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Blended Learning and Self-Reflection as Tools for Developing IT-Students’ Soft Skills

Industry 4.0 requires that an engineer or an IT-specialist possess universal competencies, or soft skills. These skills enable a professional to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, master new technologies, and find inventive solutions to problems. One of the objectives that the engineering education must fulfill is enhancing self-regulation and personal development skills in students. The paper analyses modern education technologies that enhance students’ soft skills. Special emphasis is given to the distant education and reflective process in the blended learning approach. Using the Flipped Classroom model, the authors have developed a new education course model that will foster self-regulation and personal development skills in students. Distant educational technologies enhances the possibilities of learning environment and autonomous learning. Reflexive instruments promote students’ understanding of their learning activity and the ways to improve it. We provide the pedagogical base and the special aspects of the course implementation. There is evidence that, compared with traditional approach, blended learning with elements of self-reflection is more effective in terms of developing self-regulation and personal development of students. The results of a survey that evaluated the perceived value of the course showed that the highest contribution was that the students acquired extensive experience in planning their learning activity, in evaluating their learning progress, their abilities and involvement. This paper can be of use for university teachers and researchers working to increase learning efficiency by introducing new education technologies.