THE POTENTIAL OF THE DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT OF A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION IN PREPARING FUTURE MASTER’S STUDENTS IN SOFTWARE ENGINEERING FOR INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY

Abstract

The article highlights the issue of preparing future Master’s students in Software Engineering for innovative activity in the context of the digital transformation of education. The significance of the digital educational environment of a higher education institution as a factor in the modernization of professional training is substantiated, as it ensures the integration of modern digital technologies, innovative pedagogical approaches, and practice-oriented learning. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the potential of the digital educational environment of a higher education institution and to determine its functional capabilities in preparing future Master’s students in Software Engineering for innovative activity. Research methods: theoretical methods – analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, and systematization of scientific literature; structural-functional analysis – to determine the functions of the digital educational environment; modelling and generalization – to develop the author's matrix for implementing the potential of the digital educational environment of a higher education institution. Scientific novelty of the study lies in clarifying the essence of the concept of the “potential of the digital educational environment of a higher education institution” as an integral characteristic of the digital ecosystem that reflects the set of technological, pedagogical, informational, communicative, and innovative capabilities for preparing future Master’s students in Software Engineering for innovative activity. The main functions of the digital educational environment (educational, innovative, integrative, adaptive, and prognostic) have been identified, the peculiarities of their implementation under the conditions of the digital transformation of education have been characterized, and the author's matrix for implementing the potential of the digital educational environment has been developed. This matrix reflects the relationship between its functions, implementation tools, and the expected outcomes of professional training. Practical significance of the obtained results lies in the possibility of using the proposed theoretical provisions and the author's matrix in the modernization of educational and professional programmes for training Master’s students in Software Engineering, the design of the digital educational environment of higher education institutions, the development of educational and methodological support for educational components, and the implementation of innovative digital technologies, artificial intelligence technologies, cloud services, and project-based learning in the educational process.