

"Spherum" is a part of the digital educational environment that is created Ministry of Education of Russia Ministry of Digital Development of Russia and in accordance with the decree. Governments of the Russian Federation The information and communication platform is designed to make training, including remote more flexible and technological. It allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on "" technologies social network , Vkontakte registration is available through a single VK ID authorization center. Rostelecom provides digital infrastructure. You can use the platform through " mobile application Spherum" for and on the iOS Android site сферум.рф.

For December 2021, "Spherum" offers the following options:

• group video conferencing of up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Educators can manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators can post videos, articles, and documents to everyone in the community;
• broadcasts that can be viewed simultaneously by up to 10,000 viewers. They are available to both registered users of "Sferum" and non-authorized participants, such as the student's next of kin. "Spherum" was launched on March 31, 2021. As of December 2021, more than 2.3 million users from 50 Russian regions are connected to the platform.

Number of users 2 million people

The number of users of the information and communication educational platform "Spherum" exceeded 2 million people, an increase of 110% over the month. From October 25 to November 8, when schoolchildren were temporarily transferred to distance learning in a number of regions, the platform was actively used by 1 million 250 thousand people. This was announced on November 17, 2021 by Rostelecom.

Elvira Izhbirdina, a school English teacher from the village of Kremenkul, Chelyabinsk Region, became a two-million user.

In our school, the educational platform "Spherum" appeared recently, and I decided to register and evaluate its functionality. The platform provides many convenient features. We can create communities and chats, discuss our class and extracurricular life in them. Also, for example, absent students can join the lesson by video call, which means that they will not miss the school curriculum. And all this is available within the framework of one platform, - said Elvira Izhbirdina, an English teacher at the Kremenkul Secondary School.

In mid-October, we crossed the one million user mark, which we are very proud of. And over the past month, another million people joined the platform. This confirms that we are on the right track and the services we provide are relevant. We get positive feedback from teachers and students who work at 'Sferum'. So, for example, we note an increase in the traffic of our messenger - it has almost tripled. If in mid-October 280 thousand schoolchildren and teachers actively used chats, then by mid-November their number exceeded 750 thousand, - commented Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC (developer company of Spherum).

For November 2021, "Spherum" offers the following options:

• group video conferencing of up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Teachers will be able to manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators will be able to publish videos, articles and documents for all community members;
• broadcasts that can simultaneously be viewed by up to 10 thousand viewers. They are available to both registered users of "Sferum" and non-authorized participants, such as the student's next of kin.

Number of users 1 million people

The number of users of the information and communication educational platform "Spherum" exceeded 1 million people. This was announced on October 14, 2021 by Rostelecom. Lyubov Aleksandrovna Fedorova, deputy director for educational work of secondary school No. 8 in the city of Bor, Nizhny Novgorod Region, became the jubilee registered user.

In our school, more than a thousand children have already used the platform'Spherum'. It is designed simply and clearly, allows the absent student to be in the lesson and not miss the material, and the whole class to start chats on the same platform, and not in different messengers. I also decided to join "Spherum" and assess its capabilities, - said Liubov Fedorova.

"Spherum" was launched on March 31, 2021. As of October 2021, 100% of schools in 15 pilot regions are connected to the platform: Altai and Perm regions, Astrakhan, Kaliningrad, Kaluga, Kemerovo, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Sakhalin, Tyumen and Chelyabinsk regions, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

In addition to video calls, which are in demand both among schoolchildren and teachers when communicating with colleagues or representatives of the Ministry of Education, messengers and chats are gaining more and more popularity. Since its official start, 'Sferum' has recorded an explosive rise in messages, with more than 1.7 million sent in September against 107,000 in April, a figure that continues to rise. The number of chats increased from 800 to 20 thousand per month, - said Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC.

"Spherum" allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on the technologies of the social network Vkontakte"," registration is available through a single VK ID authorization center - a simple and secure tool. Rostelecom also provides digital infrastructure integration state with information systems. You can use the platform through " mobile application Spherum" for iOS and on the Android site сферум.рф.

"Spherum" is part of the digital educational environment that was created by the Ministry of Education of Russia and the Ministry of Digital Development of Russia in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. The information and communication platform is designed to make training, including remote, more flexible, technological and convenient.

For October 2021, "Spherum" offers the following options:

• group video conferencing of up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Teachers will be able to manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators will be able to publish videos, articles and documents for all community members;
• broadcasts that can simultaneously be viewed by up to 10 thousand viewers. They are available to registered users of "Sferum" and non-participants authorized , such as the student's next of kin.

Launch of online broadcasts with the ability to connect up to 10 thousand viewers

The digital educational platform "Spherum," created jointly Mail.ru the Group and PJSC Rostelecom, by the beginning of the school year updated the functionality and added online broadcasts, which up to 10 thousand participants can simultaneously view. Now even users unauthorized on the platform can join school online events, Rostelecom reported on September 1, 2021.

"We have prepared and launched a very convenient way of communication by the beginning of the school year - online broadcasting for platform users. With their help, you can demonstrate any school events, lines, concerts. Mass broadcasts in "Spherum" have already been appreciated by representatives of education authorities at all levels, "- Digital Education CEO Ruben Akopov said.

Broadcasts are available in the web version and on the Android platform, and, according to the developer, they will appear on devices with iOS. Broadcasts can be watched by both registered users of "Sferum" and unauthorized participants, such as the student's next of kin: parents and grandparents. To do this, the broadcast organizer must send a link to the event.

"Spherum" is a part-digital educational environment that is created by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Development in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. The information communication platform is designed to make training more flexible, technological and convenient.

"Spherum" allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on social networks Vkontakte"" technologies, registration is provided through a single authorization center - VK Connect a simple and secure tool. Rostelecom provides digital and with infrastructure integration state information systems.

You can use the platform through the "Spherum" mobile application for iOS and Android, as well as on the site сферум.рф.

"Sferum" offers:

• group video conferencing of up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Teachers will be able to manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators will be able to publish videos, articles and documents for all community members;
• channels - an option that allows you to maintain a school blog, create message boards or release an online wall newspaper.

"Spherum" was launched on March 31, 2021. At the beginning of September 2021, according to the developer, more than 500 thousand users were connected to the platform.

Registration of more than 100 thousand users

Digital Education LLC (a joint venture between Mail.ru Group and Rostelecom) has registered 100 thousand users of the Spherum information and communication platform. The platform was introduced on March 31, 2021. As of April 2021, it is used in more than 7 thousand schools in 15 pilot regions of the Russian Federation. This was reported on April 29, 2021 by Rostelecom.

"We are pleased to announce that a month after the official start, the number of registered users of our platform reached 100 thousand - these are schoolchildren and teachers who came to Shferum and took part in its testing. We interact with all participants in the educational process, collect feedback and expect that our audience will continue to grow just as rapidly thanks to the consistent development of the platform, "said Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education.

"Spherum" allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on social network Vkontakte"" technologies, registration is provided through a single authorization center. VK Connect Rostelecom provides digital infrastructure and integration state with information systems. You can use the platform through " mobile application Spherum" for iOS and on the Android site сферум.рф.

"Spherum" is part of the digital educational environment that is created by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Development in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. The information and communication platform is designed to make training, including remote, more flexible, technological and convenient.

For April 2021, "Spherum" offers:

• group video conferencing of up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand;
• chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes;
• school communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Teachers will be able to manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators will be able to publish videos, articles and documents for all community members.

In the near future, the platform will be able to register users who do not yet have a mobile phone - the option is important for elementary school students. Parents will also be able to register in "Spherum," which will help them to be aware of the progress of children and easier to contact with teachers.

In the future, the platform will present the opportunity to hold large online events - up to 10 thousand participants will simultaneously have the opportunity to watch live broadcasts of school events.

Inclusion in the register of domestic software

On April 15, 2021, Rostelecom announced that the information and communication educational platform "Spherum," developed by the company "Digital Education," was included in the register of domestic software (software) by order of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation.

The platform is also included in the register of operators processing personal data.

"Spherum" allows students, teachers and parents to learn and communicate online. The platform is based on social network Vkontakte"" technologies, and Rostelecom provides digital infrastructure integration state with information systems. You can use the platform through " mobile application Spherum" for iOS and on the Android site сферум.рф.

"Spherum" has been tested and for April 2021 is used in more than 2.2 thousand schools in 15 pilot regions of the Russian Federation, more than 70 thousand people have already become its users. The platform allows you to conduct group video conferences for 100 participants, remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson, create chats, share educational content (photos, videos, presentations and other materials), create school communities.

In the near future, the platform will be able to register parents. This will allow remote parental meetings, expand the opportunities for parents to communicate with teachers and help keep abreast of the child's academic performance.

In the future, it will be possible to hold large online events in "Spherum" - up to 10 thousand participants will simultaneously have the opportunity to watch live broadcasts of school events. The schedule will also be synchronized with electronic diaries. In addition, users who do not yet have their own mobile phone will soon be able to register on the platform - this option is important for elementary school students.

"Spherum" is part of the digital educational environment that is created by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Development in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. The information and communication platform is designed to make training, including remote, more flexible, technological and convenient.

We have developed a digital product that will help make training accessible and convenient. "Spherum" does not replace full-time full-time education, but is an indispensable assistant for those who cannot attend a full-time lesson. Working with the regions to connect schools, we see how in demand our platform is. The inclusion of domestic software in the register confirms the compliance of our development with the highest standards, - commented Ruben Akopov, General Director of Digital Education LLC.

Launch of the Spherum platform

Digital Education, a joint venture between Mail.ru Group and Rostelecom, has launched the Spherum platform, which allows students, teachers and parents to study and communicate online. Rostelecom announced this on March 31, 2021.

"Spherum" is based on the technologies of the social network "VKontakte," and Rostelecom provides digital infrastructure and integration with state information systems. You can use the platform through the Spherum mobile application for iOS and Android and on the website сферум.рф.

The main possibilities of "Spherum":

• Easily and securely sign up with a single VK Connect authorization center. In the future, registration of an account through the public services portal will appear, which will allow you to reliably identify students and teachers.
• Group video conferencing up to 100 participants available from any device. You can remotely connect the entire class or individual students to the lesson. Each of the interlocutors can turn on the display of the screen or virtually raise their hand.
• Chats for study and communication with the ability to share videos, photos, presentations and other materials necessary for classes.
• School communities are closed groups to which teachers, parents and students can be invited. Teachers will be able to manage classes and assign lessons, and school administrators will be able to publish videos, articles and documents for all community members.

In the near future, the platform will be able to register parents. This will allow remote parental meetings, expand the opportunities for parents to communicate with teachers and help keep abreast of the child's academic performance.

In the future, it will be possible to hold large online events in "Spherum" - up to 10 thousand participants will simultaneously have the opportunity to watch live broadcasts of school events. The schedule will also be synchronized with electronic diaries. In addition, users who do not yet have their own mobile phone will soon be able to register on the platform - this option is important for elementary school students.

"Spherum" is part of the digital educational environment that is created by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Development in accordance with the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation.

The information and communication platform is designed to make training, including remote, more flexible, technological and convenient.

The digital educational environment is one of the important elements of a high-quality educational system. While maintaining the classic traditional face-to-face format of school activities, we are expanding the possibilities of the educational process using digital solutions to help and support both teachers and schoolchildren and their parents. The presented "Spherum" is an opportunity to stay in the educational process for sick schoolchildren, and constant communication with the class in case of departures, and reliable communication between teachers and parents. After testing in pilot regions, the Spherum platform has proven its relevance, and I am sure that it will help make training more comfortable and effective for schools throughout Russia, "said Russian Education Minister Sergei Kravtsov.

{{quote 'The learning process should take place in a format convenient for schoolchildren. We try to adapt education to the needs of children: their inclinations and abilities, state of health and family circumstances. With this respectful approach to students, gaining knowledge by them will be comfortable and bring better results. At the same time, of course, distance education will not completely replace work in the classroom, but it will become a good tool for those who cannot study material at school or want to receive additional knowledge, - commented the Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media RFMaksut Shadayev. }}

{{quote 'Online education is one of the key areas for Mail.ru Group. We have our own educational projects, we actively invest in this area and cooperate with partners to build an ecosystem of online education in Russia. Our projects help people of all ages to master the necessary and important skills and specialties. With the help of the Spherum platform, parents and teachers will be able to fully communicate, and schoolchildren will be able to gain knowledge in any conditions. It will help them create a comfortable educational environment, including complementing the usual offline education, "said Boris Dobrodeev, CEO of Mail.ru Group. }}

{{quote 'The events of 2020 led to the accelerated digitalization of all spheres of our life, including education - schoolchildren and teachers had to switch to a distance learning format in an extremely short time. In the process, technical and organizational difficulties became obvious when using non-core services, including foreign ones. Our platform "Spherum" is designed specifically for the educational process, it includes all the necessary methods of digital interaction. In the future, "Spherum" will constantly improve, based on the emerging needs of students, parents and schools, offering useful and secure services, - said Vladimir Kiriyenko, First Vice President of Rostelecom. }}

2020

The head of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation said that the Russian analogue of Zoom was successfully tested in schools in the Moscow region

The domestic analogue of the American video service Zoom was tested in schools in the Moscow region and was called "Spherum," Sergei Sergeyevich^[2], head of the RFKravtsov Ministry of Education, told reporters in December 2020 ^[3] in the ^[4].

"We have successfully tested it in the Moscow region. I can say the name today: "Spherum" is a sphere of mind, they chose the name for a long time. Rostelecom makes, using experience, including video surveillance on the Unified State Exam, virtually all the infrastructure that was, all the developments that we have, "Rostelecom said.

According to him, the domestic service was developed as part of an experiment to introduce a digital educational environment in schools in the Russian Federation. Further, Kravtsov noted, "Spherum" will be tested in 15 regions, it will be free for schools.

The minister assured that the service is reliably protected from hacker attacks. "All this is reliably protected, as well as video surveillance on the exam. For the entire period, despite hacker attacks, we did not have any infiltrations, "Kravtsov said.

Rostelecom and Mail.ru Group have developed an analogue of the Zoom video service for teaching and communicating Russian schoolchildren

Mail.ru Group Rostelecom and "" created another analogue of the video service Zoom Video Communications for Russian schoolchildren. In the first quarter of 2021, the partners plan to launch the Spherum platform in 15 regions. Russia Analogues of such video services already have "" and Yandex even the Mail.ru itself (service "Video calls Mail.ru"). The new service, as writes, RBC referring to its sources, was needed by partners to participate in the Government's experiment to introduce a digital educational environment, which will last until December 31, 2022^[5]

It will be possible to connect to the video service through desktop devices and a mobile application. "Spherum" will help to conduct group video conferences for 100 participants, and everyone will be able to virtually "raise their hand" or turn on the display of the screen. Previously, the Video Calling Mail.ru service, which the company launched in test mode in April 2020, already had a similar function, and as of December 2020, the number of participants has remained the same. For comparison, in classic Zoom, up to 1,000 participants can connect to a group conference.

In addition to video conferencing, schools or teachers will be able to create closed communities and chats to invite parents and students to them.

Due to the fact that Mail.ru owns the social network Vkontakte"," it will be possible to register with "Spherum" through an account. VK Connect However, when connecting to the video service, a separate profile will be used - teachers and classmates will not be able to see the Vkontakte user's page. Another registration option is possible through, portal "Public services" the operator of which is Rostelecom.

The partners plan that the new service will be integrated with the "My School in Online" platform of the Ministry of Education, which should provide users with access to verified educational materials.

Notes