The base is already there: Tomsk universities are planning to introduce digital student records from April 25

TOMSK, April 24 – RIA Tomsk. Tomsk universities already have the necessary infrastructure to introduce digital student cards and record books from April 25, 2024. With the first ones, everything is more or less clear: they will simplify authentication. But electronic notebooks are a much more serious interference in document flow. Experts’ comments on the transition to digital analogues are in the material of RIA Tomsk.

Earlier, the press service of the Russian government reported that from April 25, 2024 until the end of 2025, an experiment will take place to introduce electronic student cards and record books. Digital versions of documents for public services will not replace paper ones. For example, you can also use them to buy discounted tickets. The Ministry of Education, Rosobrnadzor, Ministry of Digital Development, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Culture will be responsible for conducting the experiment.

At the request of RIA Tomsk, the government resolution was commented on by experts from Tomsk State University (TSU), Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) and Tomsk University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR).

The advantages of the figure are obvious

All interviewed representatives of the management of Tomsk universities consider this government initiative to be quite logical, given that “digital” to one degree or another has long become commonplace for every university. For example, at TSU, AI technologies are actively used in the educational process, and electronic document management has been introduced.

“The transition to an electronic analogue of grade books and student cards is a requirement of the time. Paper media have completely lost their relevance, since universities today identify their students using plastic cards or even fingerprints,” comments the director of the TPU Engineering School of Information Technologies and Robotics on the experiment. Alexander Fadeev.

According to him, the Polytechnic has been using electronic journals and electronic statements for more than 10 years, and students see all grades in their electronic grade book in their personal account. At the same time, electronic statements are still printed and signed with a “wet” signature, but only so that documentary evidence of the fact of the assessment is preserved.

“TUSUR introduced electronic grade books back in 2019. This made it possible to ensure constant monitoring of progress by both teachers, students and their parents… Maintaining grade books in electronic form minimizes errors when filling out these documents,” noted the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs university Pavel Senchenko.

The vice-rector emphasized that electronic records free up teachers’ time and make it easier for students and their legal representatives to monitor their progress and debts.

Caution doesn’t hurt

According to Fadeev, back in 2022, all universities began transmitting session results in test mode to a special website of the Ministry of Education and Science. This prepared the infrastructure for future innovations. It is important, the expert notes, that the future digital service, which will be developed for student ID cards and record books, be simple and convenient for all students and those organizations where these documents are required to be presented.

“The main difficulty with introducing the practice of full electronic student identification may be the transfer of information from universities to digital platforms of State Services. If the university does not have electronic grade books, then the information will have to be entered manually. This will certainly lead to errors and distortion of information due to human factor,” Fadeev added.

Deputy Head of the Academic Administration of TSU Tatyana Osipova emphasized that the security of student data is the first thing that should be paid attention to when introducing digital student records: “We need to make sure that there will be no errors or loss of data when transferring students or changing curricula,” she said .

“Secondly, in my opinion, a paper grade book with the TSU logo is a symbol of the fact that the student has become part of the university community; it contains the autographs of wonderful teachers, wonderful personalities. It demonstrates the student’s involvement in TSU. It would be a pity to lose such a symbol of studenthood “, Osipova noted.