The author of the project "Development and introduction of methods of contextual learning in the educational process on the Master's program" Agroecological Monitoring "- Yu. A. Mandra, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Ecology and Landscape Construction of the Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture of the Stavropol State Agrarian University. The program was developed with the help of a grant from the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation, received in 2014/2015 academic year.
In the 21st century, time seemed to accelerate the rhythm of the whole world: society, processes, information flows, and with them risks and problems. New technologies change the person, forming new habits of communications. Today it is impossible to be successful if you do not adapt to change and do not learn something new. In connection with this, new requirements are imposed on modern universities, and life itself makes the "smithy" of highly professional cadres become a driver for the development of territories, take on the functions of a regional expert center, a supplier of intellectual products.
The Stavropol State Agrarian University has already largely succeeded in transforming its mission, introducing modern management technologies. One of the country's best agrarian universities is constantly expanding the range of educational products reflecting modern achievements, thanks to the emergence of teachers of the new formation, ambitious scientific projects are being implemented.
One of the developers of such projects is Yulia Mandra, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Ecology and Landscape Construction of the Faculty of Ecology and Landscape Architecture of the Stavropol State Agrarian University, who, answering our questions, spoke about the reasons for the creation and implementation of the new program.
- Julia Alexandrovna, why did you need to introduce new teaching methods in your institution? What is their innovation?
- Nowadays, most schemes for environmental decision-making are based on the concept of the "end of the pipe," that is, when environmental analysis and assessment are conducted after the adoption of basic technical solutions. However, in our time it is important to train specialists possessing a strategic ecological worldview, understanding the importance of conserving natural resources and responsible for making project decisions and choosing technical concepts with minimal negative impact on the environment. In addition, there is a need to adapt graduates to rapidly changing socio-economic conditions by developing abilities for creative thinking, cooperation with other people, which is what the methods of contextual learning are aimed at.
All these circumstances served to introduce new teaching technologies into the educational process in the field of "Ecology and Nature Management", allowing to distribute and combine available fundamental and applied knowledge, and most importantly - to use them "in an unexpected way" for practical purposes. For this purpose, an imitation game "Strategema" was introduced into the educational process under the "Agroecological Monitoring" program.
During the game, master students learn the technique of drawing up "project scenarios" in the field of environmental decision-making according to the scheme: "information - planning - solution - implementation - evaluation - approval". In other words, students acquire knowledge and skills through action, unlike receiving information in lectures. This way develops the ability to constantly update their professional skills as needed, students are able to associate their own experience with the subject of study.
- And how did the undergraduates respond to the proposed changes?
- New methods of training aroused great interest among students when doing independent work on the development of environmental measures. This is indicated by high attendance (98%), and the activity of undergraduates in the classroom. By the way, students of other master's programs also come to classes on discipline "Environmental regulation of agricultural territories".
As a result of the questionnaire (it is conducted at the faculty after passing the state examination) the undergraduates noted that it was easier for them to prepare master's theses, because they understand the importance of interdisciplinary connections. This allows them to independently "extract" knowledge from different areas, group them and concentrate in the context of a specific task.
- What has changed in your professional life after getting to know the Potanin Foundation?
- The meeting with the Foundation, or rather the grant program, allowed me to implement the long-conceived idea of introducing a practice-oriented approach in the training of undergraduates-ecologists. This increased the interest of the students themselves to the master's program. After successful implementation of this project, I became the head of the new program "Innovative Technologies in Resource Saving and Environmental Control", the curriculum of which was initially developed taking into account the experience of implementing the project on methods of contextual learning. From personal impressions, perhaps, the brightest was the meeting of all grantees, the opportunity to exchange experience in the implementation of master's programs and the passage of master classes in social design.
For reference:
For nearly 20 years, the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation has been focusing its efforts on developing the Russian higher education system and improving its quality.
To the teachers the Foundation offers individual grants up to 500 thousand rubles. to create new master's programs and courses, including English-language and online courses.
On a competitive basis, the Foundation provides scholarships to students. In total, 500 people become its fellows annually. Since 2017, the amount of monthly payments to students of the magistracy has increased to 20 thousand rubles.
GRANT COMPETITION: FOR TEACHERS OF MASTER OF 2017-2018
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