G.Muradilova, S.Abdykarimova

Sh.Ualikhanov Kokshetau State University, Abai KazNPU

ELTHE COURSE AT NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY

 

One of priority problems of the system of professional development currently is professional development of higher education institutes teachers and formation of a higher school pedagogical team corresponding with modern life requirements. This is because the results of social and economic and spiritual development of the society depend on the level of teachers’ professionalism, their ability of continuous education.

Under the auspices of RIPKSO (Republican Institute for Development of Leading and Research-Pedagogical Staff  of Education System of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the branch of JSC "The National Center for Professional Development "Orleu") a group of teachers from different Kazakhstan’s universities took on-line courses (for a fortnight) on professional development and had full-time courses (from 03.12.2012 till 14.12.2012) on the program of Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ELTHE) at Newcastle University (Great Britain).

Course Aims:

- Exposure of participants to leading edge academic practice and new approaches to Higher Education;

- Establishment of a personal development plan for each participant;

- Introduction of practical skills enabling participants to critically evaluate their own academic practice;

- Introduction to the latest on-line technology;

- Promotion of self-reflection at all stages;

- Development of a mutually supportive cohort of trained academics.

         The following teaching methods have been considered during Newcastle University sessions:

- interactive lectures,

- presentations,

- work in pairs and small groups,

- individual study, on-line training,

- discussions,

- project/ case-study work;

activities:

- observation of Newcastle teaching,

- Robinson Library visit,

- individual and group tasks and discussion,

- use of online resources,

- microteaching and feedback,

- consultations.

         The workshops in Newcastle were interesting and informative:

- student learning & ideas about learning,

- assessing and promoting learning,

- project supervision,

- writing skills for academics,

- online learning & learning technology,

- interactive lecturing, critical thinking,

- teaching small groups,

- module design,

- assessing your development needs & planning future development.

The teachers used the materials of Newcastle University provided in Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – CourseSites for achieving objectives and realizing the course tasks.

The technical support of the following didactic properties of CourseSites is worth paying attention to:

publication of educational and methodical  information in multimedia mode;

pedagogical communication between subjects and objects of the educational process in real and postponed time;  

opened in time and space distant access to information resources.

Sessions of Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ELTHE) in Newcastle University are very useful for higher education institutions teachers and provide with:

developing pedagogical and methodical skills on the basis of studying advanced foreign experience;

development of methods and styles of interaction with trainees on humanization and democracy principles;

development of abilities and skills of analyzing educational process;

development of abilities and skills of self-analyzing his/her educational activities;

familiarizing higher education institutions teachers with research activities in the sphere of higher school methods and didactics.

We would like to thank the courses developers and leaders for their professionalism and given possibility of familiarizing  and advanced study of modern trends in the sphere of higher school education.

All the facilitators showed a high professional level and their mastering different teaching methods made a deep unforgettable impression on us and our colleagues.

 

References:        

1.     http://ncl.ac.uk/

2.     http://www.coursesites.com