METHODOLOGY FOR TRAINING SERVICEMEN IN THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE STATUTES OF THE ARMED FORCES OF UKRAINE USING VR TECHNOLOGIES AND SIMULATIONS

Abstract

The article theoretically substantiates an integrated methodology for training military personnel in compliance with the requirements of the Statutes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, using VR technologies and simulations. The purpose of the study is to define the interrelated goal-oriented, content, procedural, technological, and diagnostic components of a methodology designed to transfer knowledge of statutory rules into lawful service-related action. The study employs analysis and synthesis of regulatory documents and scholarly literature, generalization of approaches to immersive and simulation-based learning, systematization of competence components, and pedagogical modeling. Statutory and legal competence is defined as the integrative ability to know, understand, value, and apply statutory requirements in practice while observing legality, subordination, and professional ethics. Its structure comprises cognitive-normative, operational-behavioral, motivational-value, communicative-subordination, and reflective-evaluative components. Simulation is distinguished as a method of organizing learning activity, whereas VR is treated as a technological environment in which a simulation may be implemented. The methodology is presented as a coherent sequence comprising the purpose, content, methodological approaches, principles, stages, methods, organizational formats, VR tools, pedagogical conditions, diagnostics, and expected outcome. It is based on competence-based, activity-oriented, contextual, simulation-oriented, and reflective approaches and is implemented through diagnostic-target, content-design, scenario-technological, immersive-practical, and reflective-corrective stages. The methods, formats, and learning tools are specified and include statutory briefing, case analysis, situational tasks, role-play and VR simulation, repeated practice, individual and group VR sessions, instructor-led debriefing, scenario passports, observation sheets, event logs, and criterion-based rubrics. The pedagogical conditions comprise normative accuracy, service authenticity, gradual increase in complexity, instructor preparedness, technological and psychological safety, systematic feedback, and criterion-based assessment. The diagnostic system is operationalized through five criteria, each represented by four indicators assessed on a common 0–2 scale; the proposed level thresholds remain provisional pending empirical validation. The scientific novelty lies in combining the normative and legal content of statutory training with staged scenario design and a complete diagnostic framework. The practical significance is the possibility of developing a bank of statute-based simulation cases, VR lessons, instructor checklists, and assessment tools. Since no completed pedagogical experiment is reported, the methodology requires further empirical testing in military units, training centers, and military education institutions.