This applied dissertation was designed to provide online multimedia training materials for parents of children, ages 2-11, with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), who use or need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). Many children with ASD have communication difficulties, and the best path to communication competence is through some form of AAC. Parents can have an enormous impact on their children’s ability to learn and use AAC effectively. By implementing a few supportive strategies, they can help their children become successful communicators. Implementing strategies in a home-based learning environment is important to provide generalization of skills across settings. Typically, parents do not have access to AAC learning materials to facilitate their child’s AAC learning and language growth. Barriers to accessing this material may be time, accessibility, stress, transportation, or financial constraints. Online education is becoming increasingly more popular and is looked upon as a means to obtain information in an efficient manner. Using specific AAC strategies to enhance receptive and expressive language, parents will be taught how to increase their child’s language skills during this natural routine. Along with input from content-area experts, training materials have been created to help parents better understand ways to support AAC learning at home. Parent participation allows for the materials, which focus on two key strategies, Aided Language Stimulation (ALgS) and Communication Temptations, to be field tested. The information provided by the content experts resulted in changes to the online multimedia training materials in order to determine content validity, evaluate the design, and assess the feasibility. The results indicated that the participant’s knowledge and self-efficacy did significantly increase from the pretest to the posttest after completing the online multimedia training materials. Additionally, the participant’s self-efficacy from The Usage Rating Profile – Intervention Revised (URP-IR) significantly increased after viewing the online multimedia training materials and the URP-IR is a reliable assessment to utilize when measuring self-efficacy.

This final qualification paper examines the development of intercultural competence among international students using digital technologies. In the context of globalization and digitalization, digital technologies play an important role in the educational process, contributing to the improvement of intercultural interaction. The research includes theoretical analysis and experimental research work conducted with Chinese students studying Russian as a foreign language (RCT) at UrFU. The main focus is on the use of the interactive Padlet platform for the formation of intercultural competence. The work has developed an intercultural training program, which includes a set of exercises aimed at developing this competence. The results of the study show that the integration of digital technologies into the Russian as a Foreign Language learning process contributes to the effective development of intercultural competence, improves motivation and adaptation of students to a new cultural context. The purpose of the study is to determine and substantiate the effectiveness of using an online service for the development of intercultural competence among students in the process of teaching Russian as a foreign language. / В данной выпускной квалификационной работе исследуется развитие межкультурной компетенции у иностранных студентов с использованием цифровых технологий. В условиях глобализации и диджитализации, цифровые технологии играют важную роль в образовательном процессе, способствуя улучшению межкультурного взаимодействия. Исследование включает теоретический анализ и опытно-поисковую работу, проводимую с китайскими студентами, изучающими русский язык как иностранный (РКИ) в УрФУ. Основное внимание уделяется использованию интерактивной платформы Padlet для формирования межкультурной компетенции. В работе разработана программа межкультурного тренинга, включающая комплекс упражнений, направленных на развитие данной компетенции. Результаты исследования показывают, что интеграция цифровых технологий в процесс обучения русский язык как иностранный способствует эффективному развитию межкультурной компетенции, улучшает мотивацию и адаптацию студентов к новому культурному контексту. Актуальность темы исследования обусловлена практической потребностью в поиске новых методик и технологий преподавания иностранных языков для развития межкультурной компетенции у студентов в эпоху диджитализации образования. Цель исследования – определить и обосновать эффективность использования онлайн-сервиса для развития межкультурной компетенции у студентов в процессе обучения русскому языку как иностранному.