Digital tools for forming environmental awareness among students

Abstract

Modern society faces serious environmental challenges, in particular climate change, depletion of natural resources, pollution of ecosystems, etc. This highlights the need to form a young generation with a high level of environmental responsibility. The article aimed to theoretically substantiate the use of digital tools to foster students' environmental awareness and to determine the pedagogical conditions for their effective use. To achieve this goal, research methods such as theoretical analysis and synthesis, systematization, and generalization of the data obtained were used. As a result of the study, it was found that environmental awareness is an integrative characteristic of a person, encompassing a system of environmental knowledge, a value attitude towards nature, and a willingness to behave in an environmentally responsible manner. The intensive development of information and communication technologies, the widespread adoption of mobile devices, cloud services, artificial intelligence, and distance learning platforms have significantly transformed the processes of obtaining, processing, and transferring knowledge. A special target audience for introducing digital tools into environmental education is students in pedagogical education, given the specifics of their future professional activities. Attention is focused on the fact that the teacher's environmental awareness serves a dual function: it is both the result of his own educational training and a tool for shaping students' environmental culture. Based on an analysis of modern pedagogical theory and practice, several key areas were identified in which digital tools demonstrate the greatest efficiency in developing students' environmental thinking in higher education. These areas included immersive technologies, geographic information systems and open data platforms, gamification and environmental simulations, platforms for collective environmental action and crowdsourcing, and interactive educational platforms. The most popular digital services used in environmental education are characterized, and their pedagogical feasibility is substantiated. It is concluded that digital tools play an important role in shaping students' environmental consciousness, as they help increase environmental awareness, develop critical thinking and foster a responsible attitude towards the environment. The own environmental consciousness of future teachers directly affects the quality of environmental education of students.