РУАЭСТ (RUAEST)
Education in Information Society: a Trend to Virtualization
This article analyzes the trends resulting from the processes of informatization, their ambiguity in the course of transition to the information society. The author emphasizes that informatization of education leads to radical changes in the education system. These changes are accompanied by changes in traditional methods of getting knowledge at the university. The article, in particular, shows that ambivalent trends, characterizing the processes of informatization in the educational system, often lead to virtualization of social relations. To understand the nature of the educational virtualization process in a global world it is vital to take into account that the educational system is deёned as a set of factors determining a personality’s learning and development, socio-cultural and economic conditions of the society that effect education, character of information and interpersonal relations, and interaction with social environment. The dependence of interpersonal relations and interaction of education with the social environment is obvious. It means that in any case factors and conditions, determining a personality’s learning and development, are not only introduced from the socio-economic environment which is external in relation to education, but are also the product of information-and-educational interaction, interpersonal relations of the subjects of education. Virtualization of modern educational processes is largely connected with the fact that the informational nature of the education system creates preconditions for universalization of tools and resources of interdisciplinary links. Various humanitarian and natural-science subjects integrate through the global educational environment. This implies a search for the sources of interdisciplinary links and means of their implementation, using authors’ tools, methods and forms. This process is aimed at the formation of the students’ systematic scientiёc thinking, ecological and information culture, creative activity and high morals. These qualities result in successful adaptation, life and work in the global information society. Virtualization of educational space changes the teacher’s role. However, it does not deny the importance of the traditional subject-object relations in the educational process. In this respect smart technologies play a special role. Despite a trend towards virtualization, modern educational space is based not only on the latest information technologies, but also on the use of traditional authors’ educational techniques. Due to a proper combination of traditional and information approaches the educational process remains effective.