CREATING INTERACTIVE EDUCATIONAL CONTENT TO ENHANCE THE STUDENT'S SUBJECTIVE POSITION

ABSTRACT

This article examines the organization of the educational process in the context of the digitalization of education and social space. The authors identify the differences between digital and traditional education and clarify the concept of a digital educational environment. The article presents the results of a preliminary experiment to assess the development of digital competencies among teachers at Russian universities and describes the competency assessment model being developed. Based on the presented results, conclusions are drawn and solutions are proposed for improving the digital literacy of university teachers and optimizing the learning process in a digital educational environment. The article presents the experience of Ufa State University of Science and Technology in this area. A blended (hybrid) learning classroom is described, enabling the educational process to be organized in accordance with modern requirements.

АННОТАЦИЯ

Статья посвящена организации образовательного процесса в условиях цифровизации образования и социального пространства. Авторами выявляются различия между цифровым и традиционным образованием, уточняется понятие цифровой образовательной среды. Рассматриваются особенности передачи знаний, формирования компетенций в новых условиях. В статье представлены результаты констатирующего эксперимента по оценке развития цифровых компетенций преподавателей российских вузов и описана разрабатываемая модель оценки компетенций. С опорой на представленные результаты сделаны выводы и предложены решения повышения цифровой грамотности преподавателей вузов, а также оптимизации процесса обучения в условиях цифровой образовательной среды. В статье представлен опыт Уфимского государственного университета науки и технологий в этой области. Приводится описание оборудования и видеостудии, используемых для создания интерактивного образовательного контента. Описывается аудитория для смешанного (гибридного) обучения, позволяющая организовать образовательный процесс в соответствии с современными требованиями – использованием искусственного интеллекта в процессе обучения, высокотехнологичного оборудования, интерактивного образовательного контента (образовательных практикумов, подкастов, лонгридов и др.), технологий виртуальной и дополненной реальности. Обозначаются преимущества гибридной аудитории, как инструмента формирования субъектной позиции обучающихся.

Keywords: digital educational environment, competencies, educational content, student, studio, developmental learning.

Ключевые слова: цифровая образовательная среда, компетенции, образовательный контент, студент, студия, развивающее обучение.

Recently, all spheres of society have experienced rapid digitalization. E-learning and distance learning have become popular. The educational market is oversaturated with offers, with various educational organizations offering their services. The quality of services offered and the students' ability to absorb educational material remain important. From the perspective of the traditional educational system and the classical organization of the educational process, e-learning and distance learning have a different nature and unique characteristics of delivering educational material. The question of how students can transfer and assimilate knowledge and develop competencies in a digital environment remains unresolved.

To understand the essence and characteristics of these processes, we have clarified the concept of a digital educational environment. A digital educational environment is typically understood as a complex, multi-component concept that encompasses not only a set of technologies but also a system that transforms the traditional educational process. Experts in pedagogy and digitalization of education interpret this definition with certain nuances of meaning. According to A.A. Akhayan, a digital educational environment is a virtual space that combines digital tools, resources, and technologies that ensure interaction between participants in the educational process (students, teachers, and administration) and access to high-quality content anytime and anywhere [2]. Researchers E.Yu. Ignatyeva and S.V. Titova define a digital educational environment as an integrated system that includes digital educational platforms, electronic educational materials, communication tools, and analytical and learning management tools [9, 14]. V.P. Demkin and G.V. Mozhaeva place special emphasis on the technological component, describing the digital educational environment as a set of software and hardware solutions that provide distance and blended learning, personalization of educational trajectories, and automation of knowledge assessment [5, 12]. According to researchers, key characteristics include interactivity – the possibility of two-way interaction; accessibility – learning without time and space restrictions; adaptability – adaptation to the individual needs of the student; and data integration – the use of Big Data technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze academic performance.

Analyzing scientific literature, we concluded that learning in a digital educational environment has not yet been studied and requires further research. Specifically, there is already an understanding of what a digital educational environment is, but, as already noted, the process of knowledge transfer and competency development itself requires further study. Information acquisition in a digital educational environment differs significantly from traditional learning due to the specific organization of the educational process. This is facilitated by digital technologies, multimedia content, and interactivity. Key features of learner perception include: multimodality – information is often conveyed not through face-to-face communication, but through text, video, audio, infographics, interactive simulators, etc.; a continuous data flow – which increases learners' cognitive overload due to the abundance of sources and information; fragmentation – information is conveyed in small blocks, often taken out of context, not fully revealing the essence of the phenomenon; hypertextuality – nonlinear acquisition of educational material through links and interactive elements. At the same time, there are factors that significantly influence students' learning in a digital educational environment. Researchers identify these as: cognitive factors – in digital education, students' working memory is limited (according to Sweller's cognitive load theory) and the "image superiority" effect – whereby students retain information and learning material better if it contains a visual component (images, diagrams, graphs, drawings, etc.); technical factors – the technical capabilities of the device (smartphone, tablet, computer), internet speed and content download speed, and the ease of use of the learning software interface; and motivational factors – elements of gamification and personalization of the game increase student engagement in the educational process.

Special attention should be paid to the problems and challenges that arise during learning in a digital educational environment. These include digital fatigue, where students become extremely tired from studying on a computer, and their eyes become very tired from the screen; "clip thinking" is characterized by fragmentation, where students absorb information incompletely, but episodically–in the form of short, disconnected videos, clips, frames, etc.; they quickly switch between topics and sources of information; they absorb the material nonlinearly (there is often a lack of logical and consistent immersion in the topic or subject); their emotional response is focused on the "form" rather than the content of the learning material–the bright design of the presentation dominates over the depth of meaning. Therefore, the question arises: how can the educational process be improved in a digital educational environment? Ufa University of Science and Technology is working purposefully in this direction. Blended learning formats are used in student teaching, and active learning methods – discussions, educational case studies, simulations, and controlled learning loads – are widely utilized. To create modern educational content, the university purchased the Jalinga video studio – expensive, high-tech equipment. The studio allows university faculty to quickly create high-quality, interactive educational content. While recording, teachers can see themselves, their presentation, and a large teleprompter. They can also control slides (including interactive presentation elements) using a dedicated interactive panel and control panel (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Video studio "Jalinga" of the Ufa University of Science and Technology

A separate structural unit, the "Instructional Design Workshop," has been created to design educational content, presentations, educational podcasts, longreads, workshops, and more. It has been proven that many teachers face technical difficulties when creating digital educational content, as their digital competencies are not yet sufficiently developed. The Instructional Design Workshop helps address this issue.

One of the goals of our study was to determine the development of university teachers' competencies. We conducted a joint study with HSE University as part of the Mirror Lab project to assess competency gaps among university faculty. The study revealed that the primary gaps among faculty members are digital competencies and competencies related to working in an electronic information educational environment. In this article, we limit our analysis to digital competencies. Digital competencies (general and professional digital competencies – the ability to solve highly specialized problems in a digital environment) are based on Rizza C.'s typology, as well as the list of in-demand competencies and skills in the digital environment compiled by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge at the National Research University Higher School of Economics using a systemic analysis of IFora big data. We define a deficit as the proportion of respondents who say they lack or are insufficiently proficient (for professional activity) in a specific competency. The completion strategy is the actual gaps/need for competencies and their completion (where and how: paid/free).

The experiment was conducted in 8 federal districts, covering 19 regions, 22 universities, 2,600 students (Republic of Bashkortostan, Irkutsk Region, Kabardino-Balkaria, Kamchatka Krai, Kemerovo Region, Krasnodar Krai, Kursk Region, Primorsky Krai, Samara Region, St. Petersburg, Sverdlovsk Region, Sevastopol, Smolensk Region, Stavropol Krai, Tambov Region, Udmurt Republic, Khabarovsk Krai, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, Chelyabinsk Region). Top 5 deficits:

– use of AI and self-learning systems to solve pedagogical problems;

– creation of own digital content/online courses;

– skills in using digital scientometric tools;

– entrepreneurship;

– skills in working in an electronic information educational environment (EISE - LMS, Moodle, etc.)

The study revealed that 54.3% of respondents experienced difficulties working with neural networks and artificial intelligence technologies. It's also worth noting that 36.5% of respondents experienced difficulties working with electronic educational information systems (Figure 2). These are significant figures, confirming the relevance of work in this area.

Figure 2. Survey results regarding competency gaps

To address this challenge – developing teacher competencies – the Department of Pedagogy at the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Ufa University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Mirror Laboratory at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, is proposing a mechanism for diagnosing, developing, and refining competencies. Assessing the development of teachers' competencies is part of a diagnostic module specifically developed for this purpose. To ensure convenience and minimize teachers' time spent on testing, the module is designed to run on both personal computers and smartphones. The competency assessment includes two levels: basic, a quick, shallow assessment of the development of competencies and professionally significant personality traits. The second level, in-depth, is a longer assessment that provides a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of competencies and traits. Based on the testing, an individual teacher profile is created – a diagram of the development of competencies and personality traits with a detailed description and interpretation of the data obtained. Based on the resulting competency map, the system generates recommendations for further competencies and proposes specific solutions both locally (within the university) and globally (beyond it), including the selection of advanced training courses, retraining, online courses, educational podcasts, workshops, and other mechanisms (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Scheme of implementation of the teaching staff testing system for the development of competencies

Taking into account the above, we conclude that the learning process in a digital educational environment requires the development of digital competencies in both teachers and students. When organizing the educational process in a digital educational environment, special emphasis should be placed on activating the principles of personal and activity-based approaches. The researchers L.S. Vygotsky, S.L. Rubinstein, A.N. Leontiev and others stood at the origins of the implementation of these approaches [15, 13, 11]. We share the assertion that the psyche is formed and manifested in activity. We support the idea that the formation of competencies should take place in an environment of activity. According to S.L. Rubinstein, "The subject in his actions, in acts of his creative initiative, is not only revealed and manifested; he is created and defined in them. By what he does, one can determine what he is; by the direction of his activity, one can determine and shape himself" [13]. Consequently, when creating educational content, we rely on the structure of activity identified by A.N. Leontiev and S.L. Rubinstein (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Structure of activity according to A.N. Leontiev and S.L. Rubinstein

Particularly in the context of a digital educational environment, it is necessary to activate the student's subjective position in the learning process, systematically cultivate the need and motivation for learning, teach them to set goals, define tasks, organize their learning process, analyze and evaluate the results obtained. In the context of a personalized approach, it is necessary to consider the student's personal characteristics and their professionally significant personality traits. As S.L. Rubinstein believed, external factors act only through internal conditions; personality is not a product of circumstances, but an active subject interacting with the world. According to A.N. Leontiev, personality is born twice: the first time through collaborative activity, the second time when the individual takes a conscious, balanced position. The researcher noted this in his work "Activity. Consciousness. Personality" [11]. In the process of realizing the subjective position of the student, it is important to have “self-development of the teacher” as the ability of a mature individual who has realized and realized his goals, ideals, personal, physical properties, capabilities and correlates them with externally given requirements in the context of creating himself as an individual, professional, citizen, person of the culture of the world [1] Monique Landberg, in her study of developing positive attitudes toward learning in students, notes that teachers' mindsets are crucial for developing a subjective position. Teachers influence their students and transmit their mindsets to them [10].

There are already specific educational technologies and systems based on the theoretical principles of activity-based and student-centered approaches, but, of course, they are not adapted to the conditions of the digital educational environment. D.B. Elkonin and V.V. Davydov founded a system of developmental learning – they restructured the educational process so that the student did not receive knowledge in a “ready-made form”, but discovered it in the process of educational activity, simulating educational cognition. For this purpose, the content of academic subjects was changed, the methods and methods of knowledge transfer were transformed and restructured [6, 4]. P. Ya. Galperin developed a theory of the stage-by-stage formation of mental actions. He noted that any mental action, for example, solving a problem or analyzing a text, is formed from external, material activity through a series of stages – orientation (setting the problem by the teacher), material action (performing the action with material objects), loud speech (pronouncing the completed action out loud), inner speech (mental pronunciation). According to P. Ya. For Galperin, speech is very important, as it serves as a means of communication between teacher and student, is a bearer of social experience, an instrument for controlling activities, and is a connecting, intermediate link between the material world and the world of thought [7].

Sh. A. Amonashvili developed his "School of Life" educational concept based on a personalized approach. He promoted respect for the individual child and sought to tailor the educational process to the student's needs [1]. We believe this is a very appropriate approach. Recently, the educational landscape has shifted its emphasis to functionality – the development of competencies, in other words, abilities – knowledge mediated through action. For example, taking the Unified State Exam (USE) at the end of school raises many questions. In our research, we view USE preparation as subject-specific drills for solving typical problems. In this educational process, minimal attention is paid to the student's personal characteristics and qualities; the primary focus is on functionality and task completion. He Wenhui, exploring students' emotional experiences during learning, which shape their unique subject position, writes: "Students constantly encounter a variety of subjective feelings throughout the learning process, which not only shapes their entire educational journey but also fundamentally contributes to their self-determination and human existence" [8]

In summary, we emphasize activating the learner's role in mastering educational material, especially in a digital educational environment. The development and implementation of interactive tasks in the educational process is essential, moving away from the positioning of learners as passive listeners. One solution to this problem, we believe, is the design and implementation of the educational process in an innovative hybrid classroom, based on a trained pedagogical neural network model. The model can analyze, support, and adjust (provide advice to the teacher and student) the learning process, offering various implementation options in the context of activating the learner's role, based on research by leading educators. We see the main objectives of AI in the educational process as minimizing the teacher's costs for routine processes and facilitating their work – analyzing academic performance and suggesting improvements, preparing presentations and lesson materials for the teacher, including continuous support during the lesson with the display of necessary material on the teacher's tablet, analyzing attendance, etc. (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Hybrid audience model with AI

Of particular note are virtual and augmented reality technologies, which allow students to immerse themselves in a simulated world of professional activity with its inherent complexities, which can be emphasized through virtual educational case studies. Immersion learning is a tool that comprehensively tests students' professional competencies and personal qualities, and facilitates their development in conditions as close as possible to their actual professional activities.

Currently, the Ufa University of Science and Technology, in the Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Pedagogy, continues research into the digital educational environment and its specific features. The mechanisms, methods, and approaches for knowledge transfer and the development of competencies in the new environment are being explored for both teachers and students. Particular attention is being paid to the creation and design of educational content, including interactive content. As already noted, state-of-the-art equipment is used for this purpose.

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