Pedagogical aspects of digitalization in teaching technical university students fundamental disciplines: development of independent work skills in the disciplines of Mathematical Analysis and Linear Algebra

Abstract

The modern system of higher technical education faces the challenges of digitalization, which requires the integration of digital tools to improve the effectiveness of teaching fundamental disciplines such as Mathematical Analysis and Linear Algebra. Traditional teaching methods, focused on lectures and seminars, do not sufficiently develop the independent work skills of students who have grown up in the digital environment. The study aims to resolve the contradiction between conservative approaches and the need to motivate students to independently search for and analyze information, using digital platforms to develop engineering thinking. The relevance of the task is due to the fact that digital technologies can contribute to deep learning of the material, but their unsystematic implementation risks leading to superficial thinking. The aim of the work is to assess the pedagogical conditions under which digitalization enhances independent work among technical university students. The study was conducted during the 2022-2023 academic year at a technical university in Russia with the participation of 254 first-year students in the fields of information technology and mechanical engineering. The participants were divided into a control group (126 students), taught using the traditional method with lectures, practical sessions, and homework, and an experimental group (128 students), where an integrated digital environment based on the Moodle platform was implemented. It included video lectures, interactive simulators, adaptive testing systems with immediate feedback, and forums for consultations. Data collection methods: entrance, intermediate, and final testing of knowledge; questionnaires to assess motivation and self-assessment of independent work skills; analysis of activity logs in the digital environment. Statistical processing was carried out using mathematical statistics methods to verify the significance of differences between groups. The results showed the initial homogeneity of the groups in terms of knowledge level and self-assessment (average entrance test score ~68.5, self-assessment ~5.4 on a 10-point scale). By the end of the experiment, the experimental group showed a significant advantage: the average score in Mathematical Analysis – 80,54 versus 73,18 in the control group, in Linear Algebra – 82,17 versus 75,42; the share of excellent grades increased by 1,5-2 times. The standard deviation decreased, indicating a leveling of results. Self-assessment of independent work skills grew by 2.51 points (to 7.94), time spent on independent work – up to 7,35 hours per week, motivation index – up to 8.51. Activity analysis in Moodle revealed a high correlation with academic performance for simulators (r=0.69) and tests (r=0.52). Discussion of the results confirms that digitalization is effective when focused on active learning methods that promote independent practice and feedback, which reduces performance polarization and increases motivation. Traditional methods lead to stagnation of skills, while interactive tools create positive feedback, increasing students’ confidence. This implies a shift in the teacher’s role to that of a facilitator and the need for investment in content and retraining. The study demonstrates the potential of digitalization to transform technical education, making it more adaptable to the needs of the digital generation, and offers a model for further implementation in other disciplines.