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.

The problem and the aim. One of the problems of a modern university in the new sanitary and epidemiological conditions is the organization of students' practice. Changes are taking place when working with databases of practices, coordination of information interaction, network communication at enterprises. The purpose of the article – is an analysis of students' assessments of the organization of practice to gain professional experience before the pandemic and in the transition to distance learning technologies. Research methods. Students' assessment of the impact of distance technologies on the organization of practice was carried out during a questionnaire through forms of Microsoft Teams. 124 students of the Orel State Institute of Culture from the faculties of documentary Communications and socio-cultural activities were involved in the following areas of training: 46.03.02 Documentation and Archival Studies; 43.03.02 Tourism; 51.03.03 Socio-cultural Activities; 51.03.04 Museology and Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage Objects; 51.03.06 Library and Information Activities. The average age of respondents was 22 years (48% of girls and 52% of young people). Pearson’s criterion χ2 (chi-squared) was used for statistical data processing. Results. The questionnaire in Microsoft Teams has been developed. It contains the following blocks: "Distance technologies at the stages of the organization of practice (assessment of the spectrum, validity of the choice and problems of the means used by the university and the practice base)"; "Satisfaction with the quality of the organization of practice without the use (with use) distance technologies"; "Directions for improvement in the university / practice base". The Moodle course implements an appropriate algorithm of organizing practice based on distance technologies. Statistically significant differences in the qualitative changes in the pedagogical system were revealed, χ2observ. 2 > χ2critic0.05 (8,27 > 5,99). In conclusion, the directions of modernization of the electronic information and educational environment of the university on the organization of practice in accordance with the identified problems are described.