ВИРТУАЛНА РЕАЛНОСТ В ОБУЧЕНИЕТО ПО СОЦИАЛНА РАБОТА. ВЪЗМОЖНОСТИ И ПРЕДИЗВИКАТЕЛСТВА
VIRTUAL REALITY IN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATION: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Summary/Abstract: Social work is a helping profession that requires practitioners to possess not only theoretical knowledge but also practical skills and competencies for interacting with individuals, families, communities, and groups facing diverse challenges. Social work education aims to develop these communication and interpersonal skills, which integrate personal characteristics, theoretical knowledge, and emotional self-regulation. Acquiring such competencies requires direct interaction with target groups and, therefore, a solid foundation of both theoretical and practical preparation. The development of technology has expanded opportunities for education and for the acquisition of essential practical skills and competencies. Virtual reality is a contemporary digital technology that offers such an opportunity. The article presents the results of a study on the development of virtual reality, its application in the educational system, the potential for its use in social work education, and the main challenges associated with its practical implementation. Particular attention is paid to the conditions for effective implementation, its impact on student motivation, and the development of professional competencies. A theoretical analysis was conducted based on a review of publications on the subject identified in major international academic databases. Findings from empirical studies demonstrating the impact of virtual reality technologies on the acquisition of essential practical skills for social support are also presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the ethical aspects of integrating virtual reality into the educational process. The findings highlight two main aspects: the potential of virtual reality to facilitate learning and the acquisition of practical skills in a safe and controlled environment, and the need to identify organizational, social, cultural, and psychological challenges as a prerequisite for effectively addressing and overcoming them

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