The impact of school education digitalization on its quality in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the process of digitalization of school education, the transfer of some classes to the virtual space. However, the ambiguity of the perception of the changes taking place, the high level of discussion in assessing the advantages and risks of large-scale digitalization actualizes empirical research, analysis of the opinions of the parent community. The purpose of the article is to analyze the impact of the digitalization of school education on the quality of educational services in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors used methods of generalization, classification, analysis of documents, comparative analysis. The key research method is a questionnaire survey of the population. The study was of a pilot nature and was conducted in April 2020 — the period when the pandemic provoked accelerated digitalization and, as a result, the transformation of the educational process. The risk zones for schoolchildren during the development of educational programs online are highlighted: the complication of activities, the development of stress, additional loads, a decrease in academic discipline, including the fragmentary presence or complete absence of schoolchildren in distance classes. These risks lead to a deterioration of preparation for the Unified State Exam and OGE, reduce the quality of education. The conclusion is made about the need to introduce gaming technologies, forms of psychological support to reduce the stress level of schoolchildren, the formation of accessible educational resources that provide a comfortable learning space in a distance mode. The results of the study indicate the need to strengthen the system of monitoring the educational activity of schoolchildren, which will reduce the risks of developing social and educational problems in the school environment. In conclusion, it is noted that, despite the high level of distrust of the parent community towards distance learning, digital education technologies are necessary for the transition to personalized or personality-oriented learning, but the implementation of these measures requires an integrated approach to informatization of education and transformation of the educational process.