VIRTUAL TOURS AS A MEANS OF SHAPING THE COGNITIVE INTEREST OF PRIMARY STUDENTS

Introduction. The process of modernizing modern educational activity is oriented towards changes in the system of its purposes. Today, the formation and development of the primary students' personalities come to the fore. The teachers should sharpen students' need and ability to independently acquire knowledge, continuous learning and self-development because it is one of the strategic tasks of a modern Ukrainian school. Solving the problem is impossible without the formation of each student's stable learning motives, cognitive interest, and constant desire for knowledge, which will depend on their success in education. Methods. Analysis of current literature, content analysis of basic concepts, generalization, and modelling. Purpose. The article aims to substantiate the peculiarities of using virtual tours as a means of shaping the cognitive interests of primary students. Results. An excursion is a form of educational process organization that provides an opportunity to conduct observations, and directly study various subjects, phenomena and processes in natural or artificially created conditions. Excursions have a significant cognitive and educational value, they specify, deepen and expand the knowledge of pupils. Students test their theoretical knowledge in practice and transform it into skills and abilities during excursions. The main didactic aim of excursions is to form new knowledge through direct observation of natural and social objects and phenomena, the involvement of primary students in research activities: analysis and comparison of the phenomena and objects' properties, their regularities to generalize information and learn about the surrounding world.follow the routine of the day and are not exposed to dangerous external influences. Originality. The topic and content of the excursion are determined by the program requirements of the educational subject; their disclosure is carried out using informational messages, heuristic conversations, problem-solving, discussions, and project creation, according to the cognitive interests and capabilities of pupils. Conclusion. Virtual excursions expand the horizons of primary students, develop observation, the ability to notice and appreciate small things, develop practical skills and the ability to navigate the universe. The educational value of excursions consists in observing the interconnectedness and interdependence of the world, which lays the foundations of the students' materialistic worldview, arouses interest and love for their native land, and develops teamwork skills.