CC BY
1DOI 10.24412/cl-37234-2024-1-412-418
DIGITALIZATION OF SOCIETY AS A DETERMINANT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIVERSAL COMPETENCIES
OF STUDENTS
D. Naumov1, V. Ivashko1,1. Desoukevich1
1 Belarusian State Academy of Communications
[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
ABSTRACT
In the context of the digitalization of society, the transformation of the economy and the labor market is taking place, which actualizes the modernization of the content of higher education. This paper examines the role of universal competencies in increasing the competitiveness of graduates of higher education institutions.
Keywords: digitalization of society, universal competencies, higher education system, students.
Introduction
In the conditions of digitalization of society, fundamental changes are taking place in the structure of the world economy, in which the innovative sector, represented by the services sector, agribusiness, the industrial sector and transport, occupies a leading position. The innovative sector of the economy is characterized by the constant improvement and enhancement of digital technologies, with the help of which increased production efficiency, high product quality, and constantly increasing employee productivity are ensured. In Belarus, as the dynamics and parameters of the country's economic development show, the digital transformation of the real sector of the economy through the introduction of modern information technologies is also considered as a tool for reducing production costs and business processes, increasing labor productivity, improving the quality of products and expanding their markets, improving the level and quality of life of the population [1, p. 221].
Due to the change in the sectoral structure of the economy, the situation on the labor market is changing, when the innovative sector of the economy forms a steady demand for highly qualified workers with a wide range of competencies capable of continuous training and creative approach in solving managerial and professional tasks. A modern employee is required not only to have basic knowledge and skills that allow him to consistently perform work at a certain level of labor requirements, but also the ability to go beyond these limits. The mindset of doing work with greater
efficiency means that specialized competencies fade into the background, while universal competencies become a mandatory attribute of a socially successful person.
For the higher education system, the emergence of new requirements for the content, quality and parameters of professional training of employees means "the introduction of innovative technologies, changing educational paradigms, flexible formation of requirements and programs" [1, p. 317]. It seems that updating the content of the educational process involves increasing the knowledge intensity of the educational process, developing and implementing innovative teaching and education methods, strengthening the practice-oriented professional socialization within the framework of formal and informal education. One of the results of this process should be the establishment of an educational environment aimed at the development of universal competencies of students, considered as the quintessence of creativity, sociability, learning ability and self-learning. This aspect determines the relevance of the intensification of the competence component in the structure of professional education, viewed in the context of increasing the competitiveness of the Belarusian higher education system. Thus, the purpose of this work is to identify the role of digitalization of society as a determinant of the development of universal competencies of students.
Material and methods
In modern socio-humanitarian knowledge, the problems of the formation of universal competencies, better known by the term "softskills", are actively studied within a number of sciences (political science, psychology, sociology, cultural studies, pedagogy, etc.). Thus, in management, the emphasis on competencies allows for a verifiable assessment of the performance of work by personnel, which is reflected in the form of competency models necessary for predicting success in sales, in the technical field, in social services, in managerial positions [2]. As you know, at present the term "softskills" has become widely used in the media, as well as in the scientific community, although a serious conceptual remark can be made about it. In the content aspect, it emphasizes the importance of skills, while in the concept of universal competencies, the focus is on the motives, properties of human behavior, as well as its qualities that determine the possibility of implementing professionally significant human actions. Therefore, instead of the term "softskills", it is more correct to use the term "universal competencies", which allows you to designate professionally important knowledge, skills and socio-psychological attitudes for an individual.
From the point of view of pedagogy and social psychology, competence is the basic quality of a person that ensures the achievement of his maximum social, labor
as well as professional efficiency and success. In general, competence is a stable part of an individual's personality, which makes it possible to predict the parameters of human behavior in various situations and to evaluate its social effectiveness. So, Catherine Newman, based on the study of economic activity and labor behavior of representatives of ethnic and racial minorities of modern American society, came to the conclusion that motivation for social success, professional socialization and education contribute to their vertical social mobility, access to better jobs, higher wages and greater self-esteem [3]. Maxine Kamin considers this phenomenon, presented in his work as a set of personal qualities, social courtesy skills, communication style, personal habits, qualities of friendliness and optimism that characterize an individual's relationships with other people, as a vital resource of an employee [4]. In his work, Bruce Talgan shows that the lack of communication skills, critical thinking and group commitment is largely the reason for the deprofessionalization of employees, the loss of their workplace and professional status [5].
The theoretical conceptualization of the term "universal competencies", presented in the works of modern researchers, allows us to determine the content and the following basic characteristics of this phenomenon:
- skills, abilities and character traits that relate to personality, social relations and behavior, and not formal or technical knowledge of the employee;
- interpersonal communication skills that demonstrate a person's ability to effectively communicate and build relationships with other people in the process of interpersonal interaction, as well as in groups and teams;
- difficult-to-measure skills that are a prerequisite for professional and labor failures or employee successes;
- socio-psychological skills of the individual (communicative, leadership, organizational, cognitive, and others) that determine the capabilities of an individual in most life situations;
- a set of knowledge, abilities, skills and motivational characteristics in the field of interaction between people responsible for the effective and successful performance of work tasks by an employee.
In general, universal competencies are a set of qualities, properties, abilities, attitudes and values of a person necessary for successful interaction with other individuals, effective and productive human activity as a whole in all spheres of life of modern society. Therefore, it is necessary to emphasize the exceptional importance and significance of universal competencies in determining a person's success, both at work and in life in general.
Structurally, based on the cluster-type classification scheme presented in the works of a number of modern researchers (L. Lippman, R. Rayberg, R. Karney, K.
Moore, etc.), it is necessary to identify five groups of competencies that are most important for an individual in modern society [6].
The first group is social skills, which are a cluster of skills necessary for successful interaction with other people (respect for other people; reproduction of behavior appropriate to the context of a social situation; ability to resolve conflicts).
The second group is higher-order thinking, which is understood as a cognitive skill that includes three interrelated components: problem solving, critical thinking and decision-making.
The third group is self-control, considered as an individual's ability to delay the satisfaction of desires, control impulses, direct and focus attention, manage emotions and regulate behavior. Individuals who have developed the skill of self-control are able to focus on completing work tasks, despite distractions and inducements to other actions.
The fourth group is positive self-esteem, which characterizes the realistic awareness of an individual of himself and his abilities, his strengths, as well as his personal potential in emotional, social and cognitive aspects.
The fifth group is communication skills: effective expression, transmission, understanding and interpretation of ideas, including through information and communication technologies and social networks.
In addition to the presented model of the "big five", experts distinguish other important competencies: diligence and reliability, self-motivation, teamwork, positive attitude, responsibility, honesty and ethics, leadership, persuasiveness [6].
Within the framework of the modular-nest type classification scheme, special "nests" are allocated for broad competencies and related basic skills. As a result, a classification system is created that is open to the inclusion of new skills and knowledge, in which the emphasis is on central (core) competencies, rather than on an exact list of competencies. [7]. Accordingly, within the framework of this approach, three main categories of universal competencies are distinguished, the most significant from the point of view of their formation and development in students.
The first group of universal competencies includes the competence of thinking, which includes the following structural components:
- understanding, analysis and interpretation of the problem, search and identification of patterns in the array of facts; identification of implicitly specified qualities of objects and phenomena, hidden resources for solving the problem; building causal chains, including branched ones with the necessary degree of detail; application of formal logic in conditions of insufficient knowledge; highlighting the main, contradictions, analogies, building classifications, etc.;
- selection and application of options for solving complex problems, including open ones (having more than one solution);
- creative thinking, ingenuity (productive action in situations of novelty and uncertainty, with a lack of information; creating your own product with subjective or objective novelty and originality);
- systemic thinking, understanding and interpretation of the aesthetics of patterns and the degree of universality of their application; simulation modeling of complex processes and phenomena (selection and consideration of significant factors, decision-making in a volatile environment, including networked based on ICT; risk management, compensation for failures and maintaining the stability of the system; modular multitasking solutions; choice of balance between the speed when executing a known algorithm and adaptability to changed conditions).
The second group of universal competencies includes the competence of interaction with others, which includes two main components:
- cooperativeness, the ability to cooperate, to work together, including as a leader and as a team member, responsibility and its distribution, coordination of actions within the team;
- the ability to negotiate (convince, prove one's position and accept someone else's, including taking into account social and cultural differences), resolve conflicts, be aware of possible objective contradictions in the interests of different parties and take them into account when making decisions.
The content of the third group of universal competencies is the competence of interaction with oneself, structurally consisting of two basic components:
- self-regulation, self-control, including the recognition of one's emotions and their management in order to optimize role behavior;
- self-organization - the ability of a person to reflexively relate to their activities, to mobilize themselves to perform tasks, the ability to choose a strategy of perseverance or flexibility.
The principal advantage of this approach is that the focus is not on sorting the final set of competencies, but on the type of action and behavioral results. This allows you to supplement each category with new skills and abilities, depending on the specific context and content of the tasks being solved.
In this case, the urgent task is the establishment of universal competencies, implemented by means of higher professional education.
The didactic aspect of the task of forming universal competencies actualizes the assertion as a vector of the educational process of such a target setting, which consists in forming students' systematic understanding of both the sphere of future professional activity and the competencies, cognitive skills and communication skills
necessary within it.
In the methodological aspect, the implementation of this task involves the use of such forms and methods of organizing the educational process which make it possible to guarantee the formation of a set of relevant qualities, properties, abilities, attitudes and values of the individual (elective training courses, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary electives, project-analytical sessions, project weeks, etc.). So, in this context, one of the most effective forms of organizing students' educational activities is project activity, the inclusion of which is provided through such forms as trainings, master classes, seminars with the involvement of relevant specialists, as well as the widespread use in the educational process of methods focused on the development of universal competencies (business games, simulation modeling, writing an essay, etc.).
From a socio-psychological point of view, it is legitimate to talk about the formation of socio-psychological attitudes aimed at personal self-development through the creation of a continuous individual trajectory of intellectual, cultural and professional development. This involves the systematic acquisition of new experience, the expansion of the circle of communication and the creation of an extensive network of professional communications, effective planning of their own activities.
In general, the educational process in a higher education institution should be aimed at forming a set of universal competencies consisting of basic communication skills, self-management skills, and effective thinking skills. In the context of the digitalization of society, the importance of such an orientation of the educational process is determined by the fact that universal competencies are necessary not only for successful interaction with other individuals within the framework of work, but also for effective and productive human life in the information society as a whole.
Conclusions
Thus, universal competencies act as a factor in the development of the human capital of Belarusian students, provide an increase in their competitiveness and contribute to the innovative development of the national system of higher professional education. In the applied aspect, the solution of this problem actualizes the implementation of universal competencies in the educational process of higher education. On the one hand, this implies the widespread use of such forms and methods of organization that make it possible to guarantee the formation of a set of relevant qualities, properties, abilities, attitudes and values of the individual. The technical basis for the formation of universal competencies of students should be modern computer and multimedia technology, which allows not only to include components
that are significant for the professional training of an employee in the content of the educational process, but also to repeatedly work them out as training cases.
REFERENCES
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ЦИФРОВИЗАЦИЯ ОБЩЕСТВА КАК ДЕТЕРМИНАНТА РАЗВИТИЯ УНИВЕРСАЛЬНЫХ КОМПЕТЕНТНОСТЕЙ
СТУДЕНТОВ
Д.И. Наумов1, В.М. Ивашко1, И.Л. Десюкевич1
1 Белорусская государственная академия связи
АННОТАЦИЯ
В условиях цифровизации общества происходит трансформация экономики и рынка труда, что актуализирует модернизацию содержания высшего образования. В данной работе рассматривается роль универсальных компетентностей в повышении конкурентоспособности выпускников учреждений высшего образования.
Ключевые слова: цифровизация общества, универсальные компетентности, система высшего образования, студенты.
