Abstract: The relevance of the article is determined by the need to analyze the changes that occurred in higher education institutions in the area of the use of digital technology during and after the pandemic. Within the framework of this research, we conducted a content-analysis of the websites and curricula of Volgograd higher education institutions and a questionnaire survey of students in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the use of digital technology and e-learning in the modern context. Digitalization came into the process of the management of higher education institutions long ago, however, rapid changes in e-learning have occurred in the last two years, which was confirmed in the results of our study. 70-80% of students' independent work was transferred to electronic form, the classroom workload is replaced with online lessons, the teaching methods change: the use of mixed learning as well as blended and flipped learning increases. The results of the study make us think about the excessive enthusiasm for e-learning, possibilities and risks of its use. Digital education brings significant changes in the role of professors and students in the process of learning, which requires appropriate adaptation and causes changes in the management of the organizations and the introduction of new actors in the educational process. At the institutional level, our conclusions indicate the need to support the academic staff in the area of methodological and technical assistance since the process of digital transformation of higher education institutions is irreversible and its intensiveness continues to grow.

Keywords: Open Education Platform, digital skills, RANEPA, e-learning, digital literacy of the teaching staff, massive open online courses, higher education institutions, distance learning technologies, digital educational environment, socialization of students

Abstract: The subject of the study is peculiarities and trends of the formation of the modern digital educational environment in Russia. The timeliness of the research is determined by the fact that online training, including the usage of online courses, becomes highly-demanded, both in a world and national education. Digitalization of the national economy causes digitalization of education sphere. However, if Russian training cannot take part in the digital revolution, it can lead to irreparable loss of time and resources. Issues of creating a modern digital educational environment should be solved in their entirety, preventing formalism and mobilizing the full potential of educational organizations. Analyzing digital education development, the author widely uses methods of economic and statistical analysis. Determining the parameters of online training development, the author relies on a systematic approach. The article describes the main stages of development of informatization in the education sphere, discusses the features of online training, characterizes the state of the world and Russian online education market. The attention is focused on the issues of formation of the modern digital educational environment following the Priority project. Directions of improvement of online education are designated. 

Keywords: online education market, the Internet, distance learning, digital educational environment, online course, online training, a single educational space, open education, mobile educational application, digitalization

Abstract: The author of the article analyzes ideological sources of modern popular culture. Bueva addresses to the initial differences between elite and popular cultures and views the problem in terms of a quite unusual topic – the process of cultural expansion. Indeed, the development of contemporary mass media again and again raises the question about transformation and uni􀏔ication of the entire system of information 􀏔lows and expansion of culture and education. Bueva provides Karl Marx’ and Friedrich Engels’ ideas about the role of the means of mass in􀏔luence on people. Bueva also uses historical data and analyzes ideas offered by Vladimir Lenin, Nadezhda Krupskaya and Anatoly Lunacharsky. Much attention is paid to the social-critical aspect of mass communication. The method of historical analysis used by the author allows to study the genesis and development of the problem as it was created at the Age of Enlightenment. The author has also used polemic techniques when analyzing the concepts of mass communication. The novelty of the problem is caused by the fact that researchers usually pay special attention to the contents of mass communication and speci􀏔ic in􀏔luence of different channels of mass in􀏔luence on the audience. The mechanisms of the cultural expansion have never been a topic of such intensive analysis before.

Keywords: education, teaching, communication, mass communication, culture, spiritual values, information, society, radio broadcasting, television.