Online Collaborative Learning as a Way of Boosting Language and Teaching Proficiency

Abstract

A pedagogical attempt to increase the effectiveness of foreign language teaching led to pairing Russian students who are obtaining a Master's degree in language teaching methodology with those of a distance department learning English as a foreign language to collaboratively solve educational problems online. As a course instructor plays the role of a facilitator gradually giving students more and more academic freedom, the educational process increases learner autonomy. Current research findings indicate that such a course is effective for both target groups of learners. By directly applying the received competence to online practice, those who study language teaching methodology learn more effectively and acquire new skills associated with successfully working with computer technologies, while those who study by distance learning receive better academic guidance and a more individualized approach from their senior peers.