Abstract:

In the modern world, there is an increasing trend towards digitalization of many spheres of life. The intensive adoption of digital technologies is also noted in the field of education. However, along with the undeniable advantages of digital progress, the weaknesses of this process are also becoming noticeable. Like any innovation, digital technologies in education require careful preparation and gradual and measured development of new forms and approaches to learning. Meanwhile, the social challenges associated with the pandemic of recent years have led to a forced mass transition to digital forms of education. As a result, all participants in this process have to adapt to new requirements and acquire new skills in real time. In this regard, the previously gained experience with electronic educational technologies, as well as the conclusions and forecasts of educators and researchers, are particularly relevant. The aim of this article is to analyze the range of relevant e-education offers and identify the advantages and disadvantages observed at various stages of digitalization of education. Beyond that, the authors draw attention to the growing tendency towards commercialization of e-education and the associated risks of a conflict of business and educational interests. Summarizing their own experience of applying electronic educational resources in teaching foreign languages at Kazan Federal University (Russia), the authors illustrate the particular characteristics of organizing the educational process in digital space providing the examples of creating educational content on specialized platforms and organizing online and offline distance learning. At the same time, relying on the traditional didactic approaches provides the opportunity to systematically discuss the goals, techniques and forms of teaching, give examples of the development of specialized educational materials in foreign languages, analyze approaches to academic performance rating and assessment, and compare the roles of a teacher and a student in full-time and e-education. The article attributes special attention to the multi-faceted nature of the process of digitalization of education, which involves not only teachers and students, but also information technology specialists, as well as administrative bodies performing organizational functions. It is this multi-faceted nature that makes it difficult to coordinate common goals and objectives in digital education. The paper also presents the results of a survey among students and teachers, revealing their vision of the ongoing changes from the perspective of subjective efficiency, accessibility and the cost of effort and time. The materials of the paper may be of interest to both teachers and researchers of current tendencies in the field of digital education.

Keywords:

Digitalization of education, e-learning, university education, foreign languages.