INFORMATION SPACE AS A FACTOR IN THE PERCEPTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Resumo

Objective: This article presents the results of a study aimed at determining the role of the information space in decision-making related to obtaining higher professional education and choosing a higher education institution. Methods and Materials: A survey is conducted among first-year students of Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University (Russia) (N=142). Results: Based on the sociological survey, it can be concluded that the choice of higher education is influenced not only by the prospects of the city and chosen profession but also by the media space created by higher education institutions around their activities. Conclusion: The study finds that prospective students most often turn to official websites and social media communities of universities when seeking information about institutions and professions. An interesting finding is that more than 70% of respondents believe that in the future, short-term educational courses could replace traditional higher education, leading to a loss of the original value and role of universities in the lives of the younger generation. This perspective is largely based on information that begins to dominate the media space due to the active work of both educational platforms in the competitive struggle for consumers and opinion leaders. The conclusion is drawn that the communicative policy of higher education institutions needs to pay special attention to the operation of search service algorithms.