One of the main aspects of studying databases in higher education institutions by future IT specialists is database design and software product development. This, in turn, is the most important problem of the developer’s interaction with the customer. To facilitate the process of database design, ER-diagrams are used, which are based on the concepts of “Entity” and “Relationship”. An ER diagram allows you to present a database in the form of visual graphical objects that define a specific subject area. The article considers the available cloud services for the construction of ER-diagrams for learning databases of future IT specialists and their selection the method expert evaluation. For this purpose, the criteria and indicators for the selection of cloud services for the construction of ER-diagrams of databases by future information technology specialists have been determined. As a result, it was found that the cloud services Dbdesigner.net and Lucidchart are the most convenient to learn. It is determined that for a teacher of a higher education institution the use of cloud services is an opportunity to use licensed software in education without additional costs.

The article presents the possibilities of using game simulator Sotware Inc in the training of future software engineer in higher education. Attention is drawn to some specific settings that need to be taken into account when training in the course of training future software engineers. More and more educational institutions are introducing new teaching methods, which result in the use of engineering students, in particular, future software engineers, to deal with real professional situations in the learning process. The use of modern ICT, including game simulators, in the educational process, allows to improve the quality of educational material and to enhance the educational effects from the use of innovative pedagogical programs and methods, as it gives teachers additional opportunities for constructing individual educational trajectories of students. The use of ICT allows for a differentiated approach to students with different levels of readiness to study. A feature of any software engineer is the need to understand the related subject area for which the software is being developed. An important condition for the preparation of a highly qualified specialist is the independent fulfillment by the student of scientific research, the generation, and implementation of his idea into a finished commercial product. In the process of research, students gain knowledge, skills of the future IT specialist and competences of the legal protection of the results of intellectual activity, technological audit, marketing, product realization in the market of innovations. Note that when the real-world practice is impossible for students, game simulators that simulate real software development processes are an alternative.

The authors substantiates and develops the model of using cloud-based environment (CBE) in the training of databases of future information technology (IT) specialists, which consists of interrelated units: target (purpose, task of using CBE), conceptual (pedagogical approaches, didactic principles), organizational and semantic (characteristics of CBE, basic requirements for CBE, subjects of training, CBE of the teacher, CBE of the student, curricula of institution of higher education, educational-methodical complex of discipline “Databases”, installation and configuration of database management system, development of educational material from the database in electronic form, selection of cloudbased systems of distance learning, introduction of cloud-based systems of distance learning in the training of students’ databases, selection of CBE in database training (databases, forms, methods, tools), evaluative (criteria, indicators, levels of professional and practical competence of future IT specialists on the use of CBE in database training), effective (increased formation of the information and communication technologies of future IT specialists on the use of CBE in database training).

The article presents the possibilities of using game simulator Game Dev Tycoon to develop professional soft competencies for future engineer programmers in higher education. The choice of the term “gaming simulator” is substantiated, a generalization of this concept is given. The definition of such concepts as “game simulation” and “professional soft competencies” are given. Describes how in the process of passing game simulations students develop the professional soft competencies. Professional soft competencies include: the ability to work in a team; ability to cooperate; ability to problem-solving; ability to communicative; ability to decision-making; ability to orientation to the result; ability to support of interpersonal relations; ability to use of rules and procedures; ability to reporting; ability to attention to detail; ability to customer service; ability to sustainability; ability to the manifestation of professional honesty and ethics; ability to planning and prioritization; ability to adaptation; ability to initiative; ability to Innovation; ability to external and organizational awareness.

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