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Designing Online Learning Environment: ICT Tools 1

and Teaching Strategies 2

3 The authors analyze the capabilities of Information and Communication Technologies 4 (ICT) and e-learning tools applied in the educational process through all levels of 5 Higher Education in Russia: Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree Programmes and 6 Professional Training. The article is based on the data obtained during the study in 7 2019 organized at Sevastopol State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University 8 Branch in Sevastopol, V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Institute of 9 Foreign Languages (Simferopol) and S. I. Georgievsky Medical Academy 10 (Simferopol). 11 Having analyzed literary sources and the results of conducted empirical research, the 12 authors specify blended learning peculiarities in Higher Education, describe the 13 application of various ICT and e-learning tools used to design online learning 14 environment and new teaching strategies. 15 The study included a survey to identify popular ICT and modern e-learning tools 16 applied by students and professors to manage educational process. The participants of 17 the research were undergraduate students, educators and applicants of further 18 Professional Training programmes. 19 The research has been aimed at the analysis of ICT and e-learning tools, their 20 efficiency in solving educational tasks in online learning environment. The results 21 showed that ICT and e-learning tools are widely used at universities to manage 22 educational process, maintain communication and interaction, evaluate progress, 23 organize assessment and team projects. ICT and online educational services also 24 develop students’ autonomy and collaboration skills. 25 26 Keywords: online learning, Information and Communication Technologies, e-27 learning tools, blended learning, teaching strategies, autonomy, teamwork. 28

29

30 Introduction 31

32

Over the past 20 years, Higher Education in Russia has been changed 33 greatly. The factors affecting this transformation include various political, 34 social, and cultural processes: globalization, states’ partnership and 35

collaboration, cross-cultural communication, increased migration, business, 36 and academic mobility. 37

Besides, the 21 century is considered to be the period of great 38 technological advance or digital age. The spread of the World Wide Web and 39 numerous evolving digital technologies has shaped the new vision of Higher 40

Education and Professional Training in Russia and other parts of the world. 41 First of all, the technologies and digitalization have influenced the way 42

young students perceive and process information, their interaction patterns in 43

the educational process, and day-to-day communication. Young people are also 44

called now “Generation Z”, “Digital Natives”, “Internet Generation”, “Home 45 Landers” etc. (Nikonov, Shamis, et al., 2019). We can’t ignore the importance 46 of technologies in their life. 47

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Secondly, the modern educational system is focused on lifelong learning 1

priority. Online learning facilities may offer numerous opportunities to get new 2

knowledge and develop students’ skills, creating a new learning environment. 3 Also, the implementation of the “Open education” concept has led to the 4 popularity of online learning and blended learning formats. The idea of open 5 education has changed the way learners may acquire, share, and consolidate 6 knowledge, having practically unlimited access to high-quality education and 7

learning materials. 8 As a result, a significant amount of information and evolving digital 9

technologies influenced the introduction of Information and Communication 10 Technologies (ICT) and various e-learning tools into the system of educational 11 institutions at various levels, including additional professional education 12

(Strategy, 2008). Regarding Russian educational reforms, modern e-learning is 13 one of the means to increase the motivation of students, quality of education, 14

and the effectiveness of professional training. The simple transfer of 15 knowledge is not so important as the development of students’ creative 16 potential, professional skills and competencies. 17

The use of ICT and e-learning tools stimulates the design of new learning 18

environment for students and educators offering new possibilities for the 19 productive education. 20

21

22

Problem Statement 23 24

Modern teaching at Crimean universities can be characterized as a 25

transitional period in the digitalization of Russian society (National Programme 26 “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation”, 2018). Nowadays e-learning 27 tools and ICT provide a smooth educational process through all levels of 28

Higher Education: Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree Programmes and courses of 29 additional Professional Training. 30

With the transition to blended learning system in the 21st Century 31

language class, we need to consider the peculiarities of new online 32 communication in the educational process. Among significant methodological 33 issues are the adoption of new interaction patterns, developing learners’ 34 autonomy and collaboration skills, organizing assessment, and designing new 35 teaching approaches in an online environment. 36

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills was established by the National 37 Education Association (NEA) in 2002 and the “Framework for 21st Century 38 Learning” was developed. Among 18 skills as essential themes for learning in 39 the 21st century “Four Cs” (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, 40 Creativity) and Innovation were highlighted (CEFR Companion Volume with 41

New Descriptors, 2018). 42

The CEFR introduces the concept of “Mediation”. Mediation language 43

activities, (re)processing an existing text, occupy an important place in the 44 normal linguistic functioning of our societies. When the students use a 45 language, several activities are involved; mediation combines reception, 46

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production, and interaction. They try not only to deliver a message but rather to 1

develop an idea through what is often called “languaging” (talking the idea 2

through and hence articulating the thoughts) or to facilitate understanding and 3 communication (Connecting the 4 Cs of 21st Century Education (With a 5th 4 C!), 2016). The notion of mediation is connected with the development of ways 5 of communication and interaction in the online environment. 6

The aim of the research is to analyse popular ICT and e-learning tools 7

applied to manage educational process, to design flexible online learning 8 environment and new teaching strategies respectively. The study also focuses 9 on the ways of developing students’ language skills, autonomy and 10 collaboration with the help of ICT in professional training. The research 11 reveals peculiarities of blended learning integrated into the system of Higher 12

Education (on the example of Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree Programmes and 13 Professional Training). Moreover, concerning new teaching strategies design, 14

the authors describe changes in approaches to Academic English language 15 teaching at university. Academic English is regarded as an essential component 16 of Professional Training in online learning. 17

18

19 Materials and Methods 20

21 The study is based on the results of an empirical study devoted to the 22

analysis of ICT and e-learning tools used to design an online learning 23

environment at universities. It also comprises the results of conducted survey 24 offered V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University, Institute of Foreign 25

Languages (Simferopol) and S. I. Georgievsky Medical Academy. 26 The purpose of the survey was to find out the examples of e-learning tools 27

and ICT used by students and professors to solve numerous educational tasks. 28

These results and participants’ feedback are taken into consideration while 29 designing a new format of the online learning interaction at universities and 30

developing innovative teaching strategies respectively. 31

The study also involved interviewing students of Bachelor’s and Master’s 32 Degree Programmes at Sevastopol State University and Simferopol universities 33 to identify their initial level of ICT awareness. ICT and e-learning tools were 34 also widely applied in the system of additional Professional Training. 35

The article presents the results of conducting two courses on professional 36

development with the use of ICT: “Professional Training Modernization 37 Strategy” at V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University and “First Crimean 38 Winter MOOC School” at Lomonosov Moscow State University Branch in 39 Sevastopol. 40

“First Crimean Winter MOOC School” for Russian Educators was offered 41

by the Center of Online Learning Competencies “Lomonosov” in January-42

February, 2019. The participants from numerous Russian Universities and 43

educational institutions were taught to use new educational technologies of 44 distant learning and applied e-learning tools for team project management and 45 collaboration. 46

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1

Literature Review 2 3

Online learning has been introduced to the system of Higher Education to 4 make it open, flexible, user-friendly, and attractive for students meeting their 5 learning needs. 6

Moreover, according to UNESCO Guide for Policy Makers in Developing 7

Countries, “online and blended education, in general, are seen by governments 8 as a new and flexible way to educate at large scale whilst not increasing costs 9 significantly (sometimes even increasing the quality of education whilst 10 keeping total costs the same)” (Making Sense of MOOCs, 2016). 11

The requirements of New Federal State Educational Standards of Higher 12

Education 3++ and laws in Russia underline the importance of e-learning 13 implementation starting from the Bachelor’s Degree Programme through all 14

further stages (Federal State Educational Standards of Higher Education 15 (Bachelor’s Degree Programme) 3++, 2019). Researchers and educators 16 integrate digital technologies to design the online learning environment at 17 Russian universities. It leads to the necessity of developing new skills and 18

professional competencies for students and professors. 19 A new format of education assumes the integration of the blended 20

learning. Basically, the term “blended learning” is associated with the 21 application of ICT, e-learning tools, and distance learning educational 22 technologies mixed with traditional forms. 23

Stefan Hrastinski, (2019) supposes in his study that blended learning 24 means: “…essentially all types of education that include some aspect of face-25

to-face learning and online learning is described as blended learning in the 26 literature” (Hrastinski, 2019). Also, he underlines that blended learning is also 27 used to describe other blends, such as combining different instructional 28

methods, pedagogical approaches, and technologies, although these blends are 29 not aligned with influential blended learning definitions (Hrastinski, 2019). 30

Some researchers consider blended learning as a new educational approach 31

merging educator’s practices with online learning (Voronin et al., 2019). 32 UNESCO Guide as well states that by integrating online and face-to-face 33

approaches, blended learning provides learners with both flexibility and 34 support (Jansen & Schuwer, 2016). Facilitative interaction is regarded as the 35 primary trend in Higher education. 36

In the given study we keep to the meaning of blended learning in High 37 School as integrating e-learning tools and ICT to the traditional educational 38 process and teaching approaches. 39

Blended learning is relevant in the modern Higher Education System of 40 Russia due to the changes in curriculum structure, syllabus, and load 41

scheduling peculiarities of educational Institutions. Nowadays approximately 42

more than half of working hours are offered for autonomous work. The idea 43

behind this approach lies in the importance of fostering critical thinking skills 44 and autonomy through constant consolidation of basic knowledge and further 45 skills development. According to 21st Century Skills Framework, the most 46

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important skills for students are Life and Career Skills, Learning and 1

Innovation skills and Information, Media and Technology Skills (Framework 2

for 21st Century Learning Definitions, 2019). Moreover, autonomy and digital 3 literacy are mentioned in the requirements of Federal State Educational 4 Standards of Higher Education 3++ and in the description of universal and 5 general professional competences and outcomes that Bachelors of various 6 majors acquire while studying at University (Federal State Educational 7

Standards of Higher Education (Bachelor’s Degree Programme) 3++, 2019). 8 Furthermore, the popularity and quality of worldwide academic mobility 9

as part of Higher Education and Professional Training is closely connected 10 with the development of modern digital educational environment. Russian 11 universities design their own educational platforms of distant learning and 12

online resources but address to the products of other providers as well. For 13 example, various online courses are integrated into the process of Professional 14

Training at Russian Universities (e.g. MOOCs on such platforms as 15 www.universarium.org, www.lektorium.tv, www.openedu.ru, 16 www.postnauka.ru, www.coursera.org, www.futurelearn.com, www.edx.org, 17 www.stepik.org, www.khanacademy.org, www.udemy.com, www.udacity.com 18

etc.). There are numerous collaborative partnerships’ projects among 19 universities to support, test, or improve educational process and quality of 20

professional training. Students are offered to enroll in a course provided by any 21 other educational institution or platform to get the credit. It consolidates their 22 knowledge and helps to develop new vision and autonomy. This approach has 23

been in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Russia. 24 It should be noticed, that the national educational platform of the Russian 25

Federation “Open Education” (www.openedu.ru) is widely used in the system 26 of Russian Higher Education. It comprises more than 564 officially certified 27 online courses designed by famous professors of Russia for students of various 28

training programs and majors. The project was developed by the Association of 29 “National Platform of Open Education” established by leading Universities of 30

Russia: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Peter the Great St. Petersburg 31

Polytechnic University, Saint Petersburg University, NUST MISIS, Higher 32 School of Economics, MIPT, Ural Federal University, ITMO University. The 33 courses are free of charge and comply with the requirements of the Federal 34 State Educational Standards of Russia with the possibility of official 35 certification (National platform of Open Education, 2019). 36

Besides, the online learning environment and innovative pedagogical 37 approaches stimulate students’ engagement and the personalization of the 38 educational process. By integrating digital technologies and e-learning tools 39 students may choose or design their personal learning trajectories according to 40 their needs and requirements. They may manage their learning process and 41

track academic performance. 42

As a rule, in blended learning students have the opportunity to work both 43

in the classroom collaboration or individually. They are offered face-to-face 44 contact with lecturers and other students; individual work is mostly organized 45 autonomously using ICT and e-learning tools integrated into flexible forms of 46

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distant and online learning facilities. This format complies with the shift to 1

networking activities and transforming centralized learning patterns. 2

3

4 Results 5

6 The research has been aimed at the analysis of ICT and e-learning tools 7

used by students and professors at Crimean Universities to manage the 8 educational process both in face-to-face and online learning formats. The 9 results are taken into consideration to develop innovative teaching strategies 10 and approaches to support the educational process online in the system of 11 Higher Education and the smooth transition to blended learning. 12

Online learning in Higher Education of Russia is implemented via 13 Learning Management Systems (LMS), integrating various MOOCs or 14

incorporating numerous ICT and e-learning tools. For example, Sevastopol 15 State University and Lomonosov Moscow State University Branch in 16 Sevastopol have developed Moodle projects to manage the educational 17 processes in distant formats (to deliver courses, share learning materials, and 18

track students’ progress). The platforms www.distant.msu.ru and 19 www.distant.sev.msu.ru comprise professors’ learning/testing materials and 20

courses that students may address to while preparing for classes individually. 21 Moodle, ICT, and other distance learning technologies help to develop 22 students’ autonomy, self-discipline, and other professional skills. 23

Online learning is regarded as an innovative way of interaction in the 24 educational process. Communication and sharing of information are organized 25

with the help of ICT and popular e-learning tools. ICT (in terms of Computer 26 Science) are digital technologies that allow you to create, save, distribute, 27 transmit information, or provide services. In our research, under the term ICT 28

we understand the set of methods, processes, software, and hardware, 29 integrated to collect, process, store, distribute and present data or information 30

by the participants of the educational process. 31

In our opinion, the efficiency of professional training in the system of 32 Higher Education can be achieved relying on the fusion of traditional teaching 33 methods with new approaches and integrating ICT and e-learning tools (ELT) 34 on regular basis. ICT and e-learning tools offer the participants of the 35 educational process a wide range of interaction patterns and management 36

opportunities in face-to-face and online learning. 37 38

Table 1. The use of ICT to manage the educational process 39

Educational process

Communicatio

n

Information

sharing

(search,

processing,

storage,

Interaction

patterns

Managemen

t

Assessmen

t

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presentation)

Mobile phones,

e-mail, web

conferencing

services,

messengers,

social networks,

LMS, forums.

Search

engines, web

sites

(including

online

encyclopedias

, databases,

dictionaries),

mass media

and

educational

resources;

various

software and

applications

for data

processing

and

presentation,

editing tools;

cloud storage

technologies.

Tools for

individual

and team

collaboration

, group

projects,

Realtime

visualization

tools (online

whiteboards)

.

LMS,

educational

and project

management

platforms,

task and

organizing

apps, smart

daily

planning

software.

LMS,

online tests

and quiz-

making

services,

MOOCs,

etc.

1

ICT and e-learning tools are widely used in the online learning 2 environment to maintain online communication, get immediate feedback, track 3 progress and academic performance, provide visualization of materials, sharing 4

information, presenting data, simulation, organizing experiments and team 5

projects. 6 The next important issues of designing efficient e-learning in Higher 7

Education are educational content and teaching strategies in the online 8

environment. 9 Since 2005 the authors have taught on most programs and modules that the 10

English Language Section has offered (Samoylenko, 2018). This also includes 11

directing Masters’ Courses at Sevastopol State University for several years, 12 preparing students and educators for TKT exams and organizing continuing 13

professional development activities. During Ph.D. and Dr. studies at the 14 University, we developed an interest in the interplay between ideas of 15 language, identification practices, and contextualized intercultural 16

communication aimed at the building of academic and digital literacy as well. 17 It is now generally accepted that English is used in teaching and learning 18

in Higher Education around the world. The researchers consider English not 19 only as of the core discipline in the curriculum but an efficient tool in the 20

professional training of students. 21

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According to professor of Global Englishes at the University of 1

Southampton Jennifer Jenkins, (2017) language and intercultural 2

communication skills are considered to be primary skills in our globalized 3 world. English is the language of intercultural communication in the online 4 environment. 5

Professor Anna Mauranen, (2015) at the University of Helsinki studies 6 English as a Lingua Franca in Academic Corpus (ELFA). English is widely-7

spread in professional and academic online communication. That is why it 8 should be considered an important component of intensive professional 9 training in Higher Education and online learning collaboration. 10

Nowadays there are numerous scientific databases, digital libraries, and 11 other resources for academics with their adopted rules and requirements 12

(Scopus, Web of Science, Springer, Chicago, IEEE Xplore, etc.). Scientists 13 analyze the manner and style of researchers’ writing in English presenting their 14

works. Submitting papers written in English requires a clear vision, proper 15 training, and experience. 16

Nowadays, the concept of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) has been 17 the major trigger for the changes in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) 18

program at Sevastopol State University. By the end of the Master’s course, 19 students must be able to read and analyze the contents of scientific 20

publications, organize their own research, make presentations of research 21 results, prepare articles, reports, summaries, reviews, and projects using the 22 appropriate logical structure and ICT tools. 23

Therefore, we need to teach students of Bachelor’s / Master’s and 24 Postgraduate programs the aspects of English academic discourse and 25

communication issues in the online learning environment. These skills are 26 developed nowadays using ICT and e-learning tools to build students' 27 professional competences. In this context, the term “digital literacy” 28

encompasses not only the skills of software and technologies implementation 29 but mastering approaches and mechanisms of information processing and 30

online communication in English and native language. 31

There is an abundance of ICT and e-learning tools that can be used in 32 teaching and assessing the development of students’ language skills: listening, 33 reading, speaking, and writing. They may be integrated into the project of 34 online learning environment design. 35

From our experience, we suggest the following sources and tools shown in 36

Tables 2. 37 38

Table 2. ICT and e-learning tools used to develop language skills 39

Listening Reading

Speaking Writing

Podcast hosting

sites:

Busssprout,

Captivate,

Simplecast,

Mass media resources,

online newspapers and

journals:

AdForum, BBC, CNN,

Journalism.org.

Web

conferencing

services and

messengers:

Skype, Zoom,

Blogging

platforms;

Blogger,

WordPress,

Tumbir,

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Podbean,

Transistor, BBC

podcasts, ELT

podcast.

Proficonf,

GoToMeeting

, Discord,

ICQ, etc.

Squarespace,

Ghost, etc.

Video-sharing

platforms and

hosting services:

YouTube, Vimeo,

Tune, VBOX7.

Online encyclopedias and

dictionaries:

Wiki, Encyclopedia

Britannica, Columbia,

Merriam-Webster

Dictionary.

Learning

software and

applications

to make

recording:

Vocaroo,

VoiceThread,

MailVu,

Voxopop.

Collaborative

online

whiteboards:

Miro, Linoit,

Stormboard,

AWW,

Tricider,

Wallwisher,

Conceptboard

, Padlet, etc.

Educational

resources:

Ted-Ed, ESl

Cyber Listening

Lab,

listenaminute.co

m, elllo.org.

Educational resources:

Breakingnewsenglish.co

m, Tween Tribune, Dogo

News, National

Geographic, Science

News for Students, etc.

Screencasts,

slides and

videomaking

and editing

software:

Bandicam,

Windows

Movie

Maker,

Camtasia

Studio, etc.

Social

networks:

Twitter,

Instagram,

Facebook.

1

In order to identify initial ICT awareness of students of Bachelor’s 2 programme and to test their skills, we conducted a written survey in the 3

beginning of the study. The students of V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal 4 University and S. I. Georgievsky Medical Academy (Simferopol) took part in 5 the research. The first question was: "Do you apply Information and 6

Communication Technologies preparing your homework?" The positive 7 answer was given by 77.5 % of students, the answer "no" was marked by 8

22.5 % of respondents. Choosing the answer "Yes", students were asked to 9

specify what ICT tools they prefer. 10 11

Table 3. The results of a survey on ICT types used by the students at 12 V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal State University and S.I. Georgievsky Medical 13 Academy 14

ICT tools

The number of students (%)

Electronic textbooks and manuals; digital

encyclopedias and reference books. 67,5 %

Educational resources on the Internet. 55 %

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DVDs and CDS with paintings/pictures

and images. 2,5 %

Video and audio facilities, etc. 7,5 % 1

Students with negative answers also stated the reasons why they ignored 2 ICT in their training. They said that a sufficient amount of information is still 3

available in printed sources; the lecturers present enough materials in classes; 4 the book is more convenient to use. 5

6 Table 4. The examples of ICT applied by the students to prepare for language 7 classes at V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal State University and 8

S.I. Georgievsky Medical Academy 9

ICT tool The number of

students (%)

Popular Software

Microsoft Word 77,5 %

Microsoft Power Point 50 %

Microsoft Excel 22,5 %

Microsoft Office

Publisher 22,5 %

Microsoft Media Player 10 %

CorelDraw 5 %

Photoshop 7,5 %

Visio 2,5 %

other 10 %

Online whiteboards

Tricider 20 %

Wallwisher 5 %

other 5 %

Audio recording

software programmes

to prepare speaking

assignment

Vocaroo 22,5 %

VoiceThread 17,5 %

Voxopop 0 %

myBrainShark 10 %

other 15 %

Moreover, ICT and e-learning tools can be applied to develop students’ 10 autonomy and skills of teamwork and collaboration including time-11

management, task priorities, planning, self-discipline, and flexibility. LMS 12 Moodle is a bright example of an online learning tool used to organize learner-13 centered teaching in High School. 14

The research under review comprises the results of ICT types used in the 15 teaching and assessment of both undergraduate students and participants of 16

further Professional Training programs (Samoylenko, 2018). 17 Let’s analyze the examples of additional professional training programs 18

with ICT and e-learning tools organized in 2019. The participants enrolled in 19

the professional development program “Professional Training Modernization 20 Strategy” were taught to apply ICT and other e-learning tools as part of 21 integrating creative approaches to problem-solving tasks in the educational 22 process. After mastering the course, the trainees had to design their own 23

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individual programs of additional professional training based on the skills and 1

knowledge obtained. The educators were offered to prepare for classes 2

autonomously and being engaged in teamwork. The assignments included such 3 activities as collecting data and information processing, preparing reports, 4 case-study assignments, brainstorming procedures, making portfolio using 5 various ICT. 6

These task formats were aimed at the development of critical thinking and 7

skills of collaborative learning and team project management. 8 Another example of an additional professional training program realized 9

partially in the online learning environment is the “First Crimean Winter 10 MOOC School” for Russian Educators. It was organized at Lomonosov 11 Moscow State University Branch in Sevastopol in January-February, 2019. 12

Over 100 participants from numerous Russian Universities and educational 13 institutions were taught to apply new educational technologies of distant 14

learning while developing and presenting their team projects. The training 15 program was designed as a blended learning model, including MOOC elements 16 (theory part), face-to-face meetings, project management, and teamwork 17 sessions (practical assignment). The course was offered by the Center of 18

Online Learning Competencies “Lomonosov”. The aim of the programmes was 19 to teach users to integrate technologies in their day-to-day work while planning 20

curriculum and organizing the educational process at universities. The projects 21 covered various methodology issues: designing curriculum and syllabus, 22 creating, delivering, and promoting online courses, university branding, etc. 23

The learning materials were placed at https://lms.profedu.online/ and 24 delivered in a MOOC format. The enrolled users studied lectures, discussed 25

questions, and issues through course forum and chat room. Much attention was 26 paid to problem-solving activities. While creating and presenting team projects 27 the participants applied various online tools and ICT for team collaboration to 28

discuss ideas, prepare, deliver, and present materials of the projects that are 29 bright examples of organizing teamwork at distance. The projects were 30

presented online, so all registered users could follow the procedure and give 31

their immediate feedback. This interaction pattern proved its feasibility and 32 efficiency informal assessment, transparency, and developing learners’ 33 autonomy, new vital professional competences, and digital literacy. Moreover, 34 the proposed format fully supports the priority of the “Four Cs” fundamental 35 skills development: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity and 36

Collaboration through all stages of Higher Education and further Professional 37 Training. 38

Table 5 presents the examples of ICT and team collaboration tools used by 39 the participants of professional development programs. 40

41

Table 5. ICT and e-learning tools used for team project collaboration in 42

additional professional training 43

Team project management in education

Information processing Communication

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Information search and data

collection: WWW, scientific

databases and online libraries, mass

media resources.

Synchronous: group messengers

(WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, Skype),

web conferencing services (Zoom,

BigBlueButton, etc.), chats, forums.

Sorting data:

Microsoft Office, etc.

Data analysis:

Microsoft Office and other software

packages (Excel, Visio).

Asynchronous: e-mail services, social

networks (Facebook, Twitter,

Instagram), file-sharing technologies

(OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive,

etc.), collaborative document editing

tools (Google Forms), document

management systems.

Presentation of the results and

materials: Microsoft Office (Word,

Visio, Power Point), Adobe

Photoshop, CorelDraw, Mind

Mapping services, movie making and

editing programmes.

1 2 Discussion 3

4 Taking into account the results of the study, the following conclusions can 5

be made: the level of modern students’ ICT skills can be assessed as "confident 6

user". The application of ICT is widely-spread through all levels of 7 professional training in Higher Education: Bachelor’s / Master’s programmes 8

and additional professional development courses. The universities of the 9 Russian Federation take efforts to design their online learning environment, 10 taking into account learners’ needs, the requirements of Federal State 11

Educational Standards of Higher Education, and the worldwide experience of 12 introducing blended learning. Sevastopol and Crimean Universities adopt 13

Moodle and various combinations of ICT, e-learning tools and resources to 14

design online learning environment. 15 ICT and other digital educational tools and services are applied to 16

manage the educational process: to maintain communication and interaction, to 17 share information, to track progress, and organize assessment and to peer-to-18 peer review. These tools are suitable to develop the Language skills of students 19

while learning foreign languages. ICT and e-learning facilities are used by 20 professors to evaluate listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills at the 21 university. Moreover, they are efficient tools for project management, 22 teamwork, and collaborative learning. 23

At the same time, professors are currently being faced with 24

methodological limitations and a shortage of support in online learning. The 25 results of the research may be used to design new teaching approaches and 26

methodological recommendations to organize efficient interaction in online 27 learning. 28

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The outcomes of the study can be also applied for designing syllabus and 1

online courses for undergraduates (e.g. “Foreign Language for Academic and 2

Scientific Purposes”) and students of additional programmes of Professional 3 Training. 4

5

6

Conclusion 7 8

Designing a flexible and reliable online learning environment is quite 9 challenging. It requires both technical skills and methodological assistance. 10

First of all, to organize educational process online students and professors 11 must have equipment or devices (personal computers, a tablet, a smartphone, or 12

any other type of mobile gadget) with a broadband internet connection. 13 Secondly, you should know the basics of digital literacy and develop your 14

skills in ICT and e-learning tools application. To organize successful online 15 interaction at university there must be developed special platforms (e.g. 16 Moodle or other channels of online communication) with approved free access 17 to online learning materials and tools. 18

Moreover, the design of new teaching strategies is of primary concern. 19 There should be a proper balance between online and face-to-face components 20

in blended learning at the university. Engaging students and their motivation 21 are also important. Online learning is partially based on students’ autonomy 22 and individual work. That is why professors should provide extensive 23

instructions for learning and assessment procedures. Clear delivery of cognitive 24 tasks, detailed algorithm, and instructions are necessary for students’ 25

awareness of the educational process in blended learning. It is highly 26 recommended in online learning to present course structure overview, possible 27 reporting forms, set deadlines, assessment details/criteria, forms of control. 28

Methodological support and consultation by professors are key issues in e-29 learning implementation at universities. ICT and other e-learning tools 30

maintain communication and support interactive learning where immediate 31

feedback matters. 32 The research data clarify the methods of developing autonomy and 33

managing teamwork of students with ICT use, taking into account the 34 individual characteristics, learners’ personal and professional needs. ICT tools 35 are focused on principles of practice-oriented learning in Higher Education. 36

New technologies can be used effectively as additional tools to consolidate or 37 test students’ knowledge and skills through various patterns of interaction in 38 online learning environment. 39

40

41

References 42 43 CEFR Companion volume with New Descriptors. (2018). Retrieved from Council of 44

Europe website: https://www.coe.int/en/web/education/-/the-cefr-companion-45 volume-with-new-descriptors-is-now-available-online-. 46

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