FEATURES OF STUDENTS’ SEARCH FOR INFORMATION RESOURCES IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES

Abstract

The article examines the selection of basic information sources by modern students, which they turn to when searching for educational materials. It identifies and presents the extent to which contemporary students use the following sources of information: textbooks and reference books in both printed and electronic formats; personal lecture notes; lectures on specific subjects available online; materials from electronic scientific libraries and methodological resources; artificial intelligence (ChatGPT); as well as visualization and audio materials from the Internet. The study is based on data from an empirical sociological research conducted in May 2024 among junior students of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management (Kyiv). To provide a retrospective comparison of several obtained indicators, the article also includes data from a study conducted by the authors in February 2009. The research identifies problematic areas and challenges facing the higher education system related to the use of new information technology functions in electronic networks. A retrospective analysis demonstrates that the primary sources of information and technologies used by modern students in their academic preparation differ significantly from those used by students in previous years. The study reveals that due to contemporary information and technological shifts, students are increasingly replacing printed sources with electronic ones. These electronic resources, which are constantly evolving, offer extensive opportunities for searching educational information. A new and actively utilized tool for information retrieval and systematization is the neural network ChatGPT, which significantly influences the educational process.