The COVID-19 pandemic has tremendously affected higher education systems in Russia and all over the world, forcing to transform curriculum into an online format, which is a challenge for all the educational process participants. The current study discusses the implementation of online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Russian higher education context and investigates the challenges experienced by university teachers during this period to define their readiness for online education. To address the above-mentioned issues, a study was conducted in Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. A variety of methods of scientific and pedagogical research were used including systematic structural analysis, synthesis, work with research papers, the generalization of experience and experimental work, observation, surveys, etc., with 87 university teachers asked to respond to several sets of questions describing their online teaching experience after the launch of online education amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of the participants’ answers helped to identify the following main challenges experienced by university teachers: computer literacy level, the university electronic environment and support, academic staff readiness and students’ readiness for online learning, the last two being the most important hindering the implementation of the efficient online education process. It was also underlined by most respondents that methodological work of a teacher in a digital educational environment differs from conventional teaching methods. Thus, psychological, technological, methodological support and teachers’ professional development programs are of vital importance to minimize the negative impact of the rapid changes of the educational process and to ensure efficient online education.

The aim of the study was to analyze the correlation between the students’ involvement and their progress within the online component of the blended learning model during the theoretical and practical courses. The authors have applied data mining Moodle from learning portfolios of 1500 students (N = 1500). Comparative analysis of the courses under review showed significant differences in the behavior of the same students. For the theoretical course students spent less time than for a practice-oriented one. Students’ progress in the form of points and demand for non-binding elements of the course differed significantly in favor of the practical course. Based on the data obtained, the authors concluded that an important parameter that influences the behavior of students and their educational progress in general is precisely the focus on practice. Thus, the predominance of the online component in blended learning is appropriate for practical courses. Within the theoretical and general education courses, the predominance of face-to-face learning can positively affect the educational process and results of learning.

Socio-linguistic innovations in education as effective managerial tool provide resolving wide range of cross-cultural communication problems, including the process of social and psychological adaptation of international students; however, methodological component of this notion is not completely identified. We performed innovative productive method in international students' education and their socio-cultural adaptation. Our strategic target was to define the productive method effectiveness in the sphere of intercultural communication of international students in St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. We observed the level of communicative competence formation including linguistic, sociolinguistic, discursive, socio-cultural and social skills of international students which are highly important for their social and psychological comfort. We tested the students and identified that the level of their communicative skills was not enough for successful intercultural communication in a new socio-cultural environment (average point of 43% from 100% in Russian and 55% in English). Productive method implementation provided the communicative competence increase to the average point of 70% in Russian and to the average point of 71% in English. In conclusion, this study confirms the effectiveness of the productive approach as a methodological system developing student's communicative competence which allows designing a flexible socially-oriented educational environment including elements of psychological support and adaptation.

Information and communication technologies transform modern education into a more available learning matrix. One of the unexplored aspects of open education is the constant communicative interaction within the student group by using social media. The aim of the study was to determine principal functions of student-led communication in the educational process, the method for assessing its strong points and the disadvantages disrupting traditional learning. For the primary study of the phenomenon, we used methods that made it possible to propose approaches to further analysis. Netnography is the main research method defining the essence and characteristics of the student-led peer-communication. In our research, we applied data visualization, analytical and quantitative methods and developed a set of quantitative indicators that can be used to assess various aspects of student communication in chats. The elaborated visual model can serve as a simple tool for diagnosing group communication processes. We revealed that online group chats perform a support function in learning. They provide constant informational resource on educational and organizational issues and create emotional comfort. Identified features serve to define shortcomings (e.g., lack of students’ readiness to freely exchange answers to assignments) and significant factors (e.g., underutilized opportunities for self-organization) that exist in the modern system of higher education.

Nowadays, the curriculum of higher education is mainly based on hard skills development, although soft skills are of critical importance for successful academic and professional performance. Consequently, the purpose of the article is to describe the possible methods of mastering the second-year students’ soft skills within the scope of a foreign language course, using interactive methods. The aim of the research was to elaborate on three types of interactive problem-based tasks and assessment criteria which allow us to monitor the progress of soft skills such as problem solving, teamwork, leadership, time management and technology skills, and analytical and creative thinking. Both tasks and criteria were uploaded onto an online educational platform. The case study method, which was considered to be the main monitoring tool, turned out to be effective in the pedagogical experiment where the students collaborated both online and offline. The experiment demonstrated a positive trend in students’ soft skills improvement alongside their foreign language communication skills. Moreover, statistical analyses showed the effectiveness of the system created to master soft skills. The proposed system for digital monitoring of soft skills development can be useful for teaching personnel who want to make the educational process more interactive and productive for advancing students’ soft skills.