PEDAGOGICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF ORGANIZING LABORATORY SESSIONS FOR THE COURSE "COMPUTER NETWORKS" USING VIRTUAL LABORATORIES

This article analyzes the pedagogical effectiveness of organizing laboratory sessions for the "Computer Networks" course in higher education institutions using virtual laboratories (simulation and emulation software such as Cisco Packet Tracer, GNS3, and EVE-NG). The study presents a comparative analysis of learning outcomes, students' independent work skills, and their interest in the subject between experimental and control groups. The results demonstrated that the use of virtual laboratories significantly improves the quality of the educational process.