Against the background of the development of events related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the introduction of martial law in which Ukraine found itself, the use of online education has become even more relevant during the training of specialists by agricultural higher educational institutions. The organization of the educational process during the war is a new challenge of the times, requiring the improvement of distance learning technologies and their integration into pedagogical activity.The difficult conditions of wartime create a new reality and pose new challenges to which the methodology of teaching mathematical disciplines in higher education must respond. It is necessary for students to study a significant percentage of the educational material on their own, and for teachers to constantly improve and diversify both the methods and means of presenting the material and the methods of knowledge control.Therefore, today the task of further development of distance learning methods in order to ensure, even in these difficult conditions, a level of mathematical training of a specialist that meets modern educational standards, is gaining the greatest relevance today.The purpose of the research is to highlight the peculiarities of online learning at the Vinnytsia National Agrarian University, conducting lectures, practical classes and consultations, as well as to identify the reasons for insufficient efficiency of students' independent work and ways to improve the quality of this work.It is shown that the introduction of remote technologies allows for a continuous educational process at a sufficiently high level and in safe conditions, provides the possibility of constant access to educational resources, and is positively perceived by students. It is noted that online education requires students and teachers of higher education institutions to possess the skills of information and communication technologies and a flexible approach to the educational process.It is substantiated that the use of distance learning contributes to the process of professional development of future specialists, encourages them to work independently, forms an information culture, and focuses on mastering innovative means of obtaining and assimilating information. Distance learning requires appropriate training of students. Before it is introduced, students should be taught how to study literary sources, analyze them, highlight the main points, systematize knowledge, and draw conclusions.Research methodology: systematic literature analysis; study of the conceptual apparatus; modeling; generalization of pedagogical experience; observation, data analysis, conversation, testing, methods of diagnostic control works; qualitative and quantitative analysis of research results.Practical implications. A pedagogically balanced system of organizational measures is recommended to reduce the negative impact on learning of various challenges associated with critical situations. It is emphasized that the safety of the subjects of the educational process is facilitated by the use of online education, which provides fast communication, operational planning and re-planning, documentation, storage, and ensures students' access to educational materials, a variety of ways to achieve results. It has been studied that Google's digital tools in crisis situations are convenient and simple for carrying out educational activities, which allow easy integration of the educational process into a distance format, and also contribute to the rapid adaptation of students to their use.Value/originality. The main problems are considered and ways to overcome them are given, in particular when organizing independent work of students during online classes. The importance of teacher control at various stages of students' independent performance of tasks to ensure effectiveness is emphasized. Attention is drawn to the positive and negative aspects of the remote form of conducting classes and the prospects of further research on improving the effectiveness of independent work of students in the conditions of distance learning. Conclusions. Online education gives students access to non-traditional sources of information, increases the efficiency of independent work, opens up new opportunities for creativity, consolidation of various professional skills, enables teachers to introduce fundamentally new forms and methods of education.