Digital Students: Myths and Reality

In connection with the transition of the Russian higher school to the Federal state educational standards FSES HE 3 ++, the process of designing new educational programs for training specialists is currently underway. Designers of educational programs require the knowledge of psychological characteristics of modern students, which actualize new pedagogical approaches and practices in the educational process. The article discusses psychological features characterizing the behavior of the new generation of students in the educational and cognitive spheres and special aspects of pedagogical work with them. This generation is referred to as the “digital generation” (generation Z). The article presents the results of the survey on the “digital behavior” of modern students. The students of Volgograd State Technical University from first year to fourth year (N=495) responded to the survey. The data obtained showed that modern students are active users of digital technologies both in the everyday sphere and in educational and professional fields, but they are not always superior to the older generation (generation X, Y). The widespread and active use of various gadgets and devices leads to a change in the mechanisms of cognitive processes and to the formation of new behavioral trends. It actualizes the need for innovative teaching methods adequate to the new reality.