Аннотация
Introduction This study analyses the scientific foundations and practical impact of interactive cognitive tools in integrating knowledge and cultural identity within the context of educational transformation. Drawing on the ICAP and TPACK models, the study treats interactive tools not merely as technological add-ons but as epistemologically significant mediators that foster cognitive engagement, collaborative knowledge construction, and culturally context-sensitive learning. Methods A convergent mixed-methods design was used, combining a bibliometric analysis of scientific literature from 1988 to 2025 with an empirical study based on a four-week Collaborative Online International Learning (COOIL) project involving students from Kazakhstan ( n = 32) and Uzbekistan ( n = 37). Results The quantitative results showed no statistically significant difference in overall academic achievement between the two groups ( p > .05), and a high level of inter-rater agreement ( κ = 0.84). Survey and focus-group data demonstrated that interactive cognitive tools significantly enhanced learners' intercultural communicative competence, digital literacy, and reflective understanding of cultural identity. Three key pedagogical mechanisms were identified as contributing to the formation of cultural identity: comparative cultural teaching, multimodal creative product development, and asynchronous intercultural dialogue. Discussion The findings highlight a persistent gap between technology adoption and culturally sensitive pedagogy, indicating the need to reconsider digital transformation beyond a technocentric perspective. Overall, this work contributes to an integrative conceptual framework that positions cultural identity as a structural component of transformative digital pedagogy, with implications for curriculum development, teacher training, and international educational collaboration.