Development of a Unified Digital Information and Communication System for Admission and Enrollment to Higher Educational Institutions

Abstract

The procedure for a new enrollment in higher educational institutions is quite complicated, having several stages process of interaction of the university with applicants as well as their parents. All the actors in this process pursue different goals, guided by their own interests. Thus, universities try to attract the most talented applicants who are interested in studying in the chosen field of science or specialty as well as provide a good competition. Applicants and their parents are interested in being enrolled in state-funded place of university's major or field of training of their interest. The work of the current system of admission to universities in the Russian Federation is structured in such a way that there is a kind of competition not only between applicants but also between educational organizations themselves. In modern conditions, admission commissions at universities strive to create the most open and convenient information system for applicants' admission, the data in which are updated in online mode. The possibility of having an open and reliable informational communication channel would allow applicants to quickly receive up-to-date information on the competition, which would help them to reduce uncertainty. This article proposes approaches to the development of a unified digital information and communication system for admission and enrollment to higher educational institutions, describes the principles for creating such a system, suggests the structure and functioning algorithms of a unified information and communication system that combines digital resources of the admission commissions of all universities of the Russian Federation. The proposed digital information and communication system will provide applicants with the possibility to monitor and change priorities among all their chosen specialties or areas of training at any university accredited in the Russian Federation up to the moment of their enrollment. A unified digital information and communication environment will optimize the current system of admission to universities, make it more transparent and convenient for both applicants and their parents and for universities.