Transformation of communications in the new (modern) digital university in the context of digital globalization

Abstract

Problem and goal. In the context of digital globalization traditional forms of communication at the university are forced to transform in order to meet educational objectives. However, the established practice of building communications in universities in new formats has revealed a number of problems of ineffective interaction between participants in the educational process. The article aims to identify the main features of the transformation of the forms of communication in distance learning at the university. Particular attention is paid to the conditions for the formation of an effective digital dialogue in the university-student-teacher triad. Materials and research methods. The study of the transformation of communication is considered from an economic, pedagogical, and philological (semiological) point of view. The economic approach includes consideration of resource constraints that prevent the development of various forms of communication in the educational space, and an assessment of the effectiveness of the communication process. The pedagogical approach allows to evaluate the technologies and formats of communication in online learning. The semiological approach is focused on the choice of techniques and schemes that are adequate to digital dialogue. The empirical research was carried out using the questionnaire. The survey involved 2–4-year students at the Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin. Research results. In the 2020–2021 academic year, students were able to adapt to rapid inclusion in distance learning and the use of digital technologies, but half of the students prefer to return to the traditional format of education, 39% of students for a mixed (blended learning) format. It was found that if the verbal forms of communication when transferring the course content from the teacher to the students were not transformed taking into account the digital environment and online learning, then this could lead to unnecessary complexity for perception (according to 54.5% of respondents), the appearance of information noise, as a consequence, the appearance of discomfort (for 40% of the respondents) and attempts to avoid communication (for 18%). 52% of students indicated that their opinion about distance improved over time. Discussion and conclusions. The authors concluded that digital skills today mean more than digital literacy. In communication, it is important to develop new technologies, techniques and tools that are adequate to new educational and upbringing tasks. And in modern conditions, burdened by pandemic threats, other ways of digitalizing the university with the construction of effective communications are rather impossible.

Sustainability of Inclusive Education in Schools and Higher Education: Teachers and Students with Special Educational Needs

“…Online education has become especially popular during the coronavirus pandemic. However, the digitalization of education is a phenomenon of social progress [70][71][72]. Still, it also creates new forms of inequality and digital barriers in society.…”