Using the blended learning model in teaching foreign languages

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Ukrainian engineering pedagogics academy

Department of foreign language training, European integration and international cooperation

Using the blended learning model in teaching foreign languages

Karabitskova N.О., Senior lecturer

Kharkiv

Annotation

Peculiarities of the use of educational information technologies in foreign language teaching of students of non-speaking higher education institutions are studied. The educational concept of blended learning is proposed, which combines all the characteristics of informational educational technologies, and also reveals the possibilities of this type of learning as a means of increasing the effectiveness of the educational process. The mechanism for implementing the concept of blended learning as a process involves the creation of a comfortable educational information environment, a communication system that presents all the necessary educational information. Blended learning approaches have proven to be one of the most popular technologies today, because they allow you to take advantage of the flexibility and convenience of a distance course and the advantages of a traditional classroom. The growing popularity of blended learning in different countries of the world, including Ukraine, is caused not only by hopes for its high pedagogical effectiveness, but also by external economic factors. As expected, blended learning will reduce the cost of classroom, personnel, logistical and infrastructural support of the educational process, although to a lesser extent than distance learning. There is a methodological deficit associated with the lack of a generally accepted typology of blended learning organization models that has stable, didactically verified and at the same time simple and clear grounds, easy to understand andeasy to use not only for researchers, but also for practitioners.

Foreign language teachers face a number of problems that require immediate solutions. In this regard, educational information technologies (EIT) are widely used in the educational process along with traditional teaching methods. There is an educational concept that combines all the characteristics of EIT, as the educational process uses distance learning, classroom classes, and learning via the Internet.

Key words: educational information technologies blended learning, effectiveness of the educational process, level of educational motivation.

Анотація

Карабітськова Н.О. Використання моделі змішаного навчання при викладанні іноземних мов

Досліджено особливості використання освітніх інформаційних технологій у навчанні іноземних мов студентів немовних вищих навчальних закладів. Запропоновано освітню концепцію змішаного навчання, яка поєднує в собі всі характеристики інформаційних освітніх технологій, а також розкриває можливості цього виду навчання як засобу підвищення ефективності освітнього процесу. Механізм реалізації концепції змішаного навчання як процесу передбачає створення комфортного освітнього інформаційного середовища, комунікаційної системи, що представляє всю необхідну навчальну інформацію. Підходи до змішаного навчання виявилися однією з найпопулярніших технологій на сьогоднішній день, оскільки вони дозволяють скористатися гнучкістю та зручністю дистанційного курсу та перевагами традиційного класу.

Зростання популярності змішаного навчання в різних країнах світу, в тому числі і в Україні, зумовлене не лише сподіваннями на його високу педагогічну ефективність, а й зовнішніми економічними факторами. Як очікується, змішане навчання зменшить витрати на аудиторне, кадрове, матеріально-технічне та інфраструктурне забезпечення навчального процесу, хоча й меншою мірою, ніж дистанційне навчання. Існує методологічний дефіцит, пов'язаний з відсутністю загальноприйнятої типології моделей організації змішаного навчання, яка б мала стабільні, дидактично вивірені та водночас прості та зрозумілі основи, легкі для розуміння та використання не лише дослідниками, а й практиків.

Вчителі іноземних мов стикаються з рядом проблем, які потребують негайного вирішення. У зв'язку з цим у навчальному процесі поряд із традиційними методами навчання широко використовуються освітні інформаційні технології (ОІТ). Існує освітня концепція, яка поєднує в собі всі ознаки ЗНО, оскільки в освітньому процесі використовується дистанційне навчання, аудиторні заняття та навчання через Інтернет.

Ключові слова: освітні інформаційні технології, змішане навчання, ефективність навчального процесу, рівень навчальної мотивації.

Formulation of the problem

New educational standards, Ukraine's entry into the Bologna Process and other international agreements require the development of new approaches and fundamentally new criteria for the quality of education. Among modern approaches to education, the leading place is occupied by blended learning, the first mentions of which abroad date back to 1995.

Analysis of recent research and publications. The concept of mixed learning came to the Ukrainian educational system from American pedagogy; in this connection it is appropriate to consider the view of foreign scientists on this phenomenon. Scientists Bonk and Graham characterize blended learning as a combination of face-to-face instruction and computer-assisted instruction. Senam and Kalk believe that this is a combination of classroom and independent work in online mode at a pace and volume appropriate to the characteristics of each student. The same point of view is held by Kolis and Moonen, emphasizing that this is a combination, first of all, of learning in the process of personal communication and electronic learning, where online learning is a logical continuation of classroom work.

Formulation of the problem. The purpose of this article is to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the blended learning model and to determine the conditions under which this type of learning is effective for the modern teacher.

Presenting main material

The mechanism for implementing the concept of blended learning as a process involves the creation of a comfortable educational information environment, a communication system that presents all the necessary educational information. E.S. Polat gives the following definition to the concept of "distance learning": the interaction of a teacher and students with each other at a distance, which highlights all the components inherent in the educational process (purpose, content, methods, organizational forms, means of education) by specific means of Internet technologies. Distance education takes place online, using Internet technologies, and in most cases takes the form of a distance course. That is, as in the case of face-to-face training, distance learning has a planned program and a structured system of providing information.

Distance courses have a three-level structure:

Learning with the help of information and communication technologies (computer, smartphone). In this case, the student independently solves the tasks.

- Interaction with the teacher, with the help of information and communication technologies.

- Cooperation with leading experts of the researched specialty, with the help of information and communication technologies.

The name "blended learning" gained popularity after the appearance and publication of the book "Handbook of Blended Learning" by Boncom and Graham. In addition to the fact that for the emergence of blended learning, it is necessary to combine traditional and information and communication technologies, the authors of the book invented three categories of "educational mixtures":

Creating a mixture - at this stage, distance learning components are added to the traditional model of education, which solve some problems.

- Increasing the mixture - changes without radical transformations. For example, searching for additional material on the Internet, accessing lectures online.

- Modification of the mixture - the listeners of the lectures turn into those who independently solve the task at the time they need. Such an opportunity appears thanks to the development of information and communication technologies.

Blended learning combines face-to-face and distance learning tools in the proportions that best suit a specific situation.

Traditional education "treats" the shortcomings of remote classes, and vice versa, online education completely eliminates the problems of face-to-face education.

From the above, it can be said that an important place in the distance learning system belongs to the independent work of students. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the organization of independent work. V. Sheiko offers a basic model of organizing students' independent work in the distance education system. The model consists of five stages, each of which has its own specificity of organization and activity content. The first stage is preparatory, the second stage is propaedeutic, the third is theoretical, the fourth is educational and practical, and the fifth is reporting and practical.

At the first stage, preparation for independent work is carried out, a coordination plan for independent work of students is developed: budget of free time for independent work of students, weekly schedule of independent work, thematic plan of independent work, recommendations for working with literature, computer, audio and video media. At the second stage, the work is based on the curriculum using an educational film, which introduces students to the study of the course and the main recommendations for working with the course.

At the third stage, textbooks, additional literature, a review course of lectures are used, and a methodical comment is given on practical activities from the course. At the fourth stage, textbooks, workshops, exercise books are used, self-control of knowledge acquisition takes place. At the fifth stage, written works are provided: abstracts control, term papers, notes are taken, and additional literature is annotated. So, this basic model can be taken as a basis for developing a model of organizing independent work in the context of distance learning.

Therefore, to solve the problems of distance learning, a mixed form of studying the material was created.

Blended learning approaches have proven to be one of the most popular technologies today, because they allow you to take advantage of the flexibility and convenience of a distance course and the advantages of a traditional classroom. There are six reasons for using blended learning:

- High pedagogical level. - Access to knowledge.

- Social interaction.

- Personal action and motivation. -

-Economic efficiency.

- Ease of viewing.

The main didactic features of blended learning, which characterize its advantages over other forms of organization of the educational process, include:

- integration of didactic possibilities of traditional and electronic forms of education, the optimal combination of their advantages;

- the possibility of using, in one form or another, at all levels of education, for any profiles, specialties, areas of training;

- a significant increase in opportunities for personalization and individualization of the educational process;

- dominance in the structure of the educational process of the individual work of students, which contributes to the development of educational independence and the formation of skills that provide the possibility of self-education at later stages of life;

- widespread use of “various interactive types of learning activities”which allows you to transform the position of the student (from the object of learning - to his subject), to activate the formation of positive learning motivation and "integrated learning experience".

The growing popularity of blended learning in different countries of the world, including Ukraine, is caused not only by hopes for its high pedagogical effectiveness, but also by external economic factors. As expected, blended learning will reduce the cost of classroom, personnel, logistical and infrastructural support of the educational process, although to a lesser extent than distance learning.

The question of the existence of variable models within the framework of blended learning is ambiguous. In a number of scientific publications, as well as in most normative and instructive and methodological documents, it is assumed by default that blended learning is one specific model for organizing the educational process. educational information blended foreign language

There is a methodological deficit associated with the lack of a generally accepted typology of blended learning organization models that has stable, didactically verified and at the same time simple and clear grounds, easy to understand and easy to use not only for researchers, but also for practitioners.

In the works of recent years, most authors, relying on the typology of H. Staker and M. Horn, modify it in one way or another, selecting certain models from it and supplementing them with their own, but generally retaining the empirical nature of the approach. So, Yu.Dukhnich, listing the traditional models "Flex", "Self-blend" and "Rotation" (the latter includes varieties of "class rotation", "laboratory rotation", "batch training" and " individual rotation"), complements them with the "enriched virtual learning model".

Thus, it is possible to distinguish three main components of the blended learning model that are used in the modern educational environment:

- Face-to-face training - is a traditional format of teacher-student classroom classes;

- Self-study learning - involves students' independent work: searching for materials using a resource map, searching the Internet, etc.;

- Online learning (online collaborative learning) - work of students and teachers online, for example, with the help of Internet conferences, Skype or wiki, etc.

According to the definition of The Sloan Consortium, learning is considered combined (mixed) if distance learning is between 20% and 80%.

Currently, foreign language teachers in universities face a number of problems that require an immediate solution. First, the reduction of classroom hours leads to the fact that it becomes almost impossible to teach students the necessary skills to master a foreign language using only traditional methods of education.

Secondly, many students come to universities with a low level of foreign language proficiency, which requires additional work with them. Thirdly, the main trend in the development of the modern educational system is to focus on the realization of the high didactic potential of computer and telecommunication technologies. This involves the mandatory use of educational information technologies (EIT) in the educational process.

Therefore, when planning the educational process, the teacher must take into account all the above factors.

In this regard, EIT is widely used in the educational process along with traditional teaching methods, which leads to a change in the paradigm of education, involves the development of new standards, methods and requirements, revision of assessment criteria and control format, and, as a result, requires a change in the very concept and education development strategies.

There is an educational concept that combines all the characteristics of EIT, as the educational process uses distance learning, classroom classes, and learning via the Internet. Within the framework of this concept, called Blended Learning, the student receives knowledge both independently online and face-to-face with a teacher.

This approach makes it possible to control the time, place, pace and way of studying the material. Mixed education allows you to combine traditional methods and current technologies. The model does not involve a radical rejection of the traditional model of face-to-face education, which provides important linguistic and sociocultural skills. Thus, mixed education becomes an approach that educational institutions can apply in the realities of a regular university, actualizing the educational process.

The introduction of blended learning into the educational process contributes to the formation of students' ability to independently plan and organize their activities, focusing on the final result.

Moreover, they learn to make decisions, make conscious choices and bear responsibility for them. E. Vardashkina notes that "students develop skills and abilities to work in the information space, independently search, select and analyze information, present results using various modern technologies, that is, the necessary linguistic and sociocultural competencies are formed."

Consequently, students' satisfaction with their foreign language learning activities increases, which is a direct criterion for the effectiveness of this type of activity.

The use of blended learning allows you to integrate a foreign language into the general context of the higher education process, as it promotes the use of previously acquired knowledge and skills in language learning.

In addition, there is a relationship of the student to the very process of movement towards the specified final goal, which expresses the system of the student's relationship to the learning process, very complexly structured by various types of classes, forms of control, as well as disciplines that make up the content of professional training. This system of relations forms the motivational and goal basis of education. The criterion of effectiveness in this psychological aspect is considered to be the level of educational motivation.

Since the use of mixed learning in the educational process helps to increase the motivation of students due to the use of knowledge and skills acquired in professionally oriented disciplines that they studied earlier, and also teaches them to see the final result of their activities, the effectiveness of the foreign language learning process increases.

If we take into account that one of the main goals of education is to transform students from an object into a subject of management, then such a side of the person being taught as activity, which is understood as a qualitative and quantitative measure of human interaction with the environment, comes to the fore environment. The qualitative side of activity from the point of view of professional training is revealed through such criteria as professional orientation and educational motivation.

The quantitative side of activity is expressed through certain characteristics of cognitive activity. These characteristics were combined by V. Davydov into three different groups - high-speed, intensive and variational. Each of these groups defines its own aspect of activity: dynamics (speed, tempo) - speed group; stress (duration, frequency, systematicity) - intensive group; degree of diversity, novelty - variation group.

In addition, T. Shaposhnikova suggests "Introducing into consideration special forms of manifestation of activity - independence and creativity and as a higher manifestation - selfregulation or self-government." At the same time, independence characterizes human activity from the point of view of realizing his independence from the influence of external factors, creativity from the point of view of his ability to transform the outside world and himself for the most effective interaction with the surrounding world.

Self-regulation or self-govemance in this sense is the highest manifestation of activity, as it defines a comprehensive approach to all forms of a person's own activity.

When considering this criterion in the aspect of educational activity, the following forms of its manifestation should be noted: independent definition and redistribution of goals, self-education, self-organization of communicative activity.

Thus, the considered psychological criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of training (professional directness, level of educational motivation, activity, independent, creativity, self-regulation) are interdependent and can be formed in the process of blended learning as follows:

1) the elements of distance learning used in the educational process contribute to the development of independence and self-regulation, as students must plan their own activities and determine learning goals;

2) the use of the software allows to increase the level of students' motivation, as they themselves determine the speed and pace of their work with the educational material, feel their own responsibility for the result;

3) the use of EIT contributes to increasing the activity and independence of students when working with the material, and also develops a creative attitude to learning processes, as it allows making the process of learning a foreign language mobile, adapting it to the needs of each student, taking into account his level of knowledge, as well as the speed and method assimilation of information;

4) the possibility of accessing the necessary materials via the Internet allows working with professionally oriented sources to obtain the necessary information, which makes the learning process convenient and familiar, and also contributes to increasing the level of motivation. Therefore, the use of blended learning in the learning process of a foreign language helps to increase the effectiveness of the learning process, as it allows solving a number of tasks that are important not only for the teacher, but also for students. First of all, with the reduction of classroom hours, blended learning provides an opportunity to devote as much time to learning a foreign language as is appropriate in each specific case.

Secondly, it makes it possible to reduce the gap in the level of foreign language proficiency between students due to an individual approach to learning. Thirdly, it corresponds to the main trend of the development of the modern educational system due to the use of educational information technologies in the educational process.

The following can be mentioned among the positive features of the blended learning model:

1. The teacher is available not only during the classroom session: communication with the teacher takes place both in the classroom and outside it.

With this model, you can get a teacher's consultation by e-mail, chat on the forum and chat.

The teacher's schedule can always be seen on the page of the distance learning system.

2. You can study anywhere and at any time: materials in the blended learning system can be taught both online and offline. All materials are compactly located and there is no need to spend time looking for the necessary material in another place. You can always study the materials at your own pace in the library, at home, or in an Internet cafe.

3. Individual monitoring of learning: the teacher has the opportunity to observe the progress, the time of completing tasks and the rhythm of each student's work.

Such studies make it possible to build a specific study schedule for students and advise each student individually.

On the other hand, students also have the opportunity to monitor their progress, eliminate debt and improve their results.

4. Reusable educational materials allow the teacher to improve, supplement and change the previously developed educational materials, which makes the learning process each year different from the previous one.

5. Variety of didactic approaches: each person is special and the learning process is different for everyone. Someone perceives visual information better, someone - auditory. The blended learning model takes into account all these features, as it allows you to include audio or video lectures, graphics, etc. in the course.

Along with the positive sides of distance learning, we should talk about the negative sides. Disadvantages of distance learning:

- lack of face-to-face communication between teacher and student, and as a result, there is no individual approach to education and upbringing;

- students are not always self-disciplined, conscious and independent, as is necessary for distance learning;

- constant access to information sources requires good technical equipment;

- lack of practical classes and lack of constant supervision.

But when talking about blended learning, these problems disappear by themselves.

When teaching a foreign language to students of non-speaking higher education institutions, it is advisable to use EIT as follows:

1) elements of distance learning should be integrated into the educational process to reduce the time spent on mastering new grammatical material, as students will be able to do it independently in a special program;

2) the use of computers and appropriate software in the educational process will increase the efficiency of the educational process and reduce classroom time for mastering the proposed material in a foreign language;

3) the use of EIT will make the process of learning a foreign language mobile, adapting it to the needs of each student, taking into account his level of knowledge, as well as the speed and method of assimilation of information;

4) the possibility of accessing the necessary materials via the Internet will make the learning process convenient and familiar, since students spend a lot of time online, and the opportunity to communicate and learn in a mode familiar to them will increase motivation

Conclusions from this study

Tendencies towards the growing role of students' independent work, blurring of boundaries between different forms of organization of learning as a result of the widespread use of information and communication technologies have led to the emergence of blended learning - a pedagogically balanced combination of traditional, electronic, distance and mobile learning technologies, aimed at integrating classroom and out-of-class learning. Under this definition, blended learning implements the systemic principles of open education: mobility of participants in the educational process, equal access to educational systems, provision of quality education, formation of structure and implementation of educational services.

The combination of traditional and distance learning allows the teacher to use the strengths of each learning environment to achieve the learning objective. The ultimate goal of blended learning is to increase learning effectiveness using systematic assessment of interrelated variables and integration of learning tools. Blended learning optimizes resources and time, learning becomes more open, students have opportunities to learn to manage their learning and experience different types of motivation and are generally ready to successfully complete the course.

References

1. Collis, B.&Moonen, J. 2001, Flexible learning in a digital world: experiences and expectations,Kogan Page Limited, London.

2. McGee, P. &Reis, A. 2012,`Blended Course Design: A Synthesis Of Best Practices' Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks,vol. 16,iss. 4, pp.7- 22.

3. Bonk, C. 2005, Handbook of blended learning: Global perspectives, local designs, Pfeiffer Publishing, San Francisco.

4. Cennamo, K. 2020, Real world instructional design, Thomas Wadsworth, Belmont

5. Bikov,V.Yu., Kukharenko, V.M., Sirotenko, N.G., Ribalko, O.V.&Bogachkov, O.G. 2008, Technologiya rozrobku dustantsiynogo kursu, [Distance course development technology], Milenium, Kiev.

6. Rafalska, O.O. 2018, `Technologiya zmishanogo navchannya yak innovatsiya distantsiynoii osvity', [Blended learning technology as an innovation of distance education], Kompyuterno-integrovani technologii: osvita, nauka, vyrobnytstvo, iss. 11, pp. 128-133.

7. Rashevska, N.V. 2019, `Zmishanenavchannya yak psychologo-pedagogichnaproblema', [Blended learning as a psychological and pedagogical problem], Visnyk Cherkaskoho universytetu, Seriya Pedag ogichninauky ,iss. 191, part IV, pp. 89-96.

Список використаних джерел

1. Collis B. Flexible learning in a digital world: experiences and expectations / B. Collis, J. Moonen. - London: Kogan Page Limited, 2001. - 231 p.

2. McGee P. Blended Course Design: A Synthesis of Best Practices / P. McGee, A. Reis // Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. - 2012. - Vol. 16, iss. 4. - Р. 7-22.

3. Bonk C. Handbook of blended learning: Global perspectives, local designs / C. Bonk. - San Francisco: Pfeiffer Publishing, 2005. - 624р.

4. Cennamo K. Real world instructional design / K. Cennamo. - Belmont: Thomas Wadsworth, 2020. - 54 р.

5. Технологія розробки дистанційного курсу / В.Ю. Биков [та ін.]; за ред. В.Ю. Бикова, В.М. Кухаренка. - Київ: Міленіум, 2008. - 324 с.

6. Рафальська О.О. Технологія змішаного навчання як інновація дистанційної освіти / О.О. Рафальська //Комп'ютерно-інтегровані технології: освіта, наука, виробництво. - 2018. - Вип. 11. - С. 128-133

7. Рашевська Н.В. Змішане навчання як психолого-педагогічна проблема / Н. В. Рашевська // Вісник Черкаського університету. Серія: Педагогічні науки. - 2019. - Вип. 191, ч. IV. - С. 89-96.

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