Keyword: «mobile learning»

In the modern world, digitalization has spread into all spheres of human activity, including education. It is supposed to help students in obtaining various competences like digital literacy while adapting digital technologies to the needs of the educational system. Educational institutions have been interested in using elements of digital learning since the early 2000s, and the COVID-pandemic accelerated this process. As a result, many schools and universities have built their own electronic educational environment, but, unfortunately, not all their teachers are competent in using the opportunities of digitalization in the educational process; many of them still have only a vague idea of the benefits that teaching on the base of digital media give. The progress has been moving forward, and digital learning is very perspective, so teachers need appropriate information and education. The purpose of this article is to analyze a number of modern didactic concepts based on digital education which are useful in higher education. The paper provides examples of the advantages and problems related to such concepts, certain options for their application in the educational process of higher school. The authors note that there are very few empirical studies now comparing some models of digital learning with traditional one, and the results of such surveys are very contradictory. At the same time, the traditional forms and methods of teaching at universities definitely need to be modernized, requiring the use of modern means to overcome the shortages of existing learning equipment. The paper uses the main methods of theoretical research: content analysis, characterization, comparative analysis, systematization and generalization. The novelty of the work is confirmed by the justification of the possibility of using digital didactic models in teaching specific disciplines in the conditions of pedagogical process modernization at the university. The theoretical significance is represented by the analysis and generalization of the problem of using digital didactic models in teaching higher school students, the justification of the advantages and disadvantages of individual models (flipped classroom, mobile learning, adaptive learning). The practical significance of the results is determined by the illustration of examples of their use in the pedagogical process of the university.

Despite the long period of development of modular and computerized learning ideas, the concept of microlearning is largely a product of modern times, which meets the requirements of social interaction, the lifestyle of a modern person and the specifics of individual’s cognitive processes. The concept of microlearning is being actively developed by businesses due to specific conditions of organizing training activities in companies. However, researchers note an increasing number of attempts to adapt microlearning by educational organizations (the higher educational institutions in particular) after the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The relevance of the research is indicated by the high probability of transforming microformats adaptation by universities into a systematic approach to teaching in the future. At the same time, researchers point out the necessity of developing a new didactic model, transforming of educators’ methodological thinking, changing the role of a teacher, and shift teaching style to moderating students’ activities. Therefore, the aim of this research is to outline various ways of implementing the concept of microlearning. The study carried out a comparative analysis of different types of microlearning (bite-sized learning, nano-learning, subscription learning, capsule learning, learning-on-the-go). The information about these types of microlearning was obtained from the business community and experts in the field of microlearning, as well as scientific publications of Russian and foreign researchers in the field of foreign language education based on microlearning and modern educational technologies. The results of the analysis are presented in the table of key characteristics of the mentioned types. The list of description criteria includes: structures, key benefits for students, content design features, content accessibility, feedback, and studying period. Also, we come to the conclusion that "microlearning" becomes an umbrella term for a group of approaches to content design, interaction with students, and learning process organization. Additionally, the polysemy of "content accessibility" (in Rus) in the context of microlearning is noted. It refers to a) content accessibility by means of electronic devices; b) a clear explanation of the subject as briefly as possible. The next step of the research was to analyse the types of microlearning according to the previously indicated criteria in terms of foreign language education at a university. It reveals that bite-sized and mobile learning meet the conditions of university education to a high degree. The study could contribute to finding methodological solutions how to adapt microlearning for teaching foreign languages in higher educational institutions.