Collaborative Learning at Engineering Universities: Benefits and Challenges

Authors

  • Olga V. Sumtsova National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
  • Tatiana Yu. Aikina National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
  • Liudmila M. Bolsunovskaya National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University
  • Chris Phillips Newcastle University
  • Olga M. Zubkova National Research Tomsk State University
  • Peter J. Mitchell National Research Tomsk State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v13i01.7811

Keywords:

collaborative learning, e-learning, engineering education, Moodle

Abstract


This paper concerns the cutting edge educational approaches incorporated into syllabuses of the most progressive Russian higher technical schools. The authors discuss one of the active methods in teaching foreign languages – collaborative learning implemented in e-courses. Theoretical and historical aspects of this approach are addressed, as are its suitability for engineering education and possible ways of introducing collaborative learning into e-courses. Collaborative learning technology offers wide prospects for teachers of foreign languages as it enables the use of various patterns of interaction, promotes discussion, opinion exchange, peer assessment and building an e-learning community, fosters the development of e-culture and netiquette, and prepares future specialists for work in their professional sphere under the new conditions imposed by society’s technological and cultural development. This paper describes real pedagogical experience of teaching English to students using the platform Moodle, focusing on the capacity of different Moodle instruments for designing group work tasks. Recommendations are given for their usage and the results of implementing a collaborative learning approach into certain e-courses offered at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) are presented.

Author Biographies

Olga V. Sumtsova, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University

senior lecturer, Department of Foreign Languages, Institute of Physics and Technology

Tatiana Yu. Aikina, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University

associate professor, Department of Foreign Languages, Institute of Natural Resources

Liudmila M. Bolsunovskaya, National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University

associate professor, chairperson at the Department of Foreign Languages of the Institute of Natural Resources

Chris Phillips, Newcastle University

Professor and SAgE Director of Diversity at the School of Computing

Olga M. Zubkova, National Research Tomsk State University

senior lecturer, Department of Foreign Languages

Peter J. Mitchell, National Research Tomsk State University

associate professor, Department of Foreign Languages

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Published

2018-01-22

How to Cite

Sumtsova, O. V., Aikina, T. Y., Bolsunovskaya, L. M., Phillips, C., Zubkova, O. M., & Mitchell, P. J. (2018). Collaborative Learning at Engineering Universities: Benefits and Challenges. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 13(01), pp. 160–177. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v13i01.7811

Issue

Section

Papers