The game as a means of teaching heuristic search methods in ecological and pedagogical education for students

The article raises the problem of using the game in environmental and pedagogical education for students' mastering the methods of heuristic search. Ecological and pedagogical education is considered as a process and result of students' readiness for ecological education, both ecological and pedagogical components including. The heuristic game is viewed as an active competitive learning mode to improve students' ecological knowledge and to master the methods of heuristic search. The idea of transferring the methodological ways of organizing the game with students to similar work with schoolchildren is put forward. The following heuristic search methods were selected available both for students and secondary school pupils: «brainstorming», «brainstorming with role-playing», «inversion» (contrary evidence), «method of associations». The target settings, steps and means of two variants of the developed game on the theme «Green School: Dream or Reality» are highlighted. The game approbation results in the work with future teachers and pupils of 6-7th grades are presented. The data obtained speak for the activity of participants in both categories, their understanding of the essence of the used heuristic methods and the possibility to transfer the methods of the game mastered by students to the practice of school education.