Digitalization of Education During the Pandemic Period: Social Challenges and Risks

Abstract

The article analyses the digitalization process of education during the pandemic. Thepandemic has accelerated the digitalization process of education and has shown both positive and negative aspects. The key digitalization strategies of education are noted, the specifics of the digitalization model of education are considered. For a more complete consideration of the digitalization process of education, the author uses the analysis of its socio-economic context, represented by the digital economy. The author considers the digitalization of education as the result of a natural process of the digital economy development, where the key factor is not the subject, but digital services. The digital economy is a complex super-system formed by network interactions and feedbacks of its constituent elements. The key characteristic of the development of this super-system is the formal elimination of the subject as an active participant in real economic relations, which leads to alienated forms of human existence. The author examines the manifestation of these alienated forms on the example of distance learning during the pandemic, as well as the impact of information and communication technologies on human thinking and behaviour. The result of this process is a socio-anthropological crisis, which actualizes the social challenges and risks of education digitalization. The author highlights the wide access to educational services, flexibility and high speed of human adaptation to information and communication technologies as positive aspects of the digitalization process of education. The negative side of the digitalization of education is, according to the author, excessive formalization of the educational and training process, which significantly affects the content of educational material, as well as motivational factors for learning and teaching. Based on the results of the study, the author gives forecasts for the future development of the digitalization of education. Key words: education, digitalization, digital economy, pandemic, human.