Online Teaching during COVID-19 Pandemic: Teachers’ Experiences from a Chinese University

This paper explores the experiences of Chinese university teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular emphasis on the teaching and learning methods adopted and the benefits and challenges encountered in the process. It is based on semi-structured interviews with 13 Chinese university teachers selected through purposive sampling. The findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic forced the university and teachers to adopt online teaching and learning without necessary preparations. Most of the teachers had no adequate ICT and pedagogical training to engage in online teaching and learning. The teachers used the little knowledge they had to learn creating videos and managing online classes gradually. In addition to the flexibility benefits, online learning is expected to transform the teaching and learning process in China to become more interactive and student-centered, which would be a significant achievement for teachers who have been practicing traditional teaching methods. This research provides a better understanding of the benefits and challenges of online learning, which could be vital for future adjustments or educational reforms.

Trainees’ Personal Characteristics in the Learning Transfer Process of Permanent Online ICT Teacher Training

The aim of this study was to identify any personal factors that may facilitate the initial transfer of learning among students taking a permanent online ICT training course for teaching staff. Some deductive categories were created based on previous studies, and with the help of the NVivo software and its triangulation, a qualitative analysis of the three data sources—two reflective training activities completed by the subjects and an interview—was used to determine the relevance of some of the identified personal characteristics in the transfer process occurring within the context of distance techno-pedagogical training. Among them, we highlight four relevant ideas for transfer in the context: participants’ motivation to innovate in their classes with the use of technologies; self-efficacy, characterized as confidence acquired by the subjects to carry out online training; previous training and professional experiences; and the analysis of their training needs in relation to the critical and reflective use of ICT. We also confirmed that the favourable reaction of the subjects to these factors can serve as an indicator of a possible transfer and that online ICT training should continue to seek to design activities that have positive results in relation to these aspects.

PROBLEMS AND CONTRADICTIONS OF DISTANSE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDICATION

This aticle deals with problems of distance learning in the national universities. The basic pedagogical problems of distance learning. Dedicated pedagogical problems that arise in the implementationof information and communication technologies in the educational process and the organization of pedagogical training system. A number of tasks are presented that require immediate solutions to optimize the use of information and communication technologies in the education system, both in a single educational organization and in the education system as a whole. Some options for solving the problems of distance education are proposed. The necessity of creating an institute of tutoring, as well as the main differences between the teacher of the traditional educational process and the tutor are considered.

Do Future Teachers Believe that Video Games Help Learning?

One of the factors associated with the educational use of video games is the conception that teachers and students have about their educative usefulness. However, there are no studies that identify what aspects are considered more effective to learn with video games and what kind of learning is more accessible using them. This study aims at identifying pre-service teachers’ conceptions regarding video game use for learning and specifically to know what aspects and learning they consider are more feasible. Likewise, we analyzed the pedagogical training effect of these conceptions for three groups of university students: primary pre-service teachers (who received general pedagogical training), secondary pre-service teachers (who received pedagogical training in only one area of knowledge) and other university students without pedagogical training. We applied a questionnaire to a sample of 422 university students. This questionnaire had two dimensions that differentiated between the pragmatic and epistemic uses of video games for learning and three dimensions about the different verbal, procedural and attitudinal learning which can be achieved with them. The results showed wide acceptance of video games as a learning resource in university students, but in particular secondary pre-service teachers pointed out higher possibilities of achieving learning with video games than primary pre-service teachers. On the other hand, university students pointed out more learning when video games were used in an epistemic way. In addition, they considered video games favor more verbal and procedural learnings than attitudinal ones. In conclusion, despite the positive conceptions of the students about learning with video games, we observed a less positive pattern in pre-service teachers with general pedagogical training. These results suggest that video game incorporation in schools is not being carried out fruitfully by education faculties. Therefore, we advocated for 21st-century training that optimized new conceptions and uses of video games.

Analysis of the development efficiency of the Moscow Electronic School resources by future computer science teachers on the basis of practical training sites

Problem and goal. The practical (pedagogical) training sites based on Moscow schools in the context of effective development of the resources of the Moscow Electronic School by future computer science teachers are analyzed. The goal is to identify the correlation of the digital footprint obtained as a result of the development of the school network activity index based on data on the actions of teachers and students in e-learning environments and of educational organizations identification corresponding to this index, as well as the methodological activity of schools in Moscow - the bases of practical (pedagogical) training of future computer science teachers. Methodology. The analysis of regulatory documents and the database of Moscow schools, where the Moscow City University students of the Computer Science direction are engaged in practical (pedagogical) training, reflection on the content of the knowledge obtained, search for criteria for selecting basic schools for conducting practical (pedagogical) training of future computer science teachers, local pedagogical experiment were used. Results. It was found out that the activity of schools in the development and use of educational resources of the Moscow Electronic School is not a prerequisite for cooperation with these schools. At the same time, the knowledge of information technologies, including the technology of working with the resources of the Moscow Electronic School, by future subject teachers, is an integral part of the professional competence of a modern teacher, and especially a computer science teacher. Conclusion. The basic criteria for selecting sites for industrial practices of future computer science teachers, in particular students of the Moscow City University, are proposed. The formulated criteria for selecting basic schools for conducting practical (pedagogical) training of university students will allow them to successfully solve the tasks set for this type of educational activity, achieve their goals and form professional and pedagogical competencies.

Collaborative skills in language courses: how to support pupils?

The aim of this study is to examine how collaborative skills can be developed among secondary school pupils using digital tools (Word online, Adobe Spark Video) in the language classroom. Several types of data were collected: semi-structured interviews with teachers and learners, and observation of collaborative activities in the language classroom (video recordings, research log, observation notes, etc.). The case studies show different collaborative activities, which fall into three categories: coordination, articulation, and production. The analysis suggests that many factors can have an impact on collaboration between students, and this paper focuses on one in particular: digital tools. The findings revealed that digital tools can support collaboration if they meet the specific needs of the task (synchronous collaboration, asynchronous collaboration, or no collaboration) and its accessibility for the pupils (one tool for the group, one tool per student). Moreover, the analysis highlights the need to provide techno-pedagogical training (Stockwell & Hubbard, 2013) to the pupils so that they are able to use the tool efficiently in collaborative activities.

VIRTUAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE TRAINING OF A PROFESSIONALLY COMPETENT FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER

The article characterizes the basis of the notion of a virtual educational environment: its interpretations, specific features and criteria. It also provides justification in favor of the importance of this concept in pedagogical training as well as a set of drawbacks. The analysis of scientific works of foreign and domestic researchers within the framework of the topic is carried out. The purpose of this article is to analyze and reveal the foundations of virtual learning environments from the point of view of its significance for a competent and developed teacher of a foreign language.

Formation of Professional and Value Orientations in Pre-Service Teachers

The present research featured the development of value orientations in students of various pedagogical departments. It involved a theoretical analysis of domestic and foreign publications on psychology and pedagogy. The experiment relied on Sh. H. Schwartz’s diagnostic Value Questionnaire, which revealed a difference in the focus of value orientations in two groups of students. The first group majored in Primary Education and Extracurricular Activities, while the second specialized in Primary Education. The established difference could be explained by the specifics of the professional activities: the students of the first group acquired an additional set of professional qualities. The research results can help to plan various pedagogical training programs.

The concept of designing the main professional educational programs of future teachers

Introduction. The article is devoted to the description of approaches to the design of educational programs of the pedagogical profile of training implemented at the Minin University. The article substantiates the application of the modular structure of educational programs and describes the blocks of modules in the preparation of the future teacher. The idea of introducing modules of "universal training", based on the anthropological approach and providing the possibility of changing the educational trajectory after the 2nd year of study, is considered. The article presents an analysis of the methodological and practical results of the work of the team of teachers in the framework of the project "Modernization of educational activities: new logistics solutions" in 2016-2020 at Minin University.Materials and Methods. To solve the tasks set in the work, general scientific, psychological, pedagogical and practical methods of scientific research were used. The main methods of practical research are analysis, synthesis and formalization, pedagogical design, description of approaches to the design of the structure and content of educational programs for the training of future teachers.Results. The article presents the main conceptual approaches to the design of educational programs. The structure of the educational program of training of the future teacher is defined, including such blocks of modules as modules of universal training, modules of psychological and pedagogical training, modules of methodological and subject training, modules of specialization. The stages of design and management levels of the modular educational program of the future teacher are presented.Discussion and Conclusions. Conclusions are drawn that the presented approaches to the construction of educational programs allow us to implement the ideas of effective "entry into the profession", changing the direction or profile of training after the 2nd year. The main directions of further development of approaches to the design of educational programs are determined.

The system of managing the pedagogical process of training students-specialists in the tourism sector in the conditions of COVID-19

The last few years have seen an increase in competitiveness in many areas of the economy of the developed countries of the world. The only urgent problem is the training of personnel in the field of tourism, in particular during pandemic restrictions. And this problem is more complicated than just a shortage of graduates. Pedagogical training in the field of tourism is a systematic and organized training of qualified specialists in hotels and other accommodation facilities, facilities and means of recreation, public catering, as well as facilities for business, health, sports, and educational purposes. Currently, the market situation is such that graduates of specialized educational institutions do not meet professional requirements that meet international standards. Today's specialists have a low professional level, so hotels and travel companies, which have their own training programs, have to retrain hired employees. Young specialists have insufficient competence and lack of adaptive skills that they should possess in a developed competitive environment. Taking this into account, the purpose of this article is to determine and analyze the features of managing the training of future specialists in the tourism industry in a pandemic. The analysis of the problem was carried out by using traditional methods of analysis and interpretation of statistical and literary criticism with new approaches to analysis, synthesis and abstraction. As a result, the main pedagogical aspects of the educational process management system for the training of future specialists in the tourism sector in higher education institutions were characterized.