Social Network as a Digital Educational Resource in Teacher Training

Abstract

The study is devoted to the relevant issue of educational resources that ensure the quality growth of the teacher training within the framework of the learning area of «Pedagogy». A virtual study group on the VK platform is considered as an effective digital resource. The study reveals the possibilities of the socio-digital environment as a component of blended learning in the professional teacher training within the subject “Pedagogy”. It also describes the forms of organizing interactive learning, determines the types of tasks for the students’ independent activity in the network, and clarifies the teacher’s role in the new conditions of interaction with students. As a result, the study shows that organization of academic interaction of students in a socio-dig- ital environment in the format of a virtual study group allows them to activate their independent cognitive and creative activities, to diversify the forms of educational activities by expanding the field of cooperative interaction of students. This compensates for the limited amount of classroom work and, consequently, increases the durability and meaningfulness of the pedagogical knowledge, ensures the formation of the student’s own system of pedagogical values and attitudes, their desire to continuously strive for professional self-development. The purpose of the study is to identify the educational potential of the socio-digital environ- ment in order to expand the field of academic interaction of students in the study of pedagogy. Methodology. The methods of included observation, survey, the study and analysis of the products of students’ activities, generalization of pedagogical experience made it possible to iden- tify the features and ways of productive interaction of undergraduate students in a socio-digital environment in order to advance in pedagogical knowledge and to understand it better. In conclusion, the capabilities of a virtual learning group in a social-digital environment as an educational resource are summarized and it is concluded that the introduction of new digital tools into the educational process of higher education ensures an improvement in the quality of pedagogical training of future teachers.