The digital generation: New educational needs

Abstract

The article discusses the pedagogical feasibility of using innovative intellectual immersive technologies in the educational process, corresponding to the pace and needs of digital society development. The features of teaching the digital generation of students are highlighted. The specificity of educational and cognitive activity and the peculiarities of the development of cognitive interest in future IT-specialists in the process of studying specialized disciplines are determined. It is proposed to consider a constructivist approach to learning, which implies the creation of a modal, functional, communicative learning environment, which, in turn, contributes to the self-construction and development of student’ own cognitive trajectory. Arguments are given in favor of the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in teaching “digital natives” studying in the IT-field (direction of training 09.03.01 “Informatics and Computer Engineering”). Empirical data are presented that prove the positive influence of educational AR-content on the level of student engagement. The coefficient of student engagement is a quantitative characteristic to assess the state of interest in the educational material in the discipline “Computer Networks and Telecommunications”. The student engagement rate was established by collecting subjective data, which are not directly observable, and are revealed in the course of students’ self-assessment of their learning activities.