Educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies in teaching English in institutions of higher education

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SHEI “Donbas State Pedagogical University”

EDUCATIONAL CAPACITY OF MODERN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN TEACHING ENGLISH IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Nikitina N.P. PhD in Pedagogical Sciences,

Associate Professor, Head of the

Department of Foreign Languages

Annotation

higher education english capacity

The article analyzes the problem of the educational capacity (effective linguodidactic capabilities) of modern information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching English to students in higher school in the context of the digitalization era of higher education. Attention is focused on the key advantage of ICT, namely, the ability to implement personality-centered education. The relevance is due to the fact that modern education faces the task of not only traditional academic training, but also providing deeper knowledge and skills in using technologies for communication, information search, and in the future, the ability to solve problems and to work in a team. The purpose of the study presented is to characterize the educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies in the process of developing students' independent work skills when learning English. The educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies in teaching English to students is characterized theoretically. The main linguodidactic possibilities of using ICT in teaching English have been theoretically substantiated. The main modern linguodidactic capabilities of information and communication technologies, which form the educational potential, include: qualitatively new organization of independent work of students with an emphasis on creative search, self-study, and activation of cognitive activity; convenience and comfort of the learning process (a significant part of the educational material can be studied out of class, at convenient time, and didactic materials are constantly available on the Internet); flexibility and variability in choosing a student's personal learning path; practically unlimited potential of the lecturer's creative pedagogical search in the formation of teaching materials, courses, models.

Keywords: digitalization of education; information and communication technologies; institution of higher education; linguodidactics; personality-centered education.

Анотація

ОСВІТНІЙ потенціал СУЧАСНИХ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНИХ І КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ У НАВЧАННІ АНГЛІЙСЬКОЇ МОВИ В ЗАКЛАДАХ ВИЩОЇ ОСВІТИ

Нікітіна Н. П. кандидат педагогічних наук, доцент, завідувач кафедри іноземних мов Донбаський державний педагогічний університет Слов'янськ, Україна

У статті аналізується проблема освітнього потенціалу (ефективних лінгводидактичних можливостей) сучасних інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій (ІКТ) у навчанні англійської мови студентів вищої школи в контексті епохи цифровізації вищої освіти. Акцентується увага на ключовій перевагі ІКТ, а саме на можливості реалізації особистісно-орієнтованої освіти. Актуальність зумовлена тим, що перед сучасною освітою стоїть завдання не тільки традиційної академічної підготовки, а й надання глибших знань і навичок використання технологій спілкування, пошуку інформації, а в майбутньому - вміння вирішувати проблеми та працювати в команді. Метою представленого дослідження є характеристика освітнього потенціалу сучасних інформаційно- комунікаційних технологій у процесі розвитку навичок самостійної роботи студентів під час вивчення англійської мови. Теоретично охарактеризовано виховну спроможність сучасних інформаційно- комунікаційних технологій у навчанні студентів англійською мовою. Теоретично обґрунтовано основні лінгводидактичні можливості використання ІКТ у навчанні англійської мови. До основних сучасних лінгводидактичних можливостей інформаційно-комунікаційних технологій, що формують освітній потенціал, належать: якісно нова організація самостійної роботи студентів з акцентом на творчий пошук, самонавчання та активізацію пізнавальної діяльності; зручність і комфортність процесу навчання (значну частину навчального матеріалу можна вивчати у позакласний час, у зручний час, а дидактичні матеріали постійно доступні в мережі Інтернет); гнучкість і варіативність у виборі індивідуального шляху навчання студента; практично необмежений потенціал творчого педагогічного пошуку викладача у формуванні навчально- методичних матеріалів, курсів, моделей.

Ключові слова: цифровізація освіти; інформаційно-комунікаційні технології; заклад вищої освіти; лінгводидактика; особистісно-орієнтована освіта.

Introduction

The global digitalization of modern society has affected both social and personal aspects of human life; society is becoming more informational (in accordance with Moore's law, the amount of information doubles every ten years). The issue of the educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching English is now acute, as Ukraine and the world are experiencing difficult times in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic. That is why the topic of the article is very relevant because all lecturers need to invent new ways to interest, encourage students to learn when one does not see his/her eyes and does not understand what he/she is interested in. In the 21^st century, students need much more than traditional academic training, they need to gain in-depth knowledge of the use of technologies for communication, the ability to solve problems that are part of the tasks of social and emotional learning. In fact, information and communication technologies can be used not only as a means of intensifying the study of English but also as a means of modernizing the educational process.

The analysis of recent studies and publications

Several scientific problems related to the study of the role of information and communication technologies in education have directed the vector of research searches in the appropriate direction and contributed to the emergence of a significant number of works, both of a monographic and thesis character. Thus, the general problems of digitalization of higher education are considered in the works of such researchers as lu. Vertakova, E. Dmitrieva, O. Popova, T. Tolstykh, E. Shkarupet, and some others. The study and involvement of ICT in the educational process have been studied by such scientists as E. Polat, M. Bukharkina, T. Holubeva, S. Repyna. A significant part of scientific studies demonstrates the developments of foreign scientists or investigations and systematization of foreign language material (H. J. Leavitt, T. L. Whisler, S. Flumerfelt, G. Green).

With all the variety of domestic scientific literature devoted to both the problem of using ICT in pedagogy in general and individual issues of their implementation in the educational process (including teaching English in higher education), the educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies in teaching students the English language has not yet been properly disclosed, which actualizes the study of the problem raised at the theoretical level.

The purpose of the study presented is to characterize the educational capacity of modern information and communication technologies in the process of developing students' independent work skills when learning English.

The results and discussion

The sphere of education, first of all, the segment of higher education has become one of the most susceptible to the processes of informatization. The experts of Ukrainian higher school confidently speak of the inevitability of the education digitalization reform in the near future, which will objectively require technical and technological modernization that meets new requirements, content, and trends: equipment of educational institutions with modern computer technology with appropriate software, massive coverage with broadband high-speed Internet, as well as the active introduction of mobile Internet of 4G standard, wide access to a variety of educational resources and databases, electronic scientific libraries, etc. [9]; use of modern digital means of communication (various messengers, Skype, etc.) as a technological component of didactic tools, as well as the massive introduction of electronic textbooks, manuals, etc. [3; 12]. For about a decade, leading foreign universities of the world have been actively introducing and developing ICT for teaching at all the stages of the educational process, in practice proving their effectiveness and prospects. For example, the world-famous educational electronic platform MOOC (Massive open online course), which is a form of distance learning in the form of a training course with massive interactive participation and use of e-learning technologies with open access via the Internet, only within the Coursera project (the project of the Department of Computer Sciences of Stanford University) today reaches about 28 million users worldwide and provides over 2,500 courses in 160 specializations from 150 universities.

Quite a lot of attention is paid to the issues of informatization of education, the introduction of the latest information and communication technologies in the educational sphere in Ukraine. In particular, the Laws of Ukraine “On the National Informatization Program”, “On the Basic Principles of Information Society Development in Ukraine”, the State program “Information and Communication Technologies in Education and Science”, “Complex Program for Provision of Secondary Comprehensive, Vocational and Higher Educational Institutions with Modern Technical Means of Teaching Natural-Mathematical and Technological Disciplines” were adopted. In 2011, the Government of Ukraine approved the State target program for the introduction of information and communication technologies “One Hundred Percent” in the educational process of secondary comprehensive educational institutions. However, it should be noted that the level of implementation of these government decisions is not always appropriate.

The peculiarities of linguistic education, in particular teaching foreign languages, require a variety of applications of methodological and technological techniques, methods, and means. This is especially true when listening and learning communication with native speakers. In this, the subjects of the educational process can be significantly helped by modern information and communication technologies.

Unfortunately, with all the variety of domestic scientific literature devoted to both the problem of using iCt in pedagogy in general and to individual issues of their implementation in the educational process (including teaching English in higher education), the educational potential of modern ICT in teaching students English has not yet been properly disclosed. Experts note that for the theory and practice of linguodidactics, the use of modern ICT is a new technical stage in teaching foreign languages.

The history of the use of ICT in the process of teaching foreign languages in higher education has gone through several stages. At the first stage (the 50s-70s of the 20^th century), the computerization of the learning process took place. Since the software of this period was rather primitive, and the efficiency of computers was very limited, the so-called dry “drill” exercises were the main information and didactic tool [11]. However, it was at this stage that the theory of the use of computer learning in foreign languages was born - Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL).

In the 60s of the 20^th century in Ukraine, scientific and practical interest in this pedagogical problem also intensified. At this time, in the educational process of teaching foreign languages, for the first time, automated teaching systems based on a computer-based on programmed method began to be used. The didactic emphasis was made on improving the organization of independent work at the stage of language training, access to information and reference resources, and transferring routine practical work to a computer.

The second stage (the 80s of the 20^th century) is characterized by the use of information and computer technologies as an auxiliary technical means. The fact is that during this period a communicative approach was established in the theory of linguodidactics, according to which the didactic emphasis was transferred to the creation of a natural language environment and speech practice.

The third stage, which began in the 90s of the last century, is inextricably linked with the beginning of the digital era of the development of society. The latter gave rise to an integrative approach to teaching foreign languages. New promising opportunities for the use of ICT in linguistic education opened up led to the emergence of a new methodological direction in domestic pedagogy -computer linguodidactics [2]. It is this new scientific direction that studies the pedagogical possibilities of information technologies when teaching foreign languages. It has been reliably established that telecommunication technologies allow establishing permanent information-mediated communication with native speakers of a foreign language, which increases the efficiency of speech practice; hypertext technologies contribute to the formation of a real language environment; multimedia technologies are very effective in developing the rudiments of speech skills and abilities.

Many foreign and domestic scholars study the computerization of the language learning process (A. Bohomolova, A. Hartsov, L. Zlativ, O. Kapinus, M. Kozub, O. Kucheruk, L. Liulka, Ye. Polat, M. Shyshkina, M. Levi, K. Beatti, etc.). They focus on the psychological and pedagogical, didactic and linguistic- methodical peculiarities of new information technologies, ways of introducing these technologies in the process of forming language competencies, as well as on training specialists who can effectively use information and communication technologies in education. The studies of L. Zlativ are devoted to methodical ways of applying the achievements of computer language didactics in teaching linguistic disciplines and substantiation of the need to develop a holistic system of methods for introducing ICT into the educational process [4].

O. Kapinus, L. Liulka analyze modern problems of using new information and communication technologies in linguistics and linguistic education in their works [5; 8]. M. Kozub reveals the general concepts of computer language didactics and its place in teaching methods of languages [6]. These authors reasonably note the most important feature of ICT for effective learning of foreign languages - the possibility of realizing a truly personality-oriented approach to learning by shifting the educational approach towards “learning activities, not teaching”, based on the student's active cognitive activity, taking into account his/her individual capabilities and abilities.

The use of information technologies in teaching foreign languages at university certainly contributes to the formation and development of skills and abilities of educational self-organization of students, quick adaptation to new material and tasks, lays the foundations for permanent self-education, that is, in fact, forms the most important professional competence of education throughout life. Domestic specialists in the field of computer linguodidactics also highlight specific applied didactic tasks that ICT are able to solve successfully [10]: a) formation and development of a wide range of language skills (listening and comprehension, language practice, linguistic literacy, vocabulary expansion, etc.); b) formation of a stable motivation for the constant use (practice) of foreign languages; c) fostering a culture of communication and group work skills.

During the last decade, Ukrainian and foreign linguodidactics has been actively developing the issues of integrating the latest ICT into the process of teaching foreign languages. So, the active use of the following information resources seems to be very relevant [1]: 1) the capabilities of such platforms as Skype, Viber, and WhatsApp messengers to provide 140 free video communication and video conferencing to improve language practice and develop communicative competence; 2) the use of special capabilities (specialized resources) of Internet search engines for didactic purposes (e.g. Google-Assisted-Language-Learning from GOOGLE); 3) the use of audio and video podcasts on the network as material for listening and comprehension and some other linguistic exercises; 4) using the linguodidactic potential of online diaries (blogs) in teaching foreign languages; 5) gadzhitalization (the use of portable autonomous electronic devices (gadgets) - smartphones, tablets, PDA) of the process of learning foreign languages, the development, and implementation of special educational mobile applications for daily use.

Despite the fact that most educators agree that the use of ICT in foreign language classes “is a powerful teaching tool that contributes not only to improving listening skills, enhancing speaking, but also to developing writing skills, developing attention, creativity, increasing motivation of students, emerging their desire to master a foreign language better” [7, p. 66], the issue of the readiness of higher education for global changes remains open, since Ukraine's participation in a new technological revolution, among other conditions, requires the modernization of the activities of leading Ukrainian universities, and this requires deep institutional transformations.

Today, many educators, both theoreticians, and practitioners are thinking about the possibilities of using ICT in the educational process. Despite the wide potential of ICT, many difficulties remain in the process of their application. These include the technical equipment of the classroom, the educator's ability to master technically complex programs, applications, the lack of proven techniques. The issues regarding the amount of time that can be used for ICT or for live communication with an educator during the educational process and the specifics of tasks that can be solved using these technologies are relevant. On the one hand, the global trend of digitalization of education contributes to the widespread introduction of computer technologies, on the other hand, the implementation of this transition is associated with many difficulties. Thus, many universities continue to use old paper textbooks, only on electronic media, using the sequence of exercises proposed in the textbook, thus making the transition to education using iCt in form, but not in content. It becomes important not only to change the medium but also to change the very approach to teaching. The process of introducing ICT into education takes completely different forms. Some universities have made the transition to platforms like Moodle, continuing to use tools such as blogs, wikis, chat rooms, tests, etc. to optimize the educational process and simplify the solution of some tasks, such as memorizing a certain amount of vocabulary on a topic. The role of the educator, his/her knowledge and professionalism become especially important, hence the requirements for the modern educator increase, he/she must not only have a good level of knowledge of the language but also have a good level of knowledge of a computer, as well as pedagogical knowledge that allows guiding the student through all stages of the educational process.

During the preparation of this article, several possibilities have been considered including computer-based tutorials and applications, dictionaries, text and video glossaries, and interactive training courses across multiple platforms. It must be admitted that the choice of programs is very diverse and their number exceeds several hundred. Computer training programs for mastering lexical material include “Memrise” and “Quizlet”, for mastering and repetition of grammatical material “Polyglot16” and “Lingvaleo”, for translating lexical structures such dictionaries as “ABBYY Lingvo” and “multitran.com”, for test control “iSpring QuizMaker” and “Online Test Pad”, and sites that allow accessing authentic sources and materials on a topic of interest “youtube.com”, “ted.com”, “bbc.com” and many others. All these tools simplify the achievement of the goals set during the educational process, allowing the student to be interested, to use professional-oriented materials at the lesson, to develop independent work skills, as well as language skills.

Conclusions and prospects for further research

It can be concluded that the process of teaching foreign languages to students with extensive use of ICT has a number of advantages and opportunities. So, the use of multimedia didactic tools causes a multisensory reaction, which contributes to qualitatively better assimilation of the educational product, and the interactive nature of most ICT activates and intensifies pedagogical interaction, which is very productive for linguistic learning. Information and communication technologies make it possible to achieve a significant pedagogical result in teaching foreign languages due to the high focus of cognitive activity on strictly directed perception in combination with the level of visibility and imagery of educational content inaccessible to traditional pedagogical technologies. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the use of ICT activates feedbacks of the psychological process of assimilation of knowledge at the stage of initial perception (including stimulating involuntary perception), which, under the influence of continuous individual control, are correlated in the direction necessary for the lecturer and are comprehended and generalized in the necessary images. In addition, the capabilities of ICT imply the creative development of the imagination in the form of an action program as a response to practical tasks with incomplete or missing data.

Thus, the main modern linguodidactic capabilities of information and communication technologies, which form the educational potential, include: qualitatively new organization of independent work of students with an emphasis on creative search, self-study, and activation of cognitive activity; convenience and comfort of the learning process (a significant part of the educational material can be studied out of class, at convenient time, and didactic materials are constantly available on the Internet); flexibility and variability in choosing a student's individual learning path; practically unlimited potential of the lecturer's creative pedagogical search in the formation of teaching materials, courses, models, etc.

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