Digital technologies in military education: overcoming the digital divide

Abstract

The paper discusses the opportunities and limitations of the military education’s digitization, specific conditions for promoting digital competence with limited access to information resources and computer technology. Russian higher military education is putted in difficult conditions of finding a balance between the creation of modern digital infrastructure and a number of socio-political restrictions. The sociological research conducted by the author revealed the low level of cadets’ user activity and limited access to digital technologies in education, related to the legal status and insufficient material and technical support. The author points to the attempts to overcome the digital divide of military personnel by forming a departmental protected electronic information-educational environment, which has not yet become a fully-fledged alternative to educational Internet resources. Further development of digital infrastructure facilities and ensuring their availability for students is required.