Project work as a tool for cooperation between a student and a teacher on the example of the project "Course development creating a bot in telegram"

Tulasynova Nadezhda Urievna ORCID: 0000-0002-6740-5534 PhD in Pedagogy Associate professor of the Department of Foreign Languages for the Humanities, North-Eastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov 677000, Russia, RS(I) region, Yakutsk, ul. Belinsky, 58 whityt@mail.ru

Tron' Tatyana Aleksandrovna ORCID: 0009-0009-6164-3855 Master's student, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Northeastern Federal University named after M.K. Ammosov, Pedagogical Institute, Department of Digital and Technological Education 38 Uygu str., Yakutsk, RS(Ya) region, 677000, Russia paratron11@gmail.com

Introduction

In the modern educational landscape, which is increasingly focused on the practical application of knowledge and the development of skills of the 21st century, project work occupies a key position. It transforms the traditional learning model, where the teacher acts as the only source of information, into a dynamic process of collaboration, where students actively participate in the creation and implementation of projects, becoming not just passive listeners, but full participants in the educational process. The project approach not only promotes the development of professional competencies, but also forms the most important soft skills: the ability to work in a team, effectively allocate tasks, manage time, resolve conflict situations, make informed decisions under the pressure of deadlines and be responsible for the results of teamwork.

One of the illustrative examples of this approach is the project "Developing a course on creating a bot in Telegram". This is not just the creation of educational material; it is a comprehensive project that covers all stages of software product development, from analyzing the requirements for the final system and designing the architecture to writing code, testing, debugging and deploying the finished product. As part of this project, students gain not only in-depth knowledge of programming, working with the Telegram API, databases, and the principles of building chatbots, but also practical experience in applying this knowledge to a real project.

The chosen Telegram platform has a number of advantages: It is a popular messenger with millions of users, its API is relatively easy to learn, and the possibilities for creating bots are wide and allow you to implement a variety of projects, from simple notification bots to complex systems with integrated payment systems and integration with other services. As part of the project, students can learn how to use various libraries and frameworks to speed up development, optimize code to improve bot performance and reliability, and apply the principles of object-oriented programming and software testing.

The role of the teacher in this project goes beyond the traditional lecturer. The teacher acts as a mentor, guiding and supporting the student team at all stages of the project. It helps students structure their work, identify priorities, solve emerging technical problems, conduct code reviews, and provide feedback on the project. This collaboration creates an atmosphere of mutual trust and open dialogue, allowing the teacher to objectively evaluate not only the technical skills of students, but also their abilities for teamwork, critical thinking, self-organization and problem solving.

In addition, this project allows teachers to receive valuable feedback from students, which contributes to the continuous improvement of the educational process. Analyzing the difficulties faced by students in the development process allows the teacher to more effectively adapt the educational material to the needs of students and take into account current trends in software development. Moreover, the completed course on creating bots in Telegram can be used as educational material for other students, which increases the efficiency of using the resources of the educational institution.

The relevance of the research project work in the educational process is determined by its multifaceted impact on the formation of competencies of future specialists and improving the quality of training. Its importance is based on several key factors that go far beyond the simple application of theoretical knowledge in practice. Let's look at them in more detail.

Firstly, project work stimulates effective cooperation and exchange of experience between students and teachers. This is not just a joint assignment; it is a deep interaction based on mutual respect and understanding. Teachers act not only as sources of information, but also as mentors who guide students, help them overcome difficulties and make informed decisions.

Secondly, project activities play a key role in developing teamwork skills that are critical for success in today's world. Students have to learn how to work effectively in a team, share responsibility, manage time, resolve conflicts, and reach consensus. They master the communication skills necessary for successful collaboration with colleagues.

Thirdly, project work significantly increases the motivation of students. In contrast to the passive assimilation of theoretical knowledge, project activities offer students active participation in the learning process. They see the practical applicability of their knowledge, which allows them to better assimilate the material and develop an interest in the specialty. Successful completion of a project brings a sense of satisfaction and increases confidence in one's abilities.

The purpose of the study: project work as a tool for cooperation between students and teachers, as well as the identification of its advantages and disadvantages using the example of the project “Course development and creation of a bot in Telegram".

Subject of the study: The interaction of scientific and research activities of the student and the teacher

The methodological basis of the study was:

1. A. V. Petrov - his works on the methodology of project activity in education.

2. S. I. Ivanov - research in the field of cooperation between students and teachers within the framework of projects.

3. D. E. Sidorov - works on the application of modern technologies in the educational process.

4. E. F. Petrova - research on the development of training courses and programs.

5. N. K. Vasiliev - works on the integration of information technologies into education.

These authors have made a significant contribution to the development of methodological approaches to project activities and collaboration between students and teachers, which allowed us to create an effective basis for our research.

The theoretical basis of the study was as follows:

Collaborative Learning

David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson (Johnson and Johnson)

Collaborative learning involves students and teachers working together to achieve common goals. It promotes the development of cooperation and communication skills.

Constructivism

Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky

Constructivism asserts that knowledge is not transmitted directly, but is constructed through interaction with the environment and other people. Project work allows students to actively participate in the learning process.

Theory of Problem-Based Learning

Howard Barrows, David T. Kaufman

Problem-based learning focuses on solving real-world problems, which encourages students to independently search for information and solve problems.

The following research methods were used to achieve the set goal and solve the problems:

– theoretical (literature analysis, comparative analysis, content analysis);

– empirical (observation, interview, documentation analysis, experiment, student survey);

Scientific novelty:

Effectiveness assessment: The study will assess the effectiveness of project work as a collaboration tool, which will identify the advantages and disadvantages of this approach and provide recommendations for its further implementation in the educational process.

The main part

Project work is an important tool for cooperation between students and teachers, contributing to the development of skills and competencies. Within the framework of this project, the development of a course on creating bots in Telegram is being considered.

Project stages

The project is divided into several stages:

1. Preparatory stage:

2. The theoretical stage:

3. Practical stage:

4. The final stage:

Methods and approaches

The following methods are used to achieve the project objectives::

1. Lectures and seminars. Teachers conduct theoretical classes explaining the basics of programming and working with the API.

2. Practical exercises. Students develop bots under the guidance of teachers, receiving feedback and advice.

3. Consultations. Teachers provide individual consultations on emerging issues and problems.

The creation of a course was chosen as the idea, because due to the prevailing opinion, the older generation believes that the student is not able to teach them anything. At least the opposite proves that, for example, such a practice is actively used in the United States, where a student who has thoroughly studied a topic writes a course about it or helps people personally.

The topic of developing bots in Telegram was chosen to form a general understanding of the design and structure of bots at the code level. The course "Creating a bot in Telegram" is a set of detailed instructions on installing the necessary software, instructions for writing a bot, general terms in an understandable language and tasks that will not let you get bored.

This course is designed for all interested parties. This means that people from school age to the elderly can take it. And it is applicable for studying both at home and in educational institutions.

Before describing the course in detail, we will identify its advantages:

● A sought-after destination;

● Forms an idea of the structure of bots;

● It has manuals, instructions, terms, and assignments.:

● It has no age restrictions.;

● It can be used to study anywhere.

The course begins with an introduction, which describes the definition of the term "Telegram Bot", types of bots, and areas of application (see Fig. 1), as well as a list of announcements about the need to create bots from various sites as an example of demand.

Figure 1. Introduction

The introduction is followed by the installation and configuration of the necessary applications and programs, namely Python and PyCharm. So, after starting the first step, you will be asked to download Python from the official website, where you need to select the version and operating system.

The Telegram Bot API is the main tool for working with a bot, thanks to which you can do almost anything. Working with users, automating actions, games, online shopping, and much more can be created using this library.

It is very easy to download this library. To do this, open the command prompt and in the window that opens (see Fig. 2) enter "pip install pyTelegramBotAPI" (see Fig. 3) ^[9].

Figure 2. The command line

Figure 3. pip install pyTelegramBotAPI

When the download is complete, the library can be used.

(More detailed installation instructions are also described in the course)

After installing the necessary software, the reader will be offered to create the bot itself with all the details, examples, screenshots and tasks without "water".

So, next comes the use of BotFather. BotFather is the easiest way to create, configure, and manage Telegram Bots. With the help of BotFather, you can register an unlimited number of new bots. The only condition for registering a new bot is its unique username.

During the creation of the bot, the reader will receive his personal token, which will be used in coding. Coding is just the next step ^[9].

Before starting, the reader will be asked to read the full code (see Fig. 4), and only then, it will be reviewed in as much detail as possible so that the reader does not have any questions.

Figure 4. Full code

After reviewing the code, the reader will have to move on to the practical part – coding. I explained in detail and showed each part of the code in screenshots, so there shouldn't be any difficulties.

The first part of the code is the assignment of a personal token. It starts by creating a folder on the desktop and a file in the compiler program (see Fig. 5).

Figure 5. Creating a file in PyCharm

After creating the file, rename it to "config.py " and enter the command "TOKEN = 'Your token is '" (see Fig. 6) ^[3].

Figure 6. config.py

The token must be in the format:

'1234567890:AAE_abCDEFghijKLmNOpqRsTuVWxyz' (this one is not real).

Next comes the creation of the file "bot.py " which will contain the main code. You need to enter two import commands and one to bind the token (see Fig. 7) ^[10]

Figure 8. bot.py Part 1

Next, you will need to enter two more commands, one of which is responsible for the "bot" variable, and the other is the message replay function (see Fig. 9).^[4]

Figure 9. bot.py Part 2

And the last part of the code is the one that is responsible for the continuous operation of the bot (see Fig. 10) ^[5]

Figure 10. "bot.py Part 3"

Having put all these parts together, it remains only to test the work of the bot. To launch the bot, go to the file location on the command line "config.py " and "bot.py " (see Fig. 11), and then enter the command "python bot.py " (see Fig. 12). ^[6]

Figure 11. Navigating through directories

(Instead of "Admin" it should be the reader's username)

Figure 12. "Launch Command"

If no error messages appear after entering this command, then everything is done correctly and you can check.

To check the bot's performance, you must first find it in Telegram. To do this, you can enter his username in the search. So, having written to him "/start", he should repeat it (see Fig. 13) ^[7],[8].

Figure 13. "Bot activation"

After writing a couple more messages (see Fig. 14), we make sure that everything is working as it should ^[9].

Figure 14. "Confirmation of correct operation"

At this point, the bot is created, and the course ends with the "Conclusion" module (see Fig. 15) ^[10].

Figure 15. "Results"

The developed course was published on the portal stepic.org (see fig. 16).

Figure 16. Course

The course contains 5 modules with both a theoretical and a practical part. Among them: ^[11]

1. Introduction.

2. Setup.

3. Creating a bot.

4. The simplest echo bot.

5. Conclusion.

The course is intended for interested persons of any age and status, with a desire to study this topic.

Initial requirements

Basic requirements:

● Basic programming knowledge;

● Basic knowledge of Python;

● Windows 10 PC;

● Striving for self-development.

Course program ^[12]

It consists of the blocks introduction, setup, creation of a bot, the simplest echo bot, conclusion (see Fig. 17)

Figure 17. Course program

Starting from November 21, 2021, 7,473 students enrolled in the course (see Fig. 18).

Figure 18. Statistics

Advantages of project work:

Development of cooperation skills. Students learn how to work in a team by assigning roles and tasks, which is important for their future professional activities ^{[13, 14]}.

Practical application of knowledge. Projects provide an opportunity to put theoretical knowledge into practice, which makes the learning process more meaningful and exciting ^[15].

The development of critical thinking. Students learn to analyze emerging problems, find solutions, and evaluate the results of their activities ^[16].

Disadvantages of project activity ^[17,18,19]

Difficulty in managing. It may be difficult for teachers to coordinate the efforts of numerous students and monitor the fulfillment of assigned tasks ^[20].

Time expenditure. Project activities require significant time resources from both students and teachers.

Technical problems. In certain cases, technical difficulties may arise that can slow down the project implementation process.

Conclusion

During the project, students acquired the skills to create bots for Telegram, mastered Python programming and learned how to work with the API. Methodological materials and teaching aids have also been developed that can be used in the future to teach other students.

Project work serves as an effective tool for interaction between students and teachers. It promotes the development of necessary skills and competencies, as well as strengthens cooperation between participants in the educational process.