Digital Communication of Students in the Information Age

The demands of the information age actively stimulate changes and structural transformations in all social institutions and spheres of social life. The issue of the implementation, adaptation, and utilization of digital resources is particularly relevant for higher education, as this sector must promptly and effectively respond to the demands of all participants in the educational process, society and the labor market. Furthermore, it is imperative that higher education aligns with contemporary challenges and meets the level of technology development. At the same time, it is essential to maintain the quality of education, established and time-tested forms of interaction between teachers and students, and uphold as well as enhance the traditions and core values inherent to the Russian system of education. This paper examines Russian students’ assessments of the digital transformations of education and communication, as well as their impact on educational activities and interaction between teachers and university administration with students. The analysis is based on data from surveys of students of Russian universities conducted by the Center for Education Development Strategy of Lomonosov Moscow State University in 2020—2024. The study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a catalyst accelerating the digital transformation of education, that digital information and communication technologies have become integral components of the educational process, shaping the predominant modalities of interaction between students and educators and exerting significant influence on both the design and content of education. Simultaneously, modern digital technologies present higher education with the imperative task of fostering and advancing students’ critical and analytical thinking, cultivating a reflective and relevant approach to the use of digital resources, including neural networks, promoting an understanding of network behavior and the fundamentals of security within the digital environment.