Specific features of the use of augmented reality technologies in the process of the development of cognitive component of future professionals’ mental capacity

Abstract

Ways of development and modernization of modern higher education are largely determined by the scientific and technological progress. The article is devoted to the current issue of the augmented reality technology use in professional education. The paper analyzes foreign and domestic experience of the use of augmented reality technologies as a means educational, research and project activities implementation. The author also describes the benefits of the augmented reality technologies use for the curricula design. Taking into account the reorganization of the educational process due to pandemic isolation, caused by COVID-19, the issue of the identification of AR technologies impact on the development of cognitive component of future specialists’ mental capacity is becoming extremely relevant especially in the conditions of adaptive and blended learning. The paper, in a structured way, describes the experience of introducing the augmented reality elements in the process of developing cognitive component of future professionals’ mental capacity. The ascertaining and formative stages of the empirical research were carried out during 2020 on the basis of Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University. Relevant interdisciplinary research is a logical construct of cooperation between leading scientists of the Department of Psychology and the Department of Informatics and Cybernetics of Bogdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University. The structure of the study includes the main scientific developments in the context of the research work, performed at the expense of the General Fund of the state budget: “Adaptive system for individualization and personalization of professional training of future specialists in blended learning”. Based on certain psychological and pedagogical determinants of the AR technologies use for the development of cognitive component of the future specialists’ mental capacity, we have proposed the implementation of interactive technologies at three levels: competence-oriented, structural-cognitive, emotional-reflexive, on the example of doing the course “Introduction to Specialty (Psychology)” in the conditions of distance learning. According to the results of an interdisciplinary research, it was found out that students gained skills which are necessary for their adaptation to a new intellectual and educational environment. Due to positive qualitative and quantitative changes in the cognitive structure of personality there was an increase in the first-year students’ mental capacity in its main components (the level of attention stability and selectivity, short-term memory span and analytical thinking, level of development of special qualities necessary for mental capacity, formation of mental capacity culture).