The Role of Multimedia Resources in the Development of Critical Comprehension of Texts in Teaching of Language and Literature in Higher Education Institutions

The aim of the article is to determine the possibilities of using multimedia technologies for the development of critical thinking of students of higher education institutions (HIEs) in the philological context. The research used L. Starkey's test of critical thinking, observation, and conversation to study the ability to comprehend texts critically. Such criteria as the ability to argue a position, the depth of the analysis, the independence of the analysis, the level of difference between the results of one's own cognitive search and theoretical constructs from textbooks, and the quality of reflection were studied. Each of the criteria was evaluated at three levels - low, medium and high. The formative experiment made it possible to test the formulated hypothesis. The experiment's independent variable is a system of exercises aimed at developing critical thinking, which involves the use of multimedia technologies. The dependent variable is the critical thinking of education seekers. In general, the research hypotheses were confirmed, as the experimental programme demonstrated effectiveness depending on the students’ year of study. A gradual increase in the values of the studied components during undergraduate studies is recorded. The developed programme began to partially demonstrate effectiveness starting from the second year, and the greatest positive effect was recorded in the fourth year. The use of multimedia technologies provided additional developmental opportunities for the development of critical thinking in students’ work with text material. At the same time, critical reading of texts turned out to be more sensitive to pedagogical influence, compared to critical thinking in general. The obtained data can be used to strengthen the developmental effect of educational programmes of HEIs. In particular, experimental data will help to optimize the teaching of educational components in the context of developing students’ critical thinking and active civic position in the information field. The practical aspect of increasing distance learning opportunities is especially important. Further research prospects are to determine the effectiveness of using multimedia technologies for the development of students’ critical thinking when studying different academic subjects.