Teaching IT Specialists with the Help of Online Learning

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to analyze mobile learning for improving students’ English proficiency using personal electronic devices and to assess English language teaching and learning supported by electronic media and tools. Design/methodology/approach: The authors determine the definition of mobile learning, the classification of devices, the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning. They consider mobile learning to be an advanced educational technology both in a classroom and for extracurricular lessons for Higher School students of technical specialties. The educational standards of Higher School require solving the problem of future specialists’ professional communicative skills development and the authors analyze the ability of mobile learning to meet this task because digital electronic revolution keeps us connected with almost everyone around the world and makes necessary information available anywhere, at any time. Mobile learning can be applied inside and outside the classroom using personal mobile devices. Mobile education extends the boundaries of the traditional pedagogical methods with the effective integration of technology creating a favorable learning environment. Findings: It deserves attention that the paper is written completely on the results obtained by the authors during their practical work. They created and tested the exercises with mobile learning applying on the base of “Moodle mobile” which helps teachers to meet the requirements of the constantly changing modern society demands for the professional education development. The exercises selection and systematization gives teachers an opportunity to apply them in their everyday work. They analyzed mobile teaching methods as an advanced educational technology, gave a scientific review of the mobile education benefits and its drawbacks and suggested the recommendations on the new online practice which is used in the educational environment of technical Higher Schools. The authors underlined the disadvantage that there are some teachers who have not got enough skills to work with personal electronic devices. As for students, they feel free to use them for mobile learning because it enables them to improve their English proficiency. Originality/value: Using the tasks and exercises on the base of “Moodle mobile” during the lessons, the authors really confirmed the original concept of the new mobile learning teaching methods applying in the educational activity of technical Higher Schools’ students. The authors assessed the authenticity of the practically obtained results, offered practical recommendations for the mobile learning teaching methods, and proved the necessity to integrate the mobile devices into Higher Schools’ educational programs for educational technologies modernization with the purpose to improve the English language fluency level of the future specialists.KeywordsMobile learningEducational technologyEnglish language teachingPersonal electronic devicesEnglish proficiencyJEL ClassificationI21I23O34