Organization of project activity in education of students in higher education institutions

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Lviv Polytechnic National University

Research department University of the National Education Commission

Organization of project activity in education of students in higher education institutions

Bilushchak Т.,

Bakhmach L.

Introduction

At the stage of formation of the information society, future specialists of their specialty need new mechanisms of interaction between theory and practice. In order to increase the competitiveness of university graduates in the labor market, there is an urgent need to introduce the most modern learning technologies that would stimulate the activation of critical thinking, the development of a creative approach to solving technological problems. One of the effective modern innovative educational environments of higher education institutions, is the project method.

The research objective of the article is to substantiate the project activity in the education of students of higher education institutions.

The research methodology is based on the application of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalization, systematization, classification), as well as theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the organization of project activity in the educational environment.

The topic of organizing project activity in the educational process is constantly in the field of view of local scientists and was considered in various aspects of scientific investigations. Among the researchers of this issue, it is necessary to name such researchers as: Kravchenko G., Lukyanova L., Sysoeva S., Tadeush O., Potapchuk O., Bem I., and others.

Presenting main material

Project activity stands out as a dynamic and essential element within the educational process, fostering the conditions for the creative self-development and self-realization of students. It serves as a catalyst for shaping the vital life competencies identified by the Council of Europe as fundamental in the 21st century: multicultural, speech, informational, political, and social skills.

In the contemporary educational landscape, the primary objective of project technologies in schools is to facilitate the development of key competencies. The emphasis is on cultivating informational competency, encompassing the ability to conduct effective search activities, formulate action plans, process information, and engage in fruitful information exchange. Furthermore, there's a focus on the ability to learn throughout life, nurturing the capacity to plan and organize one's activities. Entrepreneurial competency comes to fruition through the adept and articulate presentation of one's ideas, while social competency ensures the ability to express one's civic position thoughtfully and competently.

The project method is a pedagogical approach aimed at attaining didactic objectives through the comprehensive resolution of a problem, culminating in a tangible, practical outcome crafted in a thoughtful manner. To realize this objective, students are tasked with cultivating independent thinking, problem delineation and resolution, integration of knowledge from diverse educational domains, discernment of cause-and-effect relationships, and anticipation of consequences arising from the implementation of various options.

Implementation of projects is calculated for a certain period of time, during which independent, individual, pair and group work will be carried out.

At its core, the project method seeks to foster critical thinking, enhance cognitive skills, and instil the ability to autonomously construct knowledge and navigate the information space within students. This educational methodology is centered on the self-directed activities of students within a specified discipline or through interdisciplinary integration, whether undertaken individually or collaboratively and within a stipulated time frame.

The project method seamlessly integrates with a group-based learning approach, entailing the systematic resolution of a given problem. This involves the utilization of diverse learning methods and tools, incorporating competencies spanning various scientific, engineering, technological, and creative disciplines. Completed projects are expected to yield specific outcomes; for theoretical problems, the result should manifest as a method of resolution, while practical issues necessitate a development ready for implementation [1, P. 60].

While student project activity shares some characteristics with professional project activity, it possesses distinctive qualities related to motivation, purpose, and outcomes due to its unique nature as a form of educational engagement. These distinguishing features are evident in the structured framework of student project activity, as illustrated in Figure 1 [2, P. 105].

Fig. 1. Structure of project activities

Depending on the predominant field of knowledge and the age distribution of participants, each stage of the project method is infused with specific content. Let's delve into this conceptualization of the structure:

* The Stage of Goal Setting: This marks the initiation of the project, where students gain awareness of a specific task, shaping the foundation for project organization.

• The Stage of Work Planning: At this juncture, participants engage in selecting a course of action, constituting the planning phase of the project, where strategies and approaches are determined.

• The Implementation Stage: This phase involves executing planned activities, accompanied by ongoing monitoring and, if necessary, restructuring, constituting the core of project implementation.

* The Stage of Results Assessment: Following project execution, this stage involves checking outcomes, rectifying errors, comparing achieved results with the planned ones, summarizing the work, and conducting an overall evaluation-culminating in the project summary. A detailed depiction of the structure of students' project activities is provided in the diagram (Fig. 1) [3].

The project approach enhances the management technologies employed in the educational activities of higher education students, serving various functions-didactic, cognitive, developmental, educational, and socializing. These functions are specifically aligned with the tasks assigned to students [4, P. 19].

Didactic Function: This function is geared towards nurturing the ability to independently construct knowledge, acquainting individuals with effective methods of information processing, fostering the capacity to articulate and present work results, and instilling self-organization skills.

Cognitive Function: The cognitive aspect focuses on heightening students' motivation to seek out new knowledge, cultivating the ability to generate, articulate, and defend personal ideas, and nurturing skills related to emotional and voluntary conduct.

Developmental Function: Central to the developmental function is the enhancement of creative and research capabilities within the student's personality. This includes fostering the ability for self-determination and a comprehensive understanding of subjects, as well as honing critical thinking, analysis, and reflection skills. Additionally, the function encompasses the development of effective communication skills and abilities.

Educational Function: The educational function goes beyond imparting subject-specific knowledge; it involves instilling significant universal values and fostering a sense of responsibility and self-discipline among students.

Socializing Function: With a focus on societal integration, the socializing function is dedicated to shaping effective communication skills within the broader community. It also contributes to the development of an individual's unique perspective on events, understanding one's capabilities, and recognizing personal significance within team-oriented endeavours, including the planning and execution of activities. innovative educational project activity student

The objective of project activity is to foster students' capacity to autonomously navigate through all its phases, seamlessly transitioning from formulating the purpose of their own endeavours to the proficient implementation of project operations. This encompasses the journey from project initiation to the exercise of self-control and self-evaluation, ultimately cultivating the prowess to execute operational and executive functions effectively.

The development of project activity involves a progression through several stages, beginning with the introduction and understanding of this novel type of endeavour, followed by the initial acquisition of its principles, and ultimately leading to the independent mastery and execution of various project stages. Through this process, individuals cultivate skills that collectively constitute the ability to undertake effective project actions. To construct a tangible model of design and technological activity within the confines of a higher education institution, certain crucial steps need to be taken [5, P. 16]:

• Incentive Organization by Departments: Departments should orchestrate a targeted set of incentives designed to stimulate the cultivation of students' projective thinking and foster a keen interest in project-technological activities.

• Algorithm Familiarization: Students must be acquainted with the project implementation algorithm, along with an understanding of the technological components integral to the process.

• Promotion of Creative Interpersonal Interaction: Creating an environment that encourages creative interpersonal interaction between teachers and students at every stage of project implementation is vital. This facilitates a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

• Activation of Social Activity: There should be an active promotion of social activity among all participants engaged in design and technological endeavours, emphasizing the emotional experience inherent in the process itself.

In his work, Tadeusz O. proposes a comprehensive typology of educational projects, classifying them based on various distinguishing features: according to the type of activity that dominates the project (research, search, creative, role-playing, applied, informational, game, familiarization-oriented); by subject content field of knowledge (single project, interdisciplinary project); by the nature of project coordination (direct; indirect); by the nature of contacts (participants of the same group, educational institution, city); by the number of participants (individual, pair, group); according to the duration of the project (short-term, medium-term, long-term); by degree of complexity: simple, complex, complex (includes two or more subprojects or involves different types and forms of creative activity); by the nature of partnership interactions between design participants (cooperative, competitive, competitive); according to the nature of target attitudes: realization of an idea or plan; receiving aesthetic pleasure; overcoming intellectual barriers; acquisition of new knowledge and experience; by professional orientation (communication, environmental, social); by interdependence with other projects (separate, end-to-end, spiral, similar); according to the level of independent performance (performed together with the teacher; with other students and the teacher; with other students without the guidance of the teacher; mostly independently); by execution time: during school hours (current, final); in extracurricular time; partly during school and extracurricular time; according to the final result (material, personal); according to the form and methods of organization (business game, practical work, etc.); by essential characteristics: created (productive), related to labor activity; consumer (preparation of excursions, information services, etc.); problem solving project (scientific and research); exercise project (training and training project for mastering certain skills [6, P.143].

Let's delve into the specifics of Research projects, characterized by a predominant focus on in-depth research activities. These projects closely mirror the structure of scientific research, encompassing crucial elements such as the identification and formulation of the research problem, definition of its subject and object, development of a comprehensive plan, generation of solutions, establishment of clear goals, selection of methodology, formulation of hypotheses, application of appropriate research methods and information sources, meticulous processing and systematization of data, and comprehensive discussion of obtained results. The outcomes of research projects often take diverse forms, including the creation of theses, articles, reports presented at scientific conferences, essays, analytical works, studies, and the synthesis of prospective pedagogical experiences, culminating in the completion of diploma theses.

Creative projects are characterized by a flexible approach to joint activities, focusing primarily on agreement regarding planned outcomes and the chosen presentation format. These projects can take various forms such as essays, films, newspapers, videos, events, games, expeditions, and more. The design process for creative project outcomes involves structuring elements like video film scripts, work plans, articles, reports, event programs, designs, newspaper columns, and albums.

Role-playing projects share a similar open-ended structure with creative projects, evolving as the work progresses. The unique aspect of role-playing projects lies in their reliance on participant roles, often revolving around literary characters or fictional heroes. These projects boast a high degree of creativity, with role-playing elements taking precedence. Project outcomes are either planned at the project's onset or emerge organically towards the conclusion of the implementation phase.

Information projects serve the purpose of gathering, summarizing, and analyzing information related to a specific phenomenon or object. The project's structure encompasses:

a) Introduction: Addressing the relevance of the project, its purpose, and identification of information sources.

b) Information Processing: Involving stages such as analysis, generalization, comparison, and drawing conclusions from the gathered information.

c) Result:Culminating in the creation of a tangible output, which could be an article, abstract, report, video, etc.

d) Presentation: Showcasing the results through various means, such as publication or teleconference discussions.

Introductory projects, a subset of information projects, seamlessly integrate into research projects as an organic module. Their primary aim is information search and analysis, sharing a structural similarity with subject-research projects. The structure is determined by the subject of the information search, phased search activities with designated intermediate results, analysis of collected facts, formulation of general conclusions, exploration of specific information areas, analysis of new facts, generalizations, and final conclusions. The project concludes with the presentation of results, often involving discussions, formal presentations, and external evaluations.

Practically oriented projects operate on the premise that the outcomes of participants' endeavours are established from the project's inception and are geared towards addressing the social interests of the participants. These projects necessitate a well- defined structure, outlining the participants' activities through a structured scenario that assigns specific functions to each contributor. Central to this approach is the active involvement of each participant in shaping the final product. Critical elements of these projects include the organization of coordination efforts, which involves step-by-step discussions, the fine-tuning of collective and individual contributions, and the systematic organization of obtained results. This meticulous approach ensures the seamless implementation of results in practical settings, underscoring the project's tangible impact on real-world scenarios.

Conclusions

This study has delved into the various types and stages involved in organizing project activities. It is noteworthy that the project method's versatility, demonstrated through its diverse goals and tasks, underscores its multifunctionality. This versatility is anchored in its didactic, cognitive, educational, socializing, and developmental functions. Through the application of the project method in the educational process, a significant impact is anticipated in the development of students' intellectual capacities. This includes the cultivation of skills such as working with information, analysis, systematization, generalization, establishing associations with previously studied material, drawing conclusions, and formulating ideas. Importantly, students gain practical experience in exploring options for problem-solving within their subject area, foreseeing potential consequences of decisions, articulating and justifying their perspectives, and forecasting the outcomes of their actions. The integration of the project method thus stands to enrich the educational experience, fostering a holistic and dynamic development of students' cognitive and practical skills.

References

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2. Komar T. Methodology of project activity: theoretical aspect. Collection of Scientific Works of the Khmelnytskyi Institute of Social Technologies of the University "Ukraine". 2013. №2. С. 102-107. [in Ukrainian].

3. Vashchenko L. Management of innovative processes: a monograph. Kyiv: VOC "Tirazh", 2005. 379 p. [in Ukrainian].

4. Lukyanova L. Technology of project activity organization. The Image of a Modern Teacher. 2009. №10. P 16-21. [in Ukrainian].

5. Kravchenko G. & Movmyga N. Project approach as a component of pedagogical innovation on the way to high-quality higher professional education: monograph. Pedagogical and psychological sciences: development prospects in countries of Europe at the the beginning of the third millennion: Collective momograph Volume 2. Riga Izdevnieciba “Baltija Publishing”, 2018 P. 192-209. [in Ukrainian].

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