Abstract
This study conducted in an EFL setting investigates students’ perception of the thesis proposal presentation in an online format due to safety concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fifty-five students aged 20-22 years old, level B2-C1 in English, in their fourth year of a Business Informatics Bachelor’s programme at HSE University, Moscow, were surveyed regarding their end-of-course assessment experience, which involved a Skype online presentation, rather than the usual face-to-face presentation. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of 3 sections and 12 items. A mixed-method approach using quantitative and qualitative data was employed. The findings indicate that emergency transition to the new format did not affect students’ satisfaction or results of the presentation. Overall, students were more than satisfied with the online format, and the results were similar, if not better, than in previous years. To minimise the disadvantages of this format, recommendations for teachers and students were offered. This study might offer new insight on the most appropriate and beneficial oral testing system for students and staff.
Highlights
At the end of their final year at the university, undergraduate students of the Business and Management Department at HSE University, Moscow, Russia, submit their Bachelor’s thesis proposal, which should be written in English, according to the HSE internal educational regulations
English is an important component of any HSE University educational program as undergraduate students are expected to complete at least one professional course in English per year as part of their individual curriculum for the third and fourth years of study
The aim of this research is to explore undergraduate student attitudes towards their thesis proposal presentation transitioned from face-to-face into online format due to safety concerns
Summary
English is an important component of any HSE University educational program as undergraduate students are expected to complete at least one professional course in English per year as part of their individual curriculum for the third and fourth years of study. The ability to read professional literature, communicate with foreign professors, write and study in English is one of the key requirements for HSE University students. Through the written paper and oral presentation of the thesis proposals, the undergraduates are assessed on their ability to use English in an academic and professional environment, namely, to plan, report, and present research in public. The written part of the thesis proposal and its oral presentation are two interconnected, but separate aspects of the academic activity, which demonstrate different academic skills and are graded separately for “talking and writing are two very different modes of communication that mediate the world differently” In order to get high grades, the presentation, which introduces the transition from writing to talking about the research, should be well structured, properly rehearsed, and delivered with confidence
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