=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2494/paper_19
|storemode=property
|title=Innovative Approaches to the Organization of Students’ Independent Learning in Accordance with the Digital Economy Requirements
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2494/paper_19.pdf
|volume=Vol-2494
|authors=Tatyana Kulikova,Natalya Poddubnaya,Aleksandr Ardeev,Galina Shagrova
}}
==Innovative Approaches to the Organization of Students’ Independent Learning in Accordance with the Digital Economy Requirements==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2494/paper_19.pdf
Innovative Approaches to the Organization of Students’
Independent Learning in Accordance with the Digital
Economy Requirements
Galina Shagrova Tatyana Kulikova
shagrovagv@mail.ru t_a_kulikova@mail.ru
Natalya Poddubnaya Aleksandr Ardeev
n.a.poddubnay@gmail.com alexard77@gmail.com
North-Caucasus Federal University, Stavropol, 355000, Russia
Abstract
The demands of the digital economy raise new challenges for the edu-
cation system. Under these conditions, the effective organization of the
educational process requires new approaches, focusing on the students’
independence and their responsibility. This article deals with the prob-
lem of modernization and quality assurance of modern Russian educa-
tion through the use of modeling as a method of pedagogical research.
The developed model of organization of students’ independent learn-
ing in the information and communication educational environment
is presented. The stages of formation of the student’s independence
degree in various types of lessons, implemented using active methods
and interactive learning tools, are singled out. The basic factors and
pedagogical conditions for increasing the effectiveness of independent
learning in the information and communication educational environ-
ment are formulated. The step-by-step formation technology of the
degree of self-reliance, taking into account the readiness of students for
independent learning and the use of information and communication
technologies, is proposed. The stages of the independent learning orga-
nization stimulate individual activity, contribute to the development of
the student’s interest in the studied material, develop the ability and
need for self-knowledge, resulting in a higher level of independence and
self-assessment of students. The efficiency of the developed model of
the organization of students’ independent learning in the information
and communication educational environment has been proved experi-
mentally. Its use allows personifying and substantially intensifying the
learning process, increasing motivation and more objectively revealing
the abilities of each student.
Keywords: digital economy, digitalization of education, modeling in
pedagogical science, students independent learning, information and
Copyright 2019 for this paper by its authors.
Use permitted under Creative Commons License Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
In: Jože Rugelj, Maria Lapina (eds.): Proceedings of SLET-2019 – International Scientic Conference Innovative Approaches to
the Application of Digital Technologies in Education and Research, Stavropol – Dombay, Russia, 20-23 May 2019, published at
http://ceur-ws.org
communication educational environment, active teaching methods, in-
teractive learning tools.
1 Introduction
Currently, one of the trends in social development is the digital transformation of virtually all spheres of society.
One of the five basic ways of the digital economy development in Russia for the period up to 2024 includes
“Personnel and education” [Ord17].
The transition process to a digital economy imposes special requirements not only on the level of future
specialists competences formation but also on the level of their individual and personal development, intellectual
and social mobility. The formation of new ways of human interaction with the digital world involves major
changes in the education system [Kup17, Yav19].
“The Strategy of the Russian Federation Scientific and Technological Development” identifies the factors that
determine the need for advanced development of education in the transition to the digital economy: a sharp
reduction in the time between the production of new knowledge and the creation of new production technologies
on their basis; deepening interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary nature of research;
As a result of the digitalization of education, the learning process becomes more flexible, each student personal
characteristics are taken into account. Student himself creates a request for knowledge and is included in the
learning process at a convenient time.
Digitization of education allows implementing the concept of lifelong learning, which is one of the ways to
respond to the challenges of the digital economy. However, to develop and improve future specialists skills and
abilities demanded in the digital economy, we need more effective organization models of the educational process
and student’s independence learning. Traditional teacher-oriented learning is not able to develop these new skills.
Discussions about the validity of modeling in pedagogy are conducted in the scientific community for a long
time. However, according to some teachers-researchers [Lod10, Osi15, Fra14], modeling in pedagogical science
is not paid enough attention. This is one of the reasons for the inefficiency of modern Russian education.
In solving this problem, in our opinion, a special role is played by computer modeling of the educational
process. The harmonious interaction of intellectual abilities of a person and computer technology can lead to a
qualitatively new stage of intensification and optimization of multi-faceted pedagogical activity.
Any model building of learning should be based on existing didactic theories or concepts. Authors in their
works formulated the main provisions of computer pedagogical modeling:
1. entering into the process and choice of methodological grounds for modeling, qualitative description of the
subject of research;
2. formulation of modeling problems;
3. model building with clarification of the relationship between the basic elements of the object, the deter-
mination of the object properties and the criteria for assessing changes in these properties, the choice of
measurement methods;
4. study of model validity in solving the problems;
5. the use of the model in the pedagogical experiment;
6. meaningful interpretation of the simulation results.
2 Task
The requirements of the digital economy and the introduction of new federal state educational standards for higher
education determine the need to change the content of training but also approaches to the search for forms of
the educational process organization, which provide for strengthening the role and continuous optimization of
student’s independent learning (SIL). In this regard, the issue of creating an educational environment based on
information and communication technologies, focused on the student’s independent learning, is actualized.
Information and communication educational environment (ICEE) has the necessary didactic potential, is a
technological basis, an integral component of the modern learning system and initiates a change in the whole
pedagogical system. However, it remains an open question about the use of information educational environment
for the implementation of effective independent learning.
The organization of students’ independent work in information and communication educational environment
(ICEE) will be more successful in comparison with the existing practice, if:
– a model for organizing students’ independent learning in ICEE is proposed and implemented, allowing to
implement active and interactive methods, taking into account the readiness of students for independent
learning and the growth of their independence;
– the pedagogical conditions for the implementation of effective students’ independent learning in ICEE and
the fundamental factors influencing their active use by the subjects of the educational process in independent
learning are taken into account.
3 Development of methodology
The use of modeling is closely connected with the deeper knowledge of the essence of teaching-educational
phenomena and processes, enhancement the theoretical foundations of the study. A teacher-researcher can
develop models: optimization of the structure of the educational process, activation of cognitive independence
of students, person-oriented approach to students in the learning process, etc. We have developed the model of
organization of students’ independent learning in the information and communication educational environment
(Fig. 1), represented by blocks of classroom and extracurricular independent learning, in accordance with the
selected stages (adaptation, forming, final) of the formation of the degree of independence. The organization of
the SIL is carried out in various types of classes, which are implemented using active methods and interactive
learning tools [Osi15, Kul17].
Fig1. Model of organization of students’ independent learning in ICEE
The analysis of scientific literature allowed us to determine the fundamental factors (organizational, method-
ological) and pedagogical conditions (Fig. 1) of effective independent learning in ICEE:
– readiness of the teacher (motivational, technological, psychological and pedagogical components) to use
information and communication technologies (ICT) in the organization of independent learning of students,
taking into account the formed independence degree;
– readiness of the student (motivational, cognitive, technological components) for independent learning and
use of information and communication technologies for effective implementation;
– availability of a specially designed information and communication educational environment, which is block-
modular and open in nature and allows to implement active teaching methods (telecommunication project,
webinar, blog discussion, heuristic chat conversation, etc. [Zen18, Has19]) in the independent learning of
students.
The implementation of the proposed model at various stages, taking into account the increasing degree of
independence, is based on the use of active methods of learning with the use of ICT.
The approach we used in the development and implementation of the model of organization of independent
learning in the ICEE, has a certain uniformity and is considered by us as a pedagogical technology.
Under the technology of independent learning of students, we mean a goal-directed and personally-oriented
process of subject-subject interaction between the teacher and the student, during which the teacher, taking
into account the students’ readiness for independent learning, motivational-value relations, uses active teaching
methods applying ICT and various types and forms of tasks for independent learning, means developed by ICEE,
improves the quality of education, develops the degree of independence and enhance the students’ productive
cognitive activity . For the organization of the SIL, based on a personality-oriented approach, using ICEE as
a tool, a technology for the gradual formation of the independence degree, taking into account the students’
readiness for independent learning and the use of information and communication technologies is proposed
[Kul19] .
Let’s consider the technology of the SIL at each stage in more detail. The adaptation stage involves the
organization of first-year students’ independent learning who have different degrees of readiness for it and a level
of knowledge of information and communication technologies. Therefore, for the effective organization of the
SIL, the teacher needs to identify the level of students’ basic cognitive skills and information culture (with the
help of questionnaires, tests, observations), i.e., to determine the students’ readiness to use ICT in independent
learning. The formation of new knowledge begins at the lecture, which, being the main element of the didactic
cycle of education, is responsible for the systematic work during the semester and is the leading form of the
educational process, providing the scientific level of students training.
At the adaptation stage, it is advisable to use the following types of lectures to stimulate the cognitive activity
of students: lecture-conversation, lecture of a problem nature, lecture using of feedback.
Practical training at the adaptation stage begins with the input control of knowledge. If the input control is
not passed, students are offered to repeat the study material using the theoretical block ICEE. Upon successful
passing of the input control, the student goes to the independent execution of tasks in the ICEE using the module
“Self-study”.
The module “Self-study” offers students the tasks that they perform in a notebook or, using the software,
enter the received answer into the provided field. If the answer is correct, the student moves to a new task,
and if the answer is incorrect, then the students are offered a three-level help [Osi15]. After fulfillment all
the tasks provided for the topic under study, a report window is displayed, which indicates the total number
of viewed tasks, the number of tasks, the answers to which were given: true; without a hint; with a hint and
wrong. This organization of work allows students to independently learn to solve problems, to assess the degree
of their training, and the teacher – to monitor the progress of students and, if necessary, to adjust their training,
providing individual advice.
The program “Self-control of knowledge” is used to carry out self-monitoring in practical classes. The program
“Self-knowledge” offers a selection of tasks for each topic, that are recommended to solve the student. The
solution of each task is given a certain time, if necessary, the time can be turned off. The student solves the
problem in a notebook or, using software, chooses the correct answer. The program reports the correctness of
the solution of this problem every time. After all tasks are completed, the percentage of correctly completed
tasks is reported. Then students are given the opportunity to view incorrectly solved problems with the correct
answers and correct mistakes [Sil17].
The out-of-class SIL at the adaptation stage takes place in the form of a discussion of lecture issues at the
forum and in the chat. One of the main priorities of the teacher is to create a cognitive, creative atmosphere
in the classroom, stimulating the interest of students to self-acquisition of knowledge, organization of commu-
nication and cooperation of students for collective solutions to common problems. At the same time, the main
functions of the teacher depend on the degree of students’ independence and range from information-controlling
to consultative-coordinating, which can be carried out both in real and remote mode. At the adaptation stage,
the teacher, being a motivator, organizes the ICEE-based SIL, advises, corrects the independent learning process,
controls the results. The main goal of the teacher at this stage is to teach the student to learn.
The technology of the SIL organization at the forming stage involves the use of a greater variety of active
types lectures (lecture-discussion, lecture with pre-planned errors, problem lecture). It should be noted that such
forms of lectures at the same time perform educational, stimulating and control functions, helping to diagnose
the difficulties of mastering the previous material [Kul18].
The function of the teacher, in this case, is aimed at developing the student’s potential and his abilities.
The teacher organizes the process of free communication, leading the student to make a decision, creates an
atmosphere of cooperation.
At the practical lesson of the forming stage, depending on the topic studied, imitation and non-imitative
methods of organizing the SIL are used. The practical lesson with the use of non-imitative methods begins
with the same input control, the successful completion of which allows the student to go to the independent
implementation of the practical task with various types of didactic materials (differentiated tasks, demo presen-
tations), presented in the form of technological maps of three-level assistance. We have noted that for 80% of
students there are enough maps of the first and second level. After completing the practical task, students move
on to self-control, which is carried out with the help of the same program “Self-control of knowledge”, as in the
adaptation stage.
Currently, the amount of hours for independent learning of the discipline is increasing, in this regard, the
issue of using network technologies in the practice of full-time education becomes urgent. At the forming stage,
the use of network technologies is expanding.
Network technologies, such as blogs, e-mail, newsgroups, web forums and chats, become the basis for con-
ducting SIL, because they are used both to provide students with educational and methodical materials and
for interactive collaboration between the teacher and the student [Lea08, Jon15]. The use of the blog in the
learning process has a number of advantages over other network technologies, as it creates an opportunity to
publish reviews, provides network communication environment.
Among the educational blogs we can identify:
Personal blog – an educator shares the methodological experience, useful for colleagues references, reflexes
about the lessons, summarizes the experience, creates an electronic portfolio.
Project support blog organizes the work on the educational project in extracurricular time (tasks, information
about the stages of its implementation, reports and creative work of students are placed here).
Collective blog arranges the work of the network community. To enhance the educational functions of the
blog, to expand its functionality allows the use of widgets and gadgets. Their use greatly simplifies the work
with information, making it more visible and accessible to the perception, reduces the time spent on obtaining
and processing information, i.e. provides students with the necessary tools for the successful completion of tasks.
Using the blog allows you to organize the following forms of independent learning: on-line seminar, execution of
tasks with subsequent discussion in the network. At the on-line seminar, the issues that have been submitted
for self-study are discussed.
Execution of tasks with subsequent discussion in the network are implemented as follows. Students are given
independent learning, which they have to do and put in their folder on the blog. For the teacher, the students
posted works is one of the forms of control, the ability to draw conclusions about how students transform and
assimilate the information. Organizing a discussion allows you to make a collective decision online during the
discussion.
The final stage is characterized by a good students readiness for independent learning, as a result, lecture-
teleconference is added to all types of lectures discussed at the previous stages.
Independent learning in a practical lesson is also carried out using non-simulation and simulation teaching
methods.
Implementation of practical tasks using non-simulation methods begins, as in the previous stages, from the
input control of knowledge, the successful completion of which allows students to move to independent learning
with cases or attachable modules.
Working with the case, students, having studied the necessary part of theoretical material, which is well
structured, with convenient navigation, after examining the examples, begin to solve tasks, choosing at their
discretion the level of complexity. When developing tasks for self-completion using ICEE, emphasis is placed
on the individual work of students with well-prepared structured educational material. A distinctive feature of
independent learning at this stage is that for its implementation, there are no three-level help cards containing
detailed instructions and step-by-step algorithms for solving tasks.
Such approach is effective, as the student not only absorbs information, but joins an active cognitive process,
accompanied by the formation of techniques and skills of independent mental activity.
Self-monitoring and ongoing monitoring at this stage are similar to the previous stages.
At this stage, independent learning is organized by the same imitation methods as at the forming stage
(telecommunication project, role-playing game, project work). A distinctive feature of the SIL at the final stage
is that students are not only participants of webinars and solve tasks posted on the blog, but also are moderators
of teaching forums and developers of educational blogs, thus reducing the management of students by the teacher.
At this stage, the teacher-tutor provides educational support of the SIL, gives advice, together with the student
discusses and corrects the results of their independent learning, using the ICEE, evaluates the activity of the
student.
The proposed stages of the organization of independent learning stimulate individual activity, contribute to
the growth of student interest in the study material, develop the skill and need for independent knowledge
acquisition, resulting in increased level of students’ independence, reduced management of the SIL and the
provision of assistance from the teacher and ICEE.
The use of the reviewed ICEE allows the realization of such evolving learning goals as the development of
thinking, the formation of the skills to make the best decision from possible options, the development of skills
to carry out research activities, the formation of an information culture, and the ability to process information.
Such an organization of the SIL, in our opinion, allows personifying and significantly intensifying the learning
process, increasing motivation and more objectively revealing the abilities of each student.
In the process of learning, the degree of independence varies among students, and thus the teacher must
consider the organization of the SIL as a whole, taking into account the students’ readiness for independent
learning, the formation and growth of their degree of independence.
To diagnose the effectiveness of the technology of independent learning, we determined the following indicators:
independence and self-assessment. To assess the independence, we have identified the following parameters:
communicative, creative and reflective components.
To determine the communicative component, we evaluated the student’s independence and active use of
network technologies in the process of independent learning.
Under the student’s independence, we mean the ability of the subjects to independently carry out their educa-
tional work, actively and consciously manage it, to accumulate individual experience, exercising self-control and
self-correction. The degree of independence is optimal, if the student solves the task completely independently;
the degree of independence is middle, if the task is solved by the student partially independently (asks for help
from the teacher or other students), the degree of independence is low, if the teacher’s help prevails.
The activity of using network technologies is also evaluated by three criteria: optimal (is an active participant),
middle (systematically participates), low (occasionally participates).
Literature analysis [Lod10, Kul15, Kul12] allowed to distinguish the criteria of the creative component of
the cognitive independence level: reproductive, reconstructive, search.
The low level of independence corresponds to the reproductive level, when the student acts on the model.
The middle level is a reconstructive one, a student on the basis of his own deductive methods, extracts new
information, applying the acquired knowledge to solve non-standard problems.
The optimum level is creative, independent activity acquires a search character in terms of transferring knowl-
edge at the conversion level of the previously learned programs activities for creative problem solving and
discovering the principles of solutions leading to produce objectively new information. Reflection in the course
of independent learning can be considered from two positions:
1) the student returns to the stage of independent learning planning and analyzes its individual components;
2) the student analyzes the correlation of his own capabilities and external conditions.
Analysis of psychological and pedagogical literature [Song12, Rean08] allowed to draw the following con-
clusion: a sign of low development of reflection is the lack of a student’s desire to analyze the process and result
of independent learning. A sign of well-developed reflection (middle level) is the student’s search for ways to
improve independent learning, the desire to improve its efficiency. The optimal development of reflection involves
the creative search for ways to improve independent learning.
4 Results
Diagnostics of the independence level was carried out twice: at the beginning and at the end of the discipline
study using the proposed independent learning technology at different stages, in the same students.
x2 - criterion was applied to the obtained quantitative data to evaluate the results of the experiment. This
criterion allows comparing the percentage distributions of the data [Song12, Rean08]. The boundary value
of the x2 - criterion corresponding to two degrees of freedom and the probability of an acceptable error 0.05,
obtained in the experiment, is 5.99, which allows us to conclude about significant changes in the progress of the
independence degree and confirms the effectiveness of the developed model. The dynamics of the development
of students’ independence at the final stage of education is shown in fig. 2.
Fig2. Independence Level on the Final Stage of Education
The self-assessment study was carried out using the ranking procedure. The comparison of students’ self-
assessment results with the results obtained during the experiment allowed to conclude that the use of the
proposed technology of independent learning forms an adequate self-assessment of students (attitude to inde-
pendent learning and the degree of independence) [Ker 19]. The use of students’ self-assessment in the process
of pedagogical experiment makes it possible to put emphasis in the educational process on the individual self-
development, the development of skills in planning independent learning, self-correction, self-control.
The further solution of the mentioned problems opens up opportunities for deepening the experimental research
of such areas as the organization of students’ independent learning of university with the extensive use of ICT-
based information and communication educational environment in various disciplines in the process of full-time
and distance learning.
5 Conclusion
Training of future specialists for professional activity should combine development of competences and improve-
ment of the personal characteristics that are essential for academic success. Independence is one of the most
important personal qualities which affects students’ learning process, it aids to develop into active and productive
members of society, ensures the effectiveness and quality of teaching, helps to develop creative way of thinking
and self-education skills.
On the one hand, the students’ independence in the learning practices is a form of organization of their
educational activity, carried out under the direct or indirect guidance of a teacher in ICEE, during which students
predominantly or completely independently perform tasks with various levels of difficulty to develop competencies
and personal qualities. On the other hand, we consider independence as an internal, stable personality quality
and the ability to acquire knowledge independently within or beyond the classroom.
The implementation of suggested block-modular model of the organization of students’ independent learning
based on the ICEE helps to adopt a holistic approach to independent learning within or beyond the classroom.
The model takes into account different levels of students’ independence development at each stage of training
during university education. The use of the proposed technology at the indicated stages activates the productive
cognitive activity of students, prepares them for continuing education and self-education.
The results of pilot training based on the suggested block-modular model have shown that the implemen-
tation of the proposed technology at each stage of the training leads to decreasing teacher’s assistance during
independence learning, improves the quality of education, the development of internal motivation and adequate
self-assessment, provides opportunities for enhanced and more effective independent learning.
The developed approach to the organization of students’ independent learning can and should be used in
mass educational practice as a promising direction for improving the quality of education in accordance with the
requirements of the digital economy.
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