Levels of aesthetic and conceptual experience of a contemporary student in the digital framework

Aim . Spiritual and aesthetic development of younger generations becomes especially important in the period of crises. One of the spiritual resources to be applied is an aesthetic and conceptual experience, which reflects students’ aesthetic education. The research objective is to determine and outline some process features of students’ aesthetic education (levels of aesthetic and conceptual experience). Methodology and methods . The research has been conducted in the framework of post-classical (humanitarian) educational paradigm including the ideas of integrated approach, holistic approach, structuring educational phenomena on each step of their development, anthropological approach to the contextual features of aesthetic experience, personality-centered approach and real event approach. The research methods can be divided into the following groups: theoretical (analysis and synthesis of the postulates found in philosophical, psychological and educational works with movement from abstract ideas to particular experiences), hermeneutics methods such as interpretation, dialogue comprehension, students’ reflection description, empirical methods including observation, questionnaires, interview, reflexive essays, creative works analysis, projective tests, diagnostic and formation experiments. Results . Aesthetic and conceptual experience is defined as the way students live through different aesthetic events. The process of aesthetic and conceptual experience formation includes four levels: spiritual estrangement (non-existential), lack of aesthetic and conceptual experience (emotive), acquisition of aesthetic and conceptual experience (reflexive), values transformation (spiritual). Theoretical and/or practical significance can be described in terms of the features and levels of students’ aesthetic and conceptual experience in the framework of growing digital influence. The revealed levels of formation of this experience make it possible to give a conceptual character to the teacher’s activities in the field of aesthetic education of students, and open up the possibility of improving the organization of the educational process in higher education institutions. Conclusions . Aesthetic and conceptual experience is considered as the content of aesthetic education of students. The dynamics of students’ aesthetic education process is determined by the aesthetic and semantic experience formation logic from the ability to perceive aesthetic values through emotional and sensual living to the value-semantic transformation of the student’s personality. In the course of experimental work, four levels of formation of aesthetic and conceptual experience of students were revealed. These levels are the basis for the development of means of aesthetic education of students and law-abiding aesthetic and semantic activity of the educator.