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Psychology and Psychotechnics
Reference:

STEAM technology as a method of adaptation of foreign students of A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University in the study of art

Go Sin

Graduate Student, Department of Art History and Pedagogy of Art, Herzen State Pedagogical University

191186, Russia, Saint Petersburg, nab. Sinks, 48, room 6, room 51

guoxing@rambler.ru
Other publications by this author
 

 

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0722.2023.4.43665

EDN:

NNYIOK

Received:

29-07-2023


Published:

31-12-2023


Abstract: The successful process of intercultural adaptation, including during education, depends on effective interpersonal communication, which increases the level of language proficiency, motivation, and promotes interaction of students with representatives of foreign cultural communities. This article is devoted to the study of the specifics of the educational technology STEAM (Science, Technology, Reading + WRiting Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), which is a fairly new way of teaching university students. Special attention is paid to the problem of adaptation of foreign students to the new socio-cultural environment. The hypothesis is put forward that STEAM technology, through project activities, can help foreign students adapt to modern art courses in Russian universities. The article presents the results of the approbation of an adapted course on contemporary art for foreign students from China. The novelty of the research is connected with the identification of the problems that foreign students face when receiving art education at the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University, as well as the proposal of ways to overcome the identified difficulties. It is concluded that the use of STEAM training in the development of a course on the study of contemporary art allows foreign students from China to effectively adapt to the socio-cultural and educational environment of Russia. It is noted that STEAM technology contributes to the successful pedagogical activity of students who have received artistic training abroad.


Keywords:

educational environment, international students, intercultural communication, information and communication technologies, socio-psychological problems, language difficulties, adaptive course, adaptation, modern Art, pedagogical education

This article is automatically translated.

             Introduction

The dynamics of the last few years demonstrates the intensity of academic mobility of foreign students in Russian higher education institutions. This is a consequence of both the policy pursued within the framework of the scientific and educational direction, and the interest of foreign students themselves in obtaining education in Russian universities. Thus, according to the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, in 2022 the number of foreign students studying at Russian universities increased by 8.4% compared to 2021 and amounted to 351,448 people [8]. In such conditions, the problem of adapting the educational environment to the peculiarities of foreign students is one of the topical issues [4].

The issue is particularly acute in the field of art and art pedagogical education in Russia, which is extremely in demand by such students. In recent years, a significant number of publications have appeared that highlight the problem of professional training of Chinese people in such a system from different angles. These include the works of Ch. Ju [13], L. Jing [12], L. Fu [10] and others. These authors point out that when working with foreign students, it is necessary to adapt didactics and teaching methods, including focusing it on the use of information and communication technologies (hereinafter - ICT) in the process of studying certain disciplines. Such technologies, which are actively used in the practice of art education, include those that are used to perform practical tasks and demonstrations, as well as remote ones, for example, online lectures, interactive excursions, presentations, etc. [3]. Ch. Tszyu notes that such technologies are the key to the development and development of Russian, and the Chinese student of their own style of pedagogical activity, as they introduce innovative teaching methods into the system of art and pedagogical education, as well as introduce methodological and didactic foundations of styles, genres and visual techniques of modern art, often created through such technologies [14, p. 4]. At the same time, this author limits himself to listing ICT relevant for that time, including noting certain functions of "Microsoft Teams", such as "Screen Share", "thanks to which a teacher can demonstrate by personal example educational material for creating online illustrations or learning how to work in Adobe Photoshop, which will significantly increase academic results of students" [5, p. 83]. However, the possibilities of this program were not considered separately in the process of training such specialists. The methodological basis of this study was the work related to the use of ICT in art and pedagogical education, namely O.V. Dmitrenko [2], T.V. Selivanova [9], I.N. Polynskaya [6], S.R. Damadanova [1], L. Jing [11] and others.

The object of this research is the process of teaching foreign students the basics of modern art in pedagogical universities in Russia, and its subject is to search for the specifics of organizing such training using ICT for Chinese students using the example of the experience of A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. The purpose of the work is to determine the possibilities of their organization and prospects for improvement in the use of ICT and taking into account the specifics of Chinese students based on the study of the peculiarities of teaching disciplines related to contemporary art at the university. This basis is based on an experiment conducted within the framework of the master's degree discipline "Strategies of Contemporary Art" in the 2021/2022 academic year, on the introduction of Microsoft Teams resources, as well as an introductory and final survey, a questionnaire of Chinese students who have mastered the subject.

The study of difficulties in the process of teaching contemporary art to Chinese students at the Institute of Art Education of the Herzen State Pedagogical University

As part of the study, a survey was conducted of 30 foreign students studying at the Institute of Art Education of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University under the Master's degree program 30.04.01 "Arts and Humanities" in the second year of the second semester of the 2021/2022 academic year. After studying the problem of adaptation of foreign students, it was concluded that most students have difficulties in the process of studying at the Institute of Art Education of the Herzen State Pedagogical University. According to the study, the main problems faced by international students are: adaptation to a new format and principles of education, language, labor, financial, cultural, housing and emotional problems. From the point of view of the respondents, first of all, the management and teaching staff of the university should provide optimal conditions for increasing academic performance and creating a comfortable environment for students to study, including within the framework of teaching individual subjects.

In the university education system, Chinese students are supposed to get acquainted with the basics of modern art through courses in such areas as "World Art Culture", "Art History", "Modern Painting", "Modern Photography", "Media Art", "Design", etc. Meanwhile, teaching is conducted everywhere in Russian and does not involve the transformation of content and methodology to suit the characteristics of foreigners. Meanwhile, the attention of such students to the artistic and artistic pedagogical education of Russia, the growth of their number at the Herzen State Pedagogical University leads the leadership and teachers to the need for a certain change in programs within the framework of the requirements of the Federal State Educational Standard In accordance with these realities. So, in the Institute of Art Education, which is a structural unit of this university, in addition to traditional academic painting and drawing, as well as a whole range of disciplines related to the methodology of teaching artistic and creative disciplines, modern art is also taught at the master's level. The latter is represented by a set of theoretical and practical classes, which are jointly comprehended by both Russian-speaking students and students, primarily from China.

This subject is aimed at expanding the boundaries of the concept of contemporary art, as well as giving students the opportunity to work with new forms and means in creative activity, which allows them to prepare a specialist with competencies in the field of contemporary art. It is worth noting that the discipline "Problems of contemporary Art" is studied in the first semester of the second year by students who master such training programs as 44.04.01 Pedagogical Education (Visual Arts and art education, Design and computer graphics, and Art), 54.04.01. Arts and Humanities (Plastic Arts and art strategies, Theory and practice visual arts) [8]. In the future, contemporary art continues to be studied, but already as subjects of "Art project in the system of contemporary art" and "Strategies of contemporary art".

The teaching of contemporary art in the master's degree program of the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University is based on the material that was laid down indirectly at the undergraduate level, for example, within the framework of such disciplines as art history, art history workshop, analysis and interpretation of works of art, etc. Thus, the program assumes that students, ideally, are ready to master it and have certain knowledge and skills. However, in the case of foreigners who received a bachelor's degree in their countries, this approach does not work. This is due to the fact that they have different training, which may not have included familiarity with the basics of modern art, especially Western and Russian.

Their national characteristics also play an important role in the education of such students. Even with high motivation to receive education and focus on improving communication skills, including in the field of communication with Russian-speaking fellow students and teachers, the specifics of mentality, religious and cultural traditions are important for them. Thus, with regard to Chinese students, when designing courses, it is important to take into account their intolerant attitude towards disrespectful attitude towards the elderly, as well as towards the personality of the teacher. When talking about contemporary art, which often ridicules the values of the past and does not tolerate authority, assumes a certain amount of cynicism and provocation, it is necessary to take into account such views, since such material can be negatively perceived by Chinese students. At the same time, Chinese education involves focusing on the figure of the teacher, who is perceived as an absolute authority, which prevents such students from revealing the independence and creative side of their personality. They often do not have not only the necessary degree of initiative and creativity, but also the ability to work independently, which is elementary for Russian conditions. Master's degree studies at the Herzen State Pedagogical University are based on a significant proportion of independent activity. The same applies to the disciplines under consideration.

Features of using the capabilities of Microsoft Teams in teaching contemporary art at the Institute of Art Education of the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University

The search for a way out of this difficult situation led the staff of the institute to the fact that they increasingly began to use ICT in the training of future artists and teachers. The time of the "coronavirus restrictions" has shown that working within the framework of the distance learning platform, as well as using various kinds of software, helps teachers communicate with students, and students communicate with each other in the absence of the opportunity to attend classroom classes. However, even after the restoration of the previous regime of study at the university, they continued to use the opportunities of mixed education. In the case of future art teachers from China, ICTs are used in organizing and conducting independent and practical work, as they make it possible to set clear deadlines, track the execution process, communicate, interact when it is convenient for all subjects of the educational process [15].

The course on contemporary art offered at this university covers an extensive period of the origin and evolution of modern art, the most complex characteristics of modern art, its classification and historical development, and the study of the work of contemporary artists. This also includes the relationship between Eastern and Western contemporary art, generalization and analysis of comparison problems, and other relevant aspects. The latter is a direct consequence of the "reconfiguration" of the content and teaching methods to suit the characteristics of foreign students. For example, within the framework of the experimental discipline "Strategies of Contemporary Art", teachers direct students to study the basic theories and general laws of modern art, to understand the peculiarities of various forms of modern art, to stimulate students' love for modern art, to educate students' aesthetic taste and aesthetic worldview, as well as to improve students' artistic literacy, moral qualities and the ability to integrate theory with practice.

Within the framework of this study, an experiment was conducted on the basis of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University to teach the "Strategy of Contemporary Art" to a group of Chinese students studying under the master's degree program 50.04.01 "Arts and Humanities" in the second year in the 2021/2022 academic year, using ICT, namely video, multimedia and interactive technologies, the Internet, as well as the capabilities of Microsoft Teams. The latter is a space for teamwork, allowing for video conferencing and information exchange online, which is combined with offline forms. For example, lecture material can be presented on Internet resources and in electronic form, and practical work in the form of seminars takes place with direct communication between students and teachers, or vice versa. Upon completion of the discipline, an exam is conducted to assess the growth of the level of knowledge and repeated questionnaires to identify adaptation problems and difficulties encountered during distance learning.

As part of the experiment, when studying the discipline "Strategies of Contemporary Art" during lectures and seminars, the capabilities of Microsoft Teams were used, which made it possible to organize webinars, video lectures or practical online seminars as an alternative to classical classroom classes, which could additionally be recorded for further offline viewing. During the classes, students and teachers exchanged files, used an interactive whiteboard and demonstrated presentations, interacting from a distance. This product made it possible for all participants to work together on practical tasks, sharing responsibilities, and correcting them online.  Chinese students were actively involved in the work: they answered questions, commented on proposed situations, showed their screen, made presentations, etc. The planning of classes began with defining the goals that the students should achieve. After that, a list of tasks and activities of students was formed, and the final stage of preparation was the selection of digital tools for the implementation of the lesson and their preparation with their application.

If earlier the traditional lecture was based on the broadcast of the material by the teacher, then the classes at Microsoft Teams were based on the principles of the STEAM approach, in particular on working in groups, combining theoretical material with practical tasks. This made it possible to intensify the work of foreign students, to ensure their interaction not only with the teacher, but also with each other, with Russian-speaking students. Thus, an interactive component in training was also implemented. The application of Microsoft Teams to the organization of lectures and practical classes, as a rule, is based on a certain sequence of actions combining theoretical and practical mastering of the material: attracting attention and forming expectations; establishing links with the material passed; introducing new material; consolidating the material; evaluating the learned material and reflection.

The first stage when using Microsoft Teams in classes with future artist teachers, including from China, is the introduction of new material by the teacher, which usually consists of a demonstration of a presentation or other graphic materials. This procedure is implemented using Microsoft Teams. To present the material in the future, the teacher also, as a rule, uses either a presentation or visual data, or can work on an online whiteboard that is built into Microsoft Teams.

An extremely important element of an interactive lesson is the interaction between students. Of course, communication between them can and should be organized not in a digital, but in a real environment, but the program in question allows you to make it faster and more effective in terms of information exchange, especially when it comes to extracurricular work. The options existing inside it allowed for discussions, including issues arising as educational tasks were solved, both between students and between them and the teacher. For the latter, it was important that group or joint work did not end exclusively with oral statements, but also included fixing the digital footprint of each participant using ICT.

The next stage is the consolidation of the material, which is associated with the implementation of practical tasks by students to assimilate the material they have passed. Using online tools, including the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, for collaboration or group work allows you to make work convenient and as transparent as possible for foreigners. They saw all the stages of the activities of other students, demonstrated the fulfillment of their tasks.

After testing the developed course, international students noted fewer difficulties in understanding new subjects. It became easier for most of them to communicate in the classroom and easier to perceive the educational material, as they had the opportunity to get acquainted with some information in advance, discuss it with other students, and then get the information necessary to consolidate it. Thus, the use of Microsoft Teams in the development of a course on the study of contemporary art made it possible to effectively introduce foreign students from China into the educational process, facilitate the perception and understanding of rather complex material, which, due to the peculiarities of previous training, they are usually not ready to master. However, it is important to note that the interaction of students and teachers at the university in the study of contemporary art involves the use of ICT throughout the entire period of study, but does not replace real lectures and seminars, as well as creative and educational practice.

Conclusion

As a generalization and conclusion concerning the experience of using ICT, in particular Microsoft Teams resources, in mastering the discipline related to acquaintance with contemporary art by Chinese students at the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University, we note that computer tools and remote technologies give foreigners the opportunity to get acquainted with educational material in addition to classroom interaction. in a digital environment, which allows them to complement what they may not have understood, as well as communicate with each other and Russian-speaking students, teachers. Different communication channels, both verbal and, for example, written or visual, allow them to better perceive and interpret information, ask clarifying questions, express their opinions and present the results of their activities. Moreover, compliance with certain stages in conducting such classes allows students to perform independent work more effectively and together, in which practical artistic and creative skills are honed, exhibitions, museums, galleries, etc. are visited. The use of Microsoft Teams, as well as other ICTs, in the educational process is also due to the essence of modern art, which is often created in computer programs and even exists in the virtual world. In addition, interaction prepares students to work in creative teams,

References
1. Damadanova, S. R. (2017). Electronic technologies in artistic and pedagogical education. Modern education: content, technology, quality, 2, 276–279.
2. Dmitrenko, O. V. (2009) The use of advanced teaching technologies in the preparation of future specialists in the field of art education. Teacher of the XXI century, 2-1, 75–79.
3. Katkhanova, Yu. F. (2018). Creative abilities and their development in graphic activity. Moscow Pedagogical State University, Institute of Fine Arts. Cheboksary: Limited Liability Company “Publishing House “Sreda”.
4. Komarova, M.N., Soshnikov, E.A., & Glebov, V.V. (2013). Cultural, social and psychological adaptation of foreign students. Advances in modern natural science, 8, 49-51.
5. Liu, C. (2021). The influence of online education on the teaching and learning of art. Art and dialogue of cultures: Collection of scientific papers of the XIV International Interuniversity Scientific and Practical Conference, St. Petersburg, April 02, 2021. St. Petersburg: Center for Scientific and Production Technologies “Asterion”, 80-83.
6. Polynskaya, I. N. (2015). Information and communication technologies in artistic and pedagogical education. Fundamental research, 2-14, 3170-3174.
7. Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen. Electronic atlas. Retrieved from https://atlas.herzen.spb.ru/
8. Sankova E.A., & Trofimets L.N. (2021). Shamov pedagogical readings of the scientific school. Management of educational systems: collection of articles of the XIII International Scientific and Practical Conference (January 23 – February 1, 2021): collection. articles. In 2 hours. Part 2 (pð. 636-639). Moscow: MANPO.
9. Selivanova, T. V. (2012). Problems of integration of computer technologies into art and pedagogical education. Initiatives of the XXI century, 1, 76–78.
10. Fu, L. (2022). Features of the development of professional individuality of Chinese students in Russian art universities. Pedagogy and education, 3, 49–59.
11. Jing, L. (2021). On the issue of methodological and didactic foundations of the process of teaching art history to foreign students. Educational management: theory and practice, 6(46), 95–101.
12. Ju, Ch. (2014). Didactic foundations of teaching students fine arts in the system of higher art and pedagogical education in Russia and China. Modern problems of science and education, 1, 4.
13. Ju, Ch. (2014). The process of teaching fine arts in the system of higher artistic and pedagogical education in Russia and China: specialty 13.00.01 “General pedagogy, history of pedagogy and education”: abstract of the dissertation for the degree of candidate of pedagogical sciences. Volgograd.
14. The number of foreign students in Russia in 2022 increased by 8.4%. Retrieved from https://tass.ru/obschestvo/1645399

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The object of research in the presented manuscript is the adaptation of foreign students, the subject is its implementation on the basis of ms teams as a pedagogical process. The relevance of the work is due to the complex nature of the adaptation of foreign students as a process, which, in addition to the pedagogical itself, also includes a socio-cultural component in a variety of relevant factors. The main research methods are statistical and narrative-descriptive pedagogical analysis.Together, they provide sufficient tools for research of this kind. The work is done in a language that fully complies with the norms of scientific style. The theoretical part of the study was carried out at a relative level. Taking into account the fact that adaptation is essentially a dynamic process, in the work with this name, it is expected first of all to describe the stages of adaptation with justification of specific psychological and pedagogical conditions. An omission, in our opinion, is the lack of a review of the works on the presented problem, since the topic discussed in the article is very well studied and replete with theoretical material. In the practical part of such work, a more detailed "digitization of the results" is expected, demonstrating social adaptation according to certain criteria, about which there is also no information in the text. The conclusions are reduced to theses about the greatest importance of socio-psychological problems.The scientific text suggests listing these problems and their potential solutions at the level of specifics. In general, it should be noted that the information in the text is extremely generalized, so in its format it is more like review abstracts for a conference collection. The list of references meets the requirements, however, it is extremely small for a journal article. In studies of this kind, it is usually customary to include at least 8-10 items in the list. As presented, the article is extremely eclectic. From the general sample of foreign students of different specialties from different countries, the author moves on to students studying art at a particular university, from adaptation problems he actually moves on to the implementation of distance learning, while it is completely impossible to extract information from the text about how exactly ms teams contributes to the adaptation of foreigners. In our opinion, all the theses that reveal the process of implementing this system can equally be applied to Russian students. In fact, the topic of adaptation is only touched upon in general terms, however, it is not disclosed. The article should be called "The experience of using ms teams in ...". Moreover, there is a methodological error in the current wording of the name. "Technology" and "method" are fundamentally different concepts, the first involves a dynamic algorithm for implementing a certain process, the second is a "static" way of performing specific actions. It must be said that neither from those nor from other positions has the adaptation process been fully disclosed. Based on the above, we can conclude that this manuscript will meet the minimum threshold requirements only after changing the title to a more generalized one in unison with the content of the text. In this case, it can be published in a scientific peer-reviewed publication, taking into account the relevance of the issue.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study: the use of "Microsoft Teams" in the process of teaching contemporary art to foreign students at the Herzen State Pedagogical University. "The subject is to search for the specifics of organizing such training using ICT for Chinese students using the example of the experience of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University." The item cannot be a "search". Research methodology: questionnaires, analysis of teaching experience in the Master's degree program. Relevance. There is a problem of adaptation to the educational environment of foreign students. "It is necessary to adapt didactics and teaching methods, including focusing it on the use of information and communication technologies." The relevance needs to be strengthened. What has not been studied in science on this issue yet? Why the dissertations of Ch. Is the Ju referred to by the author not enough? Scientific novelty. The article describes the experience of using Microsoft Teams in the process of teaching contemporary art to foreign students at the Herzen State Pedagogical University. Style, structure, content. The style is scientific. The work is not structured enough. The work would look better if it had: introduction, main part, conclusion. The experience of conducting classes on teaching contemporary art to international students using Microsoft Teams is described. Microsoft Teams allows you to organize webinars, video lectures or practical online seminars as an alternative to classical classroom classes, which could additionally be recorded for further offline viewing." The advantages of this method are not sufficiently spelled out: you can share files, an interactive whiteboard, and demonstrate presentations without Microsoft Teams. "If earlier the traditional lecture was based on the broadcast of the material by the teacher, then the classes at Microsoft Teams were based on the principles of the STEAM approach, in particular, working in groups and combining theoretical material with practical tasks. This made it possible to intensify the work of foreign students, to ensure their interaction not only with the teacher, but also with each other." The STEAM approach can also be used without "Microsoft Teams". Why can't students communicate with each other offline more productively? "As a result of the implementation of the discipline using ICT capabilities, in particular Microsoft Teams, it turned out that the greatest difficulty for international students was associated with problems of a socio-psychological nature." What kind of problems? The author does not specify this. After the classes: "It has become easier for most students to communicate in the classroom and to perceive the learning material more easily. And although language difficulties remained the most significant socio-cultural problems, students began to assimilate educational material more effectively." It sounds unconvincing, it's not clear what the big efficiency is? The bibliography is clearly incomplete: adaptation of foreign students (2), teaching foreign students fine arts to art criticism (6,7,8), 4 – the title of the article is missing, TASS news (9), the Electronic Atlas of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University (3) (?), creative abilities, professional individuality (1,5). There is no appeal to the opponents. Conclusions: "the opportunity to actively and freely use computer tools and remote technologies helps foreigners to better understand the educational material." This conclusion has not been sufficiently proven. "Moreover, compliance with certain stages in conducting such classes allows teachers to optimally and gently adjust students for the upcoming independent work, in which practical artistic and creative skills are honed, exhibitions, museums, galleries, etc. are visited." Unfortunately, the author does not specify which stages and what the "soft" setting is. students? The interest of the readership: the work may be interesting when correcting these shortcomings.

Third Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The paper "The experience of using Microsoft Teams in the process of teaching contemporary art to foreign students at the Herzen State Pedagogical University" is presented for review. The subject of the study. The work is aimed at finding the specifics of the organization of teaching foreign students the basics of modern art using ICT on the example of the experience of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University. In general, the author has achieved his goal and planned tasks. The research methodology is determined by the highlighted relevance. The research is based on the main provisions and principles in the works related to the use of ICT in art and pedagogical education, namely O.V. Dmitrenko, T.V. Selivanova, I.N. Polynskaya, S.R. Damadanova, L. Tsin, etc. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that it is necessary to find an effective method of teaching modern art to foreign students. Experts note that it is important to use ICT tools. The scientific novelty of the research. The conducted research allowed us to obtain the following results: a methodology for teaching modern art to foreign students based on the resources of Microsoft Teams on the basis of the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University has been developed and tested. Style, structure, content. The style of presentation corresponds to publications of this level. The language of the work is scientific. The structure of the work is clearly traced, the author highlights the main semantic parts. The introduction of the article indicates the relevance of the problem raised. The author highlights the object, subject and purpose of the research. The paper analyzed the results of an experiment conducted within the framework of the master's degree discipline "Strategies of Contemporary Art" in the 2021/2022 academic year on the introduction of Microsoft Teams resources, as well as the results of an introductory and final survey, a questionnaire of Chinese students who have mastered this subject. The second section is devoted to the description of the study of difficulties in the process of teaching contemporary art to Chinese students at the Institute of Art Education of the Herzen State Pedagogical University. The results obtained allowed us to conclude that students have significant difficulties. Main problems: adaptation to the new format and principles of education; language, labor, financial, cultural, housing and emotional problems. The students noted that the management and teaching staff of the university should provide optimal conditions for increasing academic performance and creating a comfortable educational environment, including within the framework of teaching individual subjects. The analysis made it possible to identify the main conditions for teaching contemporary art in the master's degree program of the Herzen State Pedagogical University, one of which is taking into account the national characteristics of Chinese students. The next section is devoted to the specifics of using the capabilities of Microsoft Teams in teaching contemporary art at the Institute of Art Education of the A.I. Herzen Russian State Pedagogical University. The author described an experiment conducted to teach the "Strategy of Contemporary Art" to a group of Chinese students. The basis was the use of information and communication technologies (video, multimedia and interactive technologies, the Internet). Considerable attention is paid to the potential of using the capabilities of Microsoft Teams, which is a space for teamwork. It allows you to hold video conferences, exchange information online and offline. The author has highlighted the necessary stages in which the use of Microsoft Teams is of particular importance. The work ends with brief conclusions, which present an analysis of the main results of this study. It allowed the author to note that computer tools and remote technologies give foreign students the opportunity to get acquainted with educational material in addition to classroom interaction in a digital environment, which allows them to complement what they may not have understood, as well as communicate with each other and Russian-speaking students, teachers. Bibliography. The bibliography of the article includes 14 domestic sources, a small part of which has been published in the last three years. The list contains mainly research articles and abstracts. In addition, the bibliography contains a monograph, an abstract of the dissertation, as well as links to online resources. The sources are mostly designed correctly. Attention should be paid to the design of electronic resources. Appeal to opponents. Recommendations: - to conduct a deeper theoretical analysis, including modern sources; - to expand the empirical base for studying the experience of using Microsoft Teams in the process of teaching modern art to foreign students at the A.I. Herzen State Pedagogical University; - to issue a bibliographic list in accordance with the requirements. Conclusions. The problems of the article are characterized by undoubted relevance, theoretical and practical value; it will be of interest to specialists who deal with the problems of teaching modern art to modern students. The article can be recommended for publication taking into account the highlighted recommendations.