Keywords
future police officers
interactive platform
OSINT tools
simulation training
scenario-based learning
How to Cite
Abstract
This article addresses the problem of modernizing the professional training of future police officers amid the rapid digital transformation of the law enforcement sector and the implementation of the Development Strategy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system for 2026–2030. The study substantiates the urgent need to bridge the "digital gap" between theoretical training at higher education institutions with specific learning conditions and the actual operational demands of practical units. This gap arises from the insufficient development of specialized digital educational content and security restrictions on cadets’ access to active law enforcement information and communication systems. The aim of this study is the theoretical substantiation and experimental verification of the effectiveness of implementing innovative digital content – the interactive platform "Virtual Investigative Case". The authors validate an anticipatory (proactive) model of police training. The methodological basis of the research is an integrated approach, combining a theoretical module, a practical simulator, and OSINT tools within a single web-based environment. The paper comprehensively details the structure of the developed platform, which includes an interactive legal support module, a simulator for practicing response algorithms to missing person reports, and a systematized catalog of verified resources for open-source information search and analysis. Special attention is given to the integration of artificial intelligence elements (chatbots) for modeling real-time verbal communication scenarios with applicants reporting a missing person. Based on the results of a pedagogical experiment conducted at the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs, the high effectiveness of the proposed methodology has been proven. Comparative analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the proportion of cadets with a high level of digital competence in the experimental group (from 15.0% to 42.0%). The study concludes that utilizing specialized educational prototypes is an indispensable strategy for ensuring the personnel readiness of the National Police of Ukraine to meet the challenges of the digital era.
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Olha Lunhol, Olha Haborets, Artur Voloboiev