The use of pedagogical cues for the development of students’ soft skills

In this article, the author continues and reveals from a new point of view the study of topical issues, previously begun in her dissertation research. The article is devoted to the analysis and evaluation of the effectiveness of the use of pedagogical cues, digital among them, for the development of soft skills of university students. The educational process using such tools can be quite individualized and adapted to most modern challenges, for example, the conditions of a pandemic or widespread digitalization. The relevance of the study is associated with the introduction of the Federal State Educational Standard for Higher Education, which specifies a definite set of competencies, which partially coincides with soft skills. Several variants of the soft skills classifications and their correlation with the competencies adopted in the educational standard are presented. A comparative analysis of domestic and foreign studies related to the development of skills and competencies among students of higher education was carried out. The integration of certain pedagogical supports and soft skills, primarily those of critical and creative thinking, is described in detail. The novelty of the study is associated with the use of the author's monograph “Magic of Methodology. Teaching with the help of the Table of Pedagogical cues”, which examines and classifies 164 pedagogical cues in detail, as well as indicates possible options for their use, including the use of information and communication technologies. The similarities and differences between digital pedagogical supports and electronic educational resources are considered. It has been proved that not all educational information can be a cue. The ways of further research in the field of pedagogical cues application in the educational process of the university for the development and formation of certain students’ skills for their professional and personal development, are presented.