ENHANCING EPISTEMIC COMPETENCE OF PHILOLOGY STUDENTS IN DIGITAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

The rapid transformation of higher education through digital technologies has changed how students acquire, evaluate, interpret, and construct knowledge. In philological education, where linguistic evidence and textual interpretation are central, epistemic competence is increasingly essential. This article analyzes theoretical and pedagogical approaches to enhancing philology students’ epistemic competence in digital learning environments. Using conceptual analysis and a critical synthesis of scholarship on epistemic cognition, digital literacy, and technology-enhanced education, the study develops a five-dimensional framework encompassing cognitive-epistemic understanding, critical analysis, metacognitive reflection, digital research, and ethical communication. It discusses problem-based inquiry, corpus-based analysis, collaborative interpretation, reflective portfolios, and critical verification of AI-generated materials as instructional strategies. These approaches are presented as pedagogical propositions rather than experimentally validated outcomes. The article argues that digital tools can support responsible academic judgment when they are accompanied by explicit instruction in evidence evaluation, awareness of uncertainty, and academic integrity. The framework provides a basis for curriculum design and future empirical research in university philology programs.