Teaching business English to master’s students: Modeling and development of a digital learning resource

Abstract

Introduction. This study is made relevant by a clear need to provide Master’s students with remote learning opportunities. We describe the development of a sustainable model for a digital learning resource, Business English for Master’s Students, and report on its pilot integration into university training.
Materials and Methods. We examined pedagogical literature to determine the extent to which it explores the theoretical aspects of designing digital learning resources. Through reviewing academic findings and comparing existing models of digital resource design, we built a foundation for generating new knowledge and gaining a comprehensive understanding of our study’s target. The modeling method allowed us to clearly present the stages, structures, and relationships within the digital resource development process. Our study’s novelty is underscored by insufficient prior research in this specific area and by the discrepancy that we identified between the theoretical need for digital learning resources, on the one hand, and their practical adoption into teaching a foreign language to Master’s students at non-linguistic universities, on the other hand.
Results. The study offers both theoretical and practical insights. Theoretically, it substantiates a step-by-step model of course design, accounting for its didactic, organizational, and technical aspects. Practically, it presents a model for our digital learning resource, Business English for Master’s Students.
Conclusions. The study established that an effective digital learning resource must support meaningful teacher–student interactions, enabling educators to instruct their students and monitor knowledge acquisition remotely. The model encompasses specific design and monitoring stages, along with requirements for efficient resource management. The findings can assist pedagogy researchers and foreign language instructors in higher education.