ABSTRACT
In modern conditions, when the whole world is faced with the coronavirus pandemic, digital educational technologies have become an effective way of organizing the learning process, which has forced all educational institutions to revise this process radically in many ways. Currently, there is an active process of informatization in the education field, aimed at the formation of an intellectually developed creative person, information-oriented, ready for self-development and application of these knowledge in future professional activities. Therefore, it is important for teachers to know what services and for what didactic purposes they can also use in their teaching practice when applying modern technologies. virtual reality and augmented reality are some of the emerging elements that can be used in the modern learning process, including foreign learning. The relevance of the work is due to the fact that the use of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies in foreign languages teaching is a relatively new direction in humanitarian knowledge, but, nevertheless, it is a rather interesting area for research. The purpose of the study is to show the advantages in using virtual reality and augmented reality technologies for the development of students’ professional foreign language competence. To solve the set purpose, the methods of description, analysis, and forecasting are used. The article deals with the main stages in the historical background and development of virtualistics;definitions to the basic concepts used in this area are given. The authors present virtual reality as a new technical means in FL learning, as well as analyze the benefits of introducing virtual reality and AR technologies into the teaching process. It is emphasized that virtual reality and augmented reality technologies make learning more visual, enable students to become more active, and involve them in the training process more fully. These technologies make it easier for people who are at a distance to work together. For example, students can meet using virtual reality tools, prepare joint presentations, lead projects, and do much other work almost as effectively as with face-to-face contact in the real world. As a result of the study, material was obtained, the analysis of which made it possible to conclude that now teachers, students and researchers are expected a decisive step to accept the advantages of virtual reality and augmented reality in foreign languages education, so that these breakthrough technologies can become a truly effective tool in foreign languages teaching for students of technical universities. © 2021, National Defence University - Carol I Printing House. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The forced transition to learning with using online training technologies, which took place in the spring of 2020, generates a request for assessing the readiness of students and educational institutions in the higher education system to study in new conditions. The authors of the article describe the experience of a complete transition to a distance education format at Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University during the COVID-9 pandemic. The main issues that have arisen when organizing this form of training for engineering students are described. The authors also noted and characterized the positive and negative aspects of distance learning. The main goal of the study is to determine of NMSTU engineering students’ attitude to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization of distance learning in self-isolation, as well as the level of their digital literacy. A questionnaire, conducted among 786 first and second year engineering students became the research method. The analysis of the responses revealed, that students have good skills in working with modern technology, in the Internet, software, which contributes to quick adaptation to a new learning form. The vast majority of students have up-to-date information (obtained mainly from official sources) on the ways of spread and methods of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus infection. Most of the students are satisfied with the learning process in the distance mode;highly appreciate the educational content and its presentation by university teachers. Difficulties arising in the course of mastering educational programs in a new form are mainly associated with technical problems due to the high load on the university server. The conclusion is made about the possibility to use this form of education in the pandemic as a balanced alternative to traditional in-class education. Correctly selected course materials, based on the learning goals and objectives and the characteristics of the educational process in the online environment, provided the students with the educational process continuity, and the teachers –with positive feedback. © 2021, National Defence University - Carol I Printing House. All rights reserved.