Effectiveness Of Using Digital Learning Platforms In Teaching The Russian Language In Medical Higher Education

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of higher education has accelerated the adoption of learning management systems, videoconferencing tools, and mobile applications in language education. In medical higher education, Russian-language competence often supports academic reading, professional documentation, and clinical communication, which makes the question of digital-platform effectiveness both pedagogically and practically significant. This article synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of digital learning platforms for teaching Russian in medical higher education, drawing on a structured narrative review of research on technology-enhanced language learning and targeted studies in Russian as a foreign language (RFL) in medical contexts. Evidence from meta-analyses indicates that technology-supported language instruction yields outcomes that are at least comparable to traditional formats and can produce measurable gains when platform affordances are aligned with learning objectives, feedback, and interaction. Studies focused on RFL for medical learners describe improvements in motivation, self-regulation, and specific communicative or lexical skills when platforms such as Moodle and Zoom are integrated into professionally oriented tasks. The discussion proposes an effectiveness framework for platform-based RFL instruction in medical higher education, highlighting conditions under which digital environments are most likely to improve learning outcomes: blended course design, clinically authentic tasks, robust formative assessment, and sustained teacher presence. The article concludes that digital platforms are most effective not as a simple replacement for classroom instruction but as a structured ecosystem enabling practice, feedback, analytics-informed support, and professional contextualization.