The use of game mechanics in the professional training of future teachers in working with gifted children

Abstract

The problem and the aim. One of the priorities of modern society is to create conditions conducive to the identification and development of gifted children. The training of teachers, during which the professional competencies of students are expanded to diagnose, support the abilities and talents of students, including those with special educational needs, takes place within the framework of the corresponding master's program. The purpose of the article is to investigate the impact of the use of game mechanics in the training of undergraduates, future experts in working with gifted children, on the quality of their professional training. Research methods. Authors described implementation of the game mechanics "Achievement", "Joint research", "Constraints", "Fun once – fun always", "User progress". Digital services for the gamification of education: visual designer Kodu Game Lab, virtual boards, random selection generators. 44 undergraduates of Vyatka Humanitarian University in the field of Pedagogical education are involved. Pedagogy of giftedness. Practice bases: schools, centers for the development of talented children, Orel State Institute of Culture. For additional research of students' opinions on the influence of game mechanics (on education in general, on work with gifted children, on professional development), the authors have developed a special questionnaire. The survey was performed in the MS Teams environment. The average age of respondents was 24 years (80% of girls and 20% of young people). Pearson’s criterion χ2 (chi-squared) was used for statistical data processing. Results. Gamification of the activities of undergraduates of the experimental group is presented as in the "not computer-based" form (business or board game, research project, etc.) and in the Kodu Game Lab environment. A questionnaire has been developed from three blocks: "Game mechanics in education", "Game mechanics for the development of students, including those with special educational needs", "Game mechanics for the professional development of a teacher". Statistically significant differences in the qualitative changes in the pedagogical system were revealed, χ2 observ. 2 > χ2 critic0.05 (6,71 > 5,99). In conclusion, the directions of modernization of the training of undergraduates, future teachers to work with gifted children are described, in accordance with the results of the survey.