In June 2018, a group of 12 students from the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University (RAU) received diplomas from the AGBU Armenian Virtual College (AVC) upon completing an academic course in Armenian language. For the past two years, AVC have been partnering with RAU to provide Armenian language classes to the students. The course was based on the AVC hybrid education program, and the lessons were facilitated by AVC Education Program Coordinator Marina Khachaturyan.
Many RAU students, especially those who come from the Armenian Diaspora in former Soviet countries, had no prior access to the formal Armenian education. At the university, they are required to take an academic course in Armenian language, but some find it difficult to keep up with the curriculum.
The AVC online course, tailored to individual needs and abilities of each learner, created new educational opportunities for such students.
“I was in another class but decided to switch and start learning with AVC. I like that the AVC program considers individual abilities and the level of knowledge. When I first came to Yerevan, I understood very little Armenian. I still feel a little shy when speaking, but I learned to read and write,” said Tatevik Babasyan from Ukraine.
The use of online technologies in class was appealing to the students: “The online method is much more convenient,” said Nastya Shahverdyan. “I don’t need textbooks and I’m more comfortable typing than writing by hand,” she admitted.
Angelika Kasianenko, an international student from Kirgizstan, also studied Armenian with the AVC course. “Life in Armenia became much more comfortable for me. I’m not sure whether I’d be able to learn much without this method. All the images and visual tools made it easier to understand and learn,” shared Angelika.
“As one of the leading universities of Armenia, we are open to new ideas and teaching methods. Staying up-to-date is especially important in a digital age, when so many educational opportunities and materials are available online,” the Head of Quality Control Service of RAU Marina Khachatryan said during the certificate handing ceremony.
AVC Academic Director Hasmik Khalapyan congratulated the students on the successful completion of the course. “I hope you have been able to make the most of your studies,” she said.
