PECULIARITIES AND EFFECTIVENESS OF VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT

This article is devoted to the problem of a virtual learning environment. It defines the concept itself, main features, advantages and disadvantages and the usage in the methodology of teaching foreign languages. The main part of the article reveals questions about the modern goals of education, methods of achieving them, the use of modern ICT technologies in a teaching process, and also pays attention to the problem of using a virtual learning environment in a foreign language lesson.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Данная статья посвящена проблеме виртуальной учебной среды. Определено само понятие, основные черты, преимущества и недостатки, а также использование в методике обучения иностранным языкам. В основной части статьи раскрываются вопросы о современных целях образования, методах их достижения, использовании современных ИКТ-технологий в учебном процессе, а также уделяется внимание проблеме использования виртуальной учебной среды на уроке иностранного языка.

Keywords: virtual learning environment, information and communications technology, methodology, teaching a foreign language, Internet, communicative competence, immersion.

Ключевые слова: виртуальная учебная среда, информационно-коммуникационные технологии, методика, обучение иностранному языку, Интернет, коммуникативная компетенция, иммерсивность.

The role of information technologies is continuously increasing in modern society; they penetrate deeper and deeper into the main spheres of human life. They have a major impact on the processes of modernization and globalization in science, culture, and especially in education. Basically, a new cultural space is formed thanks to the media and their development. Currently, there is a continuous interaction and interpenetration of different cultures, regions and countries. In this regard, there is an interest in the problems of the role and place of interethnic dialogue in the formation of the cultural space, where the Internet plays the main role. As for the English language, it has become an integral part of life. It is used in business, sports, politics, the Internet, etc. It is seen as a means of implementation and education in various regions of the world.

The overall aim of this paper is to determine the possibilities of using modern information and communication technologies to create a virtual learning environment. Research methods are the following: 1. Analysis of scientific data. Analysis of scientific data can be referred to as "informational", as it includes the search for original sources of information in combination with a preliminary study of their content. In this article I analyzed periodicals, scientific journals, research papers and selected only necessary and important information related to my research topic. 2. Concretization. Concretization is aimed at reproducing the development of an object as an integral system. In this article I concretized the usage of virtual learning tools in teaching foreign languages and its role in the methodology of teaching a foreign language. 3. Formulation of a hypothesis. The hypothesis should highlight the decisive and important causal relationship, in order to outline the expected directions and course of development of the investigated object. Research hypothesis: If we use virtual learning tools in foreign language lessons, it will help to increase learners’ attention in foreign language lessons and better assimilation of the acquired knowledge.

Literature review: The history of the study of this issue itself is relatively young, it is no more than 15 years old, since the concept of "virtual communication" arose in the mid-1990s, when information technologies began to develop. One of the main features of modern times is the development of communication technologies and a large amount of information. The main task of the Internet is to find the necessary information in a short time in the required volume. Communication between people is increasingly being replaced by a virtual one. Communication virtualization is understood as its direct implementation via the Internet. Its use allows you to transfer and store information in the form of products of activities. Researchers often point to this when they talk about the revival of the epistolary genre with the development of electronic correspondence.

As indicated by T.Yu. Bazarov [2], a new type of communication is formed in the virtual environment, which differs from interpersonal and intercultural. Virtual communication is a type of electronic communication with the help of computers. Therefore, the sphere of virtual communication includes communication in social networks, forums, chats, blogs.

An important role in the formation of communicative competence is played by the creation of a virtual learning environment in a foreign language lesson, which is one of the main problems of modern methods. The traditional interpretation of the term "language environment" [7] is as follows: it is a kind of such a space for communication, in which communication is realized; it is a historically established society of people, united by a common language and culture and living in one territory.

The term "virtual learning environment" is "a set of Internet resources and means of communication, which is built on the basis of electronic textbooks and teaching aids that help to master various aspects of the language and form certain speech skills and abilities, as well as ensuring control over the level of their formation". When creating a "virtual learning environment" at the lesson, an immersion in the language takes place, the strength of which is consistency, scientific basis and unity. It is characterized by the following aspects: the age of the child who is taught according to this method; the time it takes to conduct a full-fledged training in the target language.

So, depending on the age at which the child is immersed in the language environment, the following types are distinguished [4]: early immersion (5-6 years); delayed immersion (6-10 years) and late immersion (11-14 years). When early partial immersion takes place, the training will be parallel in two languages, that is, one half of the subjects are studied in their native language, and the other in a foreign language. Moreover, there is no parallel teaching of the same subject in two languages. The only exception to this rule is teaching the language itself. The second type of language immersion (Delayed Language Immersion) takes place for children from 6 to 10 years old. It begins to be applied from the 4th grade. Late Language Immersion usually begins at the age of 12 (grades 6-7) and for about two to three years training is conducted exclusively in a foreign language, except for teaching the native language. Then comes the period of bilingual education, when some of the subjects are taught in their native language, and some in a foreign one.

If we talk about the degree of immersion, then we can distinguish several types [4]: - full immersion (Total Immersion), when students fully devote their free time to learning a foreign language. The purpose of this immersion is to teach students to spontaneously communicate in a foreign language without using learned clichés;

- partial immersion (Partial Immersion), in which the study of a foreign language takes about half of the study time. Here students study mainly the culture of native speakers of the target language;

- bilingual immersion (Bilingual Immersion), when the members of the group are divided into two equal teams, one of which is a native speaker, and the other is a foreign one.

Now let's move on to the problem of creating a virtual learning environment in the lesson. First of all, the term "language environment" [3] is associated with teaching two types of speech activity of the four main ones: speaking and listening. To achieve high results of mastering them, various technical means are used. The modern stage of development of technology is characterized by the transition to automated training and the creation of multifunctional training complexes.

Currently, foreign pedagogical research [1] is devoted to the problem of introducing ICT in education, in which is seen as the implementation of modern education based on a student-centered approach. However, according to many scientists [6], the use of ICT has potential only for distance learning, when members of the educational process interact with each other at great distances through various means of communication. They do this in a specialized environment.

Information technologies, however, are being actively introduced into all spheres of human life, including education. They have a huge impact on the creation of new educational systems based on a student-centered approach. They are aimed at enhancing the independent activity of students.

According to the researchers, the ICT technologies will be able to unleash their potential only in a specially created environment that facilitates the organization of distance learning for students. They are the basis for distance learning. These environments are a kind of platform containing various educational tools that facilitate the organization of interaction not only between close and constantly contacting subjects of the educational process, but even those that are separated by space and time.

The term "virtual learning environment" very deeply reveals the specifics of the distance form of the educational process. In the methodological literature, there are different types of environments belonging to different subject areas. They were developed for a different contingent of students (native and foreign students, school students and students of universities and vocational schools). The virtual learning environment is based on three components:

1. Content component. This is an organized, informational and educational content of the environment, including various electronic and printed publications, dictionaries.

2. Organizational component. Planning, organizing and conducting training using various methods and forms of training, applicable to distance learning.

3. The technical component. This includes software that has been specifically designed to create a virtual learning environment.

Each of the components presented above performs its own function and represents a specific structure consisting of information blocks. Such environments are created at the school level, at the university level, as well as for a wide range of subjects, and not for any particular discipline.

Results: In order to avoid problems, a specialized language environment is created, which makes it possible to sufficiently use various technical means and electronic resources, as well as the Internet, which contributes to the immersion of students in the language environment and provides remote interaction between them [4].

The virtual learning environment [3] is a tool that can be used in distance learning. That is why it should be based on specially developed software, include a set of necessary components, and also contain a set of elements that fill each component. The set of necessary components included in the content of the virtual learning environment should contain the following blocks [3]: informational, communication, educational, resulting, controlling, teacher's block, methodological, toolbox. The component composition of the virtual learning environment is constant, but the elemental composition may vary depending on the learning goals, on the use of various means.

The variability of the content of the virtual learning environment is determined not only by the methods of its implementation, but also by the technical capabilities of the software that was used to create it. Analysis of methodological literature and many years of experience in the development of various virtual learning environments show that it can be developed on the basis of a training electronic resource.

The potential of the Internet as an ICT tool is enormous. It creates conditions for obtaining any necessary information located anywhere in the world. The Internet is an excellent tool for teaching listening, reading and writing. There are many sites where you can listen to phrases or passages of a text in real time. They were pronounced by a robot, but in compliance with the rules. You can save what you have spoken to your computer and, if possible, listen to it again without going into the network.

When it comes to reading, students have a huge choice, since almost all the world's important newspapers have their own web pages. From these web sites you can get information about the latest events in the world. This type of activity is more suitable for high school students, it includes extensive reading and the ability to interpret the received information [7].

Based on the analysis and research I have developed a model of virtual learning. This model contains possible assignments and activities, steps of structuring the lesson. The structure of the lesson using a virtual tour can consist of the following steps: 1. Pre-viewing stage (includes information about the country, comprehension mindset). 2. Demonstration of the tour. 3. Monitoring understanding of the content with the help of questions. 4. Composing a monologue using a variety of assignments.

In the process of working with the implementation of the above mentioned steps, we can make use of a variety of exercises and techniques for formation of monologue speech skills of students. Possible assignments can be as follows:

Table 1.

Variety of assignments

Analyzing the above mentioned points, I came to the conclusion that the Internet contributes to the formation of skills in speaking, generating genuine interest and efficiency. In addition to that, students develop skills that are necessary not only in learning a foreign language. First of all, this is due to various mental operations. When using the Internet, students develop self-confidence, the ability to work in a group, and create a favorable learning environment. Thus, the main goal of language immersion is linguistic and educational enrichment, the formation of a multicultural personality, when the culture and norms of the countries of the studied language are added to the norms and culture of the student's native language. The main result is the achievement of socio-cultural and sociolinguistic competencies. The second is expressed in the student's ability to exist in both cultural and linguistic environments. The student's self-determination also develops. It is formed under the influence of the norms inherent in society [5]. Also, as a result, we could determine the possibilities of using modern information and communication technologies in order to create a virtual learning environment.

References:

1. Andreev A. A. Didactic bases of distance learning. -Moscow: RAO, 2013.
2. Bazarov T.Yu. Psychological facets of the changing organization: monograph. -Moscow: Aspect Press, 2007.
3. Bogomolov A.N. Models of a virtual environment for teaching a foreign language. -M.: Higher education in Russia, 2008. -P.57-61.
4. Evans E.V. Features of teaching a foreign language through immersion in the language environment. -Moscow: BLV, 2016.-P.120.
5. Moiseeva M. V., Polat E. S., Bukharkina M. Yu. New pedagogical and information technologies in the education system: manual for teachers and students of pedagogical universities. -Moscow: Academy, 2013.
6. Moiseeva M.V., Polat E.S., Bukharkina M.Yu. Internet-learning: technologies of pedagogical design. -Moscow: Cameron, 2010.
7. Polat E. S. Internet in humanitarian education: manual for universities.- Moscow: Vlados, 2011.