Structure Of Information Resource In The Context Of Digitalization

Abstract

The article presents fragmentary results of the study of an information resource in the context of digitalization of all spheres of the life of society, which significantly changed its structure, as a means of the formation of information potential of society and each individual person. Through the example of the most active users of the network information resource, which are students, perceiving virtual space as the real environment of their habitat, the nature of the possible consequences is shown. The survey of the student audience was conducted during the period from 2014 to 2019. The total sample over the years was 340 people – students of the faculty of journalism of Moscow State University. The results of the study were processed by appropriate statistical methods. With their help, the preferences of student audience in the choice and purpose of information resources in favor of network resources were identified; significant changes in the forms and methods of educational activities of students were substantiated. In addition, it was also shown that the increase in the share of network information resources that the younger generation addresses to a greater extent today is already qualitatively changing the content of the information potential of society. According to the the analysis of the data, the authors draw the conclusions about changing not only the forms and methods of educational activity preferred by students, but also their lifestyle. This creates the prerequisites for the possible erosion of our identity, the value foundations of Russian society.

Keywords: Information potentialinformation resourcedigitalizationstudents

Introduction

In recent decades, information resource as a social phenomenon that contributes to the creation of the intellectual information potential of society has become in demand by all groups and communities of modern society. It “represents the essential basis of the infosphere as a system object” (Shkondin, 2015, p. 337) and forms a new quality of information potential in modern conditions.

This can be explained by a number of factors. First of all, this is the rapid development of information technology: computer, Internet, social networks. Today we are already talking about neural networks and virtual reality (VR), which immerses a person in the world artificially created by technical means that allows interaction.

As a result, the digitalization of almost all spheres of human activity intensified. Digital economy, digital lifestyle is the reality in which we already live. Libraries, archives, museums, galleries, exposition research centers, theaters and cinema – all of them have virtual existence in addition to real one. Thus, for example, in Russia today there are about 150 thousand libraries, the archive fund is more than 460 million storage units. All of them are now in electronic access.

Indeed, as a result of these transformations, the structure of the information resource is changing, which is determined not only by technological breakthroughs, but also by consumer demand. Researchers who have recently formed the scientific direction “information resource science” believe that “an information resource is a purposefully created information that implements an instrumental function through its use as a means of a certain type of activity, has consumer value and can act as a product in the information market” (Berestova, 2015, p. 2).

It is quite natural that the information resource is connected with the infrastructure of society (Nisnevich, 2000). Moreover, “a resource combining information and media is inseparable from its infrastructure, without which its resource functioning is impossible” (Shubina, 2011, p. 312). It is this unity of information and medium that enables users not only to structure the flow of messages according to their requests, but also to read and write their own comments, articles, write blogs, shoot videos and, in fact, create communities, uniting people who are close in spirit and interests.

This is especially pronounced in student environment, for which the network space is their real environment. It attracts young people by the fact that, due to electronic technology, it adapts to personalized tastes of everyone and the needs of their community. Thus, it satisfies their individual needs. However, at the same time, this segment of users is unlikely to think about the fact that, in turn, this virtual sphere manages their impressions and forms opinions on specific situations and perceptions of life in general.

This is an extremely important circumstance that should be taken into account, since the younger generation has a period of growing up. At this time, they are included in the “process of assimilation and reproduction of social experience by entering into social environment, into the system of social ties” (Andreeva, 2008, p. 58). It means that there is a process of their socialization, the specificity of which is fully reflected in the works of Andreeva (2008), Berger and Luckman (1995), Harre and Secord (1972) and others.

Today, speaking about the formation of a new generation, it should be considered in the context of consumer value of information resources, which present new forms of communicative and social impact on a specific person and society as a whole. Under new conditions of digitalization of all spheres of society, changes begin to occur not only in socialization, but also in the identity of an individual and society as a whole.

Using the example of a student audience, let us consider the following questions: what are their priorities in choosing information resources and what is their purpose? How do network resources meet its needs? Are they intended only for use as a tool in professional educational field, or do they have a humanistic general educational content that promotes the development of an individual? To answer these and a number of other questions, a survey of the student audience was conducted during the period from 2014 to 2019. The sample was presented by 340 people – students of the faculty of journalism of Moscow State University.

According to the results of the survey (Table 01 ), it is evident that the least number of students turn to traditional information resources, that is, they work in the library or in the archive, visit exposition scientific centers (8 %), museums, exhibition halls, galleries, theaters (15 %) There is not so large number of those who simultaneously use both traditional and network information resources. Accordingly, these are libraries and others – 21 % and museums and others – 32 %. Moreover, concretizing these answers, it is clear that, after all, traditional information resources are not in great demand among students. Thus, only five people replied that sometimes they work in a library, where they prepare for classes. However, they give more time to work in the network. Four respondents answered that they were in the library only once – they took textbooks. However, they are preparing for classes with the help of information resources in the network. It is also quite rare that the bulk of students attend exhibitions, museums, theaters, even if they note in the questionnaire that they use mixed information resources.

However, at the same time, they use the materials of electronic libraries, almost the entire surveyed audience uses the Internet, realizing all their requests in the educational, professional and personal spheres. Thus, even on the basis of local research, this allows asserting that in the structure of information resources new technologies come to the forefront, and, above all, the Internet (online media, blogosphere, social networks).

The analysis of the purpose of the information resources (Table 02 ) showed that most of the proposed answers indicate the use of information resources for training. We were interested in the way how they are used. Therefore, specific questions were asked: why do you prefer network information resources? Why do you think? The answers confirm one of the classifications of information resources generally accepted in scientific world today.

At the present stage of development of society and information sphere, information resources are divided into two groups: 1) intended for use in professional fields of activity as a special tool, can be divided into industries: medicine, agriculture, education, management, etc.; 2) having a humanistic content and intended for all groups of consumers, they are conditionally called “information resources – public domain. (Berestova, 2015, p. 5)

According to the data in Table 02 , the humanistic or general educational content in the students' answers is slightly represented and occupies the last rows of the table. They are concerned about life conflicts to a certain extent, they are trying to determine the meaning of life for themselves, but they are not looking for answers in literature or cinema, rather than in blogosphere and social networks. For self-assertion, they mostly need information about newcomers of fashion, in the style of clothes, in the style of life, finally. We hope this is the period of growing.

However, this also means that new generation, including future journalists, including those who are currently studying in universities, requires other information resources to build their information potential. They have at their disposal digital knowledge maximally accumulated by mankind in the network. Knowledge began to gather in 2005, with the emergence of Runet – the Russian segment of the Internet and the subsequent development of broad Internet, which ensured mass access to network resources outside time and space. Thus, new information technologies transformed the country's information spheres as a system object, and thereby posed fundamentally new tasks for society. One of the main ones is the formation of skills to work with the information resources of all sectors of society, but primarily the younger generation, for whom the network is a real living environment. Moreover, the task is to work in such a way when the information resource becomes the practical result of the generalized information processing processes carried out in two stages: 1. Collection, accumulation, storage, primary processing (filtering) and updating of the initial information. 2. Integration, statistical and analytical processing, creation of new (secondary) information.

Problem Statement

Qualitative changes are taking place in the structure of information resources, as a result of the digitalization of all spheres of society. In its turn, this changes the priorities in favor of networking in their consumption by different social groups, including students, for whom the virtual environment is their real environment. The increase in the share of network information resources, which are increasingly addressed by the younger generation, is already qualitatively changing the content of the information potential of society, not only socialization, but also the identity of an individual and society as a whole.

Research Questions

The subject of the article is the study of the impact of information resources on the change of priorities for their consumption in favor of networked student youth. The object of research is the structure of information resources that are being formed in the context of digitalization of all spheres of society. This confirms the relevance of this topic for researchers and practitioners in various fields, but primarily in media and educational spheres.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study is to show how the modern structure of information resources, which is being formed in the context of digitalization of all spheres of society’s life, changes the priorities of their consumption in favor of network resources using the example of students and thereby affects the content of the information potential of society.

This purpose involves the solution of the number of tasks, which are as follows: to explore the phenomenon of an information resource more widely and multilaterally, as a means of the formation of the information potential of a society, both from a methodological and socio-communicative point of view; to prove that a change in the structure of information resources is a reality in the context of digitalization of all spheres of life in Russian society; to identify the preferences of student audience in the choice and purpose of information resources in favor of network resources; to substantiate significant changes in the forms and methods of educational activities of students; to show that the increase in the share of network information resources, which the younger generation is more interested in, is already qualitatively changing the content of the information potential of society.

Research Methods

In the study of the structure of information resource as a means of the formation of information potential, the principles of comparative analysis of the main methodological approaches are applied. The analysis of its transformation uses the ideas of Russian scientists Egorov (2006), Kolin (2001), Streltsov (2010) on the strategic importance of global digitalization of all spheres of society. The transformation of the structure of the information resource as a consequence of this process is considered in the works of Kaku (2011), McLuhan (2011), Toffler (2003). These changes as a result of the dynamic development of information technologies (computer, Internet, social networks, neural networks, etc.) contribute to the change in the forms and methods of consumption of information resources, and affect the public consciousness as a whole. The works of Berestova (2015), Nisnevich (2000), Shubina (2011) formed the basis of the process approach used in this study and reconstruction of the genesis and the evolution of the information resource as a social phenomenon, which allowed determining the priorities of consumption and the purpose of information resources in student environment.

Findings

• The change in the structure of information resources is a reality in the context of digitalization of all spheres of life in Russian society. The analysis allowed identifying and justifying the preferences of student audience in the choice of information resources in favor of the network.

• The emergence of the information resource of science as an independent scientific direction has allowed a broader and more comprehensive study of the phenomenon of the information resource from both methodological and socio-communicative points of view.

• The increase in the share of network information resources, which are increasingly addressed by the younger generation, is already qualitatively changing the content of the information potential of society.

• As a result of the study, student audience revealed significant changes in the forms and methods of their educational activities, which are no longer consistent with the accepted classical forms and methods of training.

• In the context of the digitalization of all spheres of human life, the system of higher professional education requires the consideration of changes in the structure of information resources with a predominance of network resources that are in great demand among student audience. As a result, universities need to develop new curricula and train teachers who need to be knowledgeable not only in new forms and methods of teaching students, but also in the modern methods of their education in accordance with the values of Russian society.

Conclusion

Thus, the study showed that the digitalization of all spheres of society has significantly changed the structure of the information resource as a means of the formation of the information potential of society and each individual person. The most active users of the network information resource became students, for whom the virtual space is their real environment. According to the analyzed data, it is possible to conclude that the changes affect not only the forms and methods of educational activity preferred by students, but also their lifestyle. Network information resources in accordance with the principles of virtual world have a significant impact on the worldview of the younger generation, form a different experience in understanding the real world and create different impressions about it.

Accordingly, the content of the information potential of student audience, and then the society as a whole, changes qualitatively as they grow older, and hence their share in the able-bodied creative population subsequently increases. Nowadays it is not very obvious, but this situation already creates the prerequisites for the possible blurring of our identity and moral foundations of society. Society has something to think about. It is necessary to begin to adjust the process of consumption and creation of information resources by students at least at the level of the country's educational system. This task can be performed only by highly professional staff of faculty.

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