Abstract:

This article focuses on the socio-technological aspects of the digital transformation of education as the most critical and relevant subject in the context of a pandemic COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to identify problems in the digital transformation of educational services and name the factors that determine its prospects according to the analysis of the technological and social aspects of digital education during the time of the emergency transition of the higher education system to distance and online education form. The methodological basis of the study was the theory of marketing, information technology, educational sciences, sociology, as well as desk and field marketing research of the behavior of international and Russian digital consumers of educational services. The samples of the research were: 762 units for international students and 740 units for the Russian students’ survey. The article presents the author's definition of the "digital consumer" category, updated definition of "consumer behavior" in the context of digital consumption. As part of the disclosure of the technological aspect of this topic the authors systematize digital resources for online learning based on the principles of universities’ involvement in the academic and research multi-gigabit Internet network. While studying the social aspect, the authors draw attention to the problems associated with the digital gap, the growing social inequality, and vulnerability among consumers of educational services; insufficient security and protection of personal data of students and teaching staff, and social “well-being” of digital consumers. Also, the authors identified the factors that determine the prospects for the digital transformation of educational services in the socio-technological aspects.