ELECTRONIC SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AS A UNIVERSAL TOOL FOR DEVELOPING FUTURE TEACHERS’ DIGITAL COMPETENCE

Abstract

The aim of the research is to study the opportunities of using the electronic social networks for developing future teachers’ cognitive, creative, communicative and collaborative skills. The research was conducted at Donbas State Pedagogical University. 90 future primary school teachers and 40 university lecturers are involved in the research work that includes the use of social networks for developing cognitive, creative, communicative, and collaborative skills while studying the university courses. The research results are presented as the comparative analysis of the indicators of future teachers’ cognitive, creative, communicative, and collaborative skills which were obtained at the initial (2014) and final (2018) stages of the experimental programme. The author analyses the research results according to five blocks: students’ preference and motivation to use electronic social networking sites; the use of the electronic social networking sites for developing the cognitive skills; the use of the electronic social networking sites for developing creative skills; the use of the electronic social networking sites for developing collaborative skills; the use of the electronic social networking sites for developing communicative skills. The author claims that future teachers’ digital competence improves while taking part in individual and group learning; in personal learning; while using social networks for the purpose of informing about the university events, for conducting extracurricular activities, non-formal and informal education, project activities etc. It was proved that the conditions, which contribute to the successful implementation of social networking sites in the educational process of higher educational institution, include an active, conscious and cultural use of electronic social networking sites by students, as well as university lecturers’ understanding and concern about implementing these educational digital resources in their professional activities.