The development of a systems mindset in the first-year students studying online at a vocational pedagogical university while mastering the basics of working with digital technologies

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to show the possibility and feasibility of developing a systems mindset in the process of shaping competencies in information technology while the educational process is based on online learning. The features of the limitations of perception by first-year students in the field of systems that use digital technologies have been analyzed. An experiment based on the methodology for the development of a systems mindset in first-year students on the basis of a project-based approach in the process of online learning has been carried out. The study involved 250 students. The number of students who received average grades increased by 14.9 %; the number of students that received high grades increased by 15.65 % and 42.83 %, respectively. In the post-test of the experimental group, there were no participants who failed all tests. In the control group, there were no changes in the quality of a systems mindset. The novelty of the research concept is the fact that students learn the concepts of interactions in different systems in their first year of study that takes place in the online learning environment. The finding of the study can be useful for teachers of vocational universities that train first-year students. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd