The use of active methods of teaching sociological disciplines in distance learning

Abstract

The article considers the problems of teaching and application of methods of activating the educational audience in the global pandemic COVID-19 and the transition to the format of distance and blended learning. Using examples from the experience of teaching compulsory disciplines for training specialists in sociology at the Faculty of Sociology at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev, the authors considered the possibilities of using game and projective techniques, role-based discussions, visualizing students' answers and explanations in the context of distance learning and technically mediated communication with students. The possibilities of using various online platforms and services (KNU Education Online, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Zoom, kahoot.it, triventy.com, quizizz.com, jeopardylabs.com, baamboozle.com, mentimeter.com, ArcGIS Online, Google Maps , Bing Maps) to energize student work and generate feedback from the audience. The use of distance learning methods allows us to rethink and suggest new ways to solve traditional problems of teaching in higher education, such as: the connection of theory and practice, visualization of theoretical material, activating the audience during classes. Involvement of game techniques partially overcomes the difficulties of distance learning and communication with students, which is an objective consequence of the impossibility of dialogue in the usual face-to-face format. At the same time, there are other important problems and issues of organizing the educational process, associated not only with the availability of the necessary material and technical support, but also with the willingness and ability of direct participants in the educational system to work with the necessary software — digital literacy of teachers. All this creates new challenges for the teachers, the search for alternative options for introducing the latest or updated techniques and constant reflection on the advantages and disadvantages of their use.