Opportunities and Risks of Students’ Information-Educational Online Activity

• Main Authors: N. Lyz’, O. Istratova, A. Lyz’
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Plekhanov Russian University of Economics 2020-09-01
• Series: Otkrytoe Obrazovanie (Moskva)
• Subjects: information-educational activity; internet; students; online education; distance education; risks
• Online Access: https://openedu.rea.ru/jour/article/view/740
• ISSN: 1818-4243; 2079-5939

Purpose of the study. In modern dynamic conditions, education should be directed to the future, have openness and redundancy in relation to the assigned pedagogical tasks, the existing educational students’ needs, the current state of society, economy, and labor market. Ensuring such a quality of education is impossible without Internet resources and information technology, without the organization of students’ online activity. The purpose of this article is to consider the variety of opportunities for students’ educational activities in the Internet, to present a typology of the risks of such activities, to suggest ways to overcome risks and ensure its effectiveness and safety. Materials and methods. The opportunities and risks of informationeducational activity are summarized based on the analysis of scientific papers and the results of an empirical study. In the process of study, we used methods of theoretical analysis and systematization, empirical survey and methods of descriptive mathematical statistics. Empirical study conducted on a sample of the first-year IT-students (N = 174) using the questionnaire method. Results. The variety of types of information-educational activities (educational-cognitive, search-cognitive, communicative-cognitive, informational-creative, entertaining-cognitive) and the advantages of online learning compared to classroom learning are presented. A typology of information-educational activity risks based on two grounds is given. According to object, the risks to student health, development and emotional well-being and the risks of loss of performance are identified. According to localization, external risks associated with the organization of the Internet and online educational activity (congestion of the information space, manipulative technologies in the supply of information, content risks, communication risks, cyber risks, inaccurate Internet content, poorquality educational and methodological support of the educational process, lack of feedback, technical and methodological support), and internal risks associated with the psychological and pedagogical students’ characteristics (instability of the worldview, internal prerequisites for exposure to content and communication risks, internal prerequisites for Internet addiction, aimless and unskillful activity in the Internet space, ineffective cognitive styles and critical thinking, lack of desire for self-development, the prevalence of external educational motives, difficulties of self-regulation, lack of volitional qualities, narrow interests, digital incompetence) are highlighted. Conclusion. Ways of overcoming risks and ensuring the effectiveness and safety of information-educational activity are proposed: 1) promotion lifelong education as a way of existence, development as a value, education as a significant capital; 2) creating excess information-educational environments and educational Internet resources (in relation to the pedagogical tasks and the modern students’ learning needs); 3) development of psychological stability, digital and educational students’ competence; 4) pedagogical management of students’ activities in the Internet (organization, support, control). The possibility of using technological solutions for students’ information-educational activities management is pointed out. At the same time, the important role of lecturers in this process is emphasized.