INFORMATION COMPETENCE AS A GUARANTEE OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL HEALTH OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

Abstract

The article defines the content of ‘information competence’ at the present stage of society's development. The importance of information hygiene for the psychophysiological health of higher education students is analyzed, and the principles of forming students’ and cadets’ information competence during the educational process are presented.

The article aims to define approaches to understanding the concept of ‘information competence’, to indicate how to form higher education students’ information competence, and to emphasize the importance of information hygiene for maintaining their psychophysiological health.

The procedure of theoretical and methodological research. In the course of the study, we used a systematic approach that allowed us to consider the psychophysiological health of students as a complex system in which information hygiene plays a prominent role. We also adhered to the ideological and methodological principles of democratization, humanization, and innovation inherent in the latest educational paradigm.

The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of approaches to understanding the concept of ‘information competence’ and outlining ways to form it in higher education students to preserve their psychophysiological health.

Conclusions. Thus, in the course of the study, we have identified the evolution of the concept of ‘information competence’, which is now understood by most scholars not only as the ability to use modern technologies but also as the ability to navigate the information space independently, use the knowledge gained, critically comprehend it and draw independent conclusions, and distinguish between different types of manipulation. In today's context, especially in times of war, higher education students are a particularly vulnerable category and need to protect their psychophysio­logical health, including in the context of information culture. Thus, the formation of information competence appears not only as a component of the professional training of future specialists but also protects them from stress caused by a hostile information environment, which can worsen the quality of their education and hurt their psychophysiological state and personal development.