COOPERATIVE ONLINE LEARNING: DIFFERENTIATED PROFESSIONALLY ORIENTED ENGLISH-LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION OF PROSPECTIVE IT SPECIALISTS

Abstract

Cooperative learning in the online format is considered to effectively form professionally oriented English language competence in the prospective IT specialists. The article highlights the advantages (it contributes to the formation of professionally oriented English-language communication, social, personal and educational competencies, promotes active communication of IT students in groups and mastering a foreign language, motivates IT students to communicate, allows learners to gain communication experience and learn from the experience of other communicators, affects the development of skills think critically) and disadvantages (it causes imbalance in the participation of group communicators, conflicts in the group, difficulty in meeting time frames, challenges in evaluating individual achievements and achievements of group, technical problems with the Internet connection) of cooperative learning. Specifics of collaborative learning of professionally oriented English-language communication in online format include using various digital tools; using multiple types of speech activity for the formation of professionally oriented English-language communication competence; forming groups by using random group generators or allowing students to choose their partners; outlining the goals and expected results; involving professionally oriented subjects; including regular monitoring; practicing reflection; involving feedback and assessment of students' groups. The features of the implementation of the differentiation of professionally oriented English-language communication of prospective IT specialists in the conditions of cooperative online learning are also outlined (differentiation of the group according to the level of foreign language proficiency and learning style; distribution of roles in the group; creation of tasks of different levels of complexity; flexible grouping of students to perform various tasks; provision students by scaffolding, both on the part of the teacher and students; practicing mutual learning). Cooperative online learning is based on the following principles: independence and harmonious interdependence of participants; active foreign language learning; developing professional communication skills; everyone's proportional contribution to solving the group's task; and constant control.