Historical and pedagogical analysis of the information technology integration in the educational practice of higher education

The article is devoted to historical-reflective analysis of two main stages, reflecting the integration of information technology in the educational practice of universities. The historical analysis of documentary sources and research works of famous scientists in the field of pedagogy, psychology and cybernetics demonstrated the continuity of the development of information technology and higher education and allowed us to identify two main stages of the information technology integration in the practice of higher education. It is assumed that the first stage is based on the ideas of cybernetic approach to higher education didactics. It includes the ideas of programmed, challenging and developmental learning. They were formed in the first half of the twentieth century and were provided with the introduction of audiovisual equipment and automated control systems in the educational process of this period. The second stage of the information technology integration in the didactics of universities is considered to be the modern stage that developed at the beginning of the new millennium. It is characterized as a stage in the development of distance education, provided by different platforms of Internet technologies. The achievements and shortcomings of the implementation of these technologies during their gradual implementation in educational practice are noted. The possibilities of their use in the realities of the current social situation are revealed.