The problem and the purpose. The formation of demanded professional competencies in the training of cultural workers involves the use of various didactic technologies, including game services and platforms. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the use of a web-quest as a game technology when training future cultural specialists to develop their communicative competence. Research methods. The methodology is based on the analysis of the potential of web-quest technology for higher education, support for UNESCO initiatives and public policy. When developing a series of problems the socio-cultural space of the quest takes into account the requirements of the digital society, the possibilities of software resources in accordance with the profession specifics and the needs of the students themselves. The platform Joyteka.com is used, which allows the user to create web-quests, quizzes, tests. 58 students of the Vyatka State University are involved (Russian Federation). Web-quests are included in the disciplines "Modern Information Technologies", "The Russian Language and Culture of Speech", "History of Culture", "History of the Vyatka Region", in individual practice tasks. The authors used the method of assessing communication and organizational tendencies. The bases for practice: museums of the city and region, houses of culture, exhibition centers. Statistical data processing was performed by means of Pearson's χ2 (chi-square) test. Results. The development and application of web-quests in the experimental group was carried out in the following stages: analysis of the community demand, the possibilities of software resources in accordance with the profession specifics and socio-cultural activities; the use of digital service; thinking over the plot component and routes of movement of participants; drawing up a plan of dialogues between characters, etc. Statistically significant differences were revealed in the qualitative changes that occurred in the pedagogical system (χ2 = 10.693; p < 0.05). Conclusion presents deductions about the features of applying the web-quest to develop the communicative competence: the necessity to search for information for the plot and the place of implementation of the webquest; designation of characters and dialogues between them; the study of interactive features of the service; the compilation of texts for cards with tasks; the choice of musical accompaniment, etc. The difficulties of the proposed innovations are formulated: the creative nature of the activity when designing the sociocultural plot and the content of the game space; dependence on software in cultural institutions; technical failures of equipment; difficulties in forming and functioning of teams.

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.