Abstract:

The use of e-learning in higher education has already merged with our everyday life, in the current circumstances, leading to a complete replacement of the traditional classes with the online analogues. Studies show that the most effective e-learning environments have proven to be the ones where online courses were organized based on e-learning methodologies: (Pelz, 2010; Tsai, 2013; Mallillin et al., 2020). However, the problem lies in the limits of university e-learning environments for students’ personal developments, specifically, developing students’ creative competences.

Based on the three-level approach to developing students’ creativity by G. Schukina, we have developed a model for organizing online courses. Schukina divides students’ learning activity into 3 levels - reproductive, performing and creative. Since creative activity is the highest level in this hierarchy, it should be approached last – after mastering reproductive and performing activities.

Using LMS Moodle as a platform for our experiment, we are planning to organize an English Language course according to our model. The course is going to be divided into four blocks, depending on the type of the creative product that the platform allows students to work with: text, graphic, audio and video.

The hierarchy of tasks is built in such a way that each block starts with tasks for reproductive activity and ends with creative tasks. Before completing a creative task, a student gets acquainted with the tools for creating a particular type of digital content. A creative task is formulated within the framework of a given topic in such a way that the student searches for a problem and the means of its solution and implementation and presents it in the form of a creative product. Each block ends with students’ mutual assessment of each other's creative products.

Our hypothesis is that using this approach to organizing online courses will help enhance students’ creativity, develop their digital competences and give the tools to create digital products in their professional fields.

References:
[1] Pelz B. (My) three principles of effective online pedagogy //Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks. – 2010. – Т. 14. – №. 1. – С. 103-116.
[2] Tsai C. W. How to involve students in an online course: A Redesigned online pedagogy of collaborative learning and self-regulated learning //International Journal of Distance Education Technologies (IJDET). – 2013. – Т. 11. – №. 3. – С. 47-57.
[3] Mallillin L. L. D. et al. IMPLEMENTATION AND READINESS OF ONLINE LEARNING PEDAGOGY: A TRANSITION TO COVID 19 PANDEMIC //European Journal of Open Education and E-learning Studies. – 2020. – Т. 5. – №. 2.
[4] Schukina G. Enhancing learning activity of students in the educational process / Moscow, Enlightment. 1979. – 160 p. (In Russ.)

Keywords:

LMS Moodle, e-learning, creativity.