Implementing web 2.0 tools for collaborative work of learners studying English

Web 2.0 provides resources and tools that make the learning process social and collaborative as they connect students with each other and help to move from the instructor-centred methods of teaching to more contextual learning and problem-solving techniques (J.West and M.West, 2009). The aim of the paper is to introduce findings on the project of implementing Web 2.0 resources for collaborative work in the National Research University Higher School of Economics. The main objectives of the project were to 1) single out Internet resources aimed at collaboration to suit the purposes of educational programme; 2) determine how much collaborative learning background students have and their attitudes to online and face-to-face collaboration; 3) analyse the students’ involvement in collaborative learning activities; 4) research the influence of web-related technologies on willingness to collaborate. The main methods used in the research were questionnaire, interview and observation as well as analyses of students’ work. The results revealed a positive attitude to Web 2.0 among the majority of the students. The offered Internet resources (Tricider.com, MeetingWords.com, TodaysMeet.com) improved communication and collaboration outside of the classroom, which is vital as increasingly less time is being allocated for studying a foreign language. Besides, Web 2.0 resources make it easier for teachers to evaluate each student’s contribution to task achievement and ensure fair assessment of each student’s work.