Incorporation of the blended learning in a number of universities of Nizhny Novgorod: comparative approach

E-learning is a complex process of creating an educational space for sharing knowledge, acquiring skills, creating competencies via information and communication technologies, which includes web tools, hybrid, blended and full e-learning. The purpose of this article is to compare various blended learning means for optimizing the higher education system from the point of view of their applicability. It has become particularly acute to make information and communication technologies effective tools for developing the contemporary students’ competencies in the era of the information society, when all of them are digital natives. The article provides a thorough description of various types of ICT used in teaching practice in two Nizhny Novgorod universities and comparative analysis in terms of ICT effectiveness. According to research, in NRU HSE the blended learning was mainly carried out through LMS, wiki sites, MOOCs and webinars though in Nizhny Novgorod Academy of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russian Federation, due to the specificity of cadets' training, teleconferences and email services, which opens up the opportunity to use other latest innovations there.