К.п.н. Матухин Д.Л.

Томский политехнический университет, Россия

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING TECHNOLOGY

Project-based learning technology is implemented in several stages and has a cyclical view. Project activities are conducted consistently in view of the identified phases: value-oriented, constructive, presentational, assessment and reflective.

The first stage of the project cycle is value-oriented, which includes
the following algorithm of the students’ activities: understanding the motive and purpose of the activity, allocation of priority values based on which the project will be implemented, definition of project content. At this stage it is important to organize activities for the project collective discussion and organization of its implementation.

The second stage is constructive one, including proper planning. At this stage, students, joining in temporary groups or individually, perform project work: make a plan, collect information on the project, choose the form of the project (preparation of scientific reports, presentations, creating graphical models, journal, etc).

The third stage is assessment and reflective. It is based on students’ self-assessment. We emphasize that reflection accompanies each stage of project-based technology. However, emphasis of assessment and reflective stage promotes self-awareness and self-esteem. At this stage the project is executed, arranged and prepared for presentation. Assessment and reflective stage is important because each member of the project “filters” the whole perceived information, since in any case (s)he should be involved in the presentation of the project outcomes. At this stage, based on the reflection, the project can be adjusted (accounting criticisms of tutors or group mates). Students think as follows: how we can improve it, what failed, what did not work, contribution of each member.

The fourth stage is presentational when project is represented to the audience. Presentation is the result of group and individual activity, the result of collective and individual work. Project presentation takes place both in the playing form (round tables discussion, press conferences, public examination), and non-playing form. Students present not only the results and conclusions but describe the methods by which the information was obtained, report on problems encountered during the project, demonstrate their knowledge, skills, creativity, spiritual and moral values. At this stage, students acquire and demonstrate experience of presenting the results of their activities.

In the pedagogical and methodological literature it is accepted to provide the following types of projects:

· Research projects require a well thought-out structure, defined goals, and relevance of the subject of research for all participants, social significance, deliberate methods, including research and development, data processing methods. Such projects completely subordinate to the logic of research and have a structure, approximate or fully coincident with the original scientific research.

· Creative projects usually do not have fully-developed structure of the joint activities of the participants, it is only planned and developed subject to the genre of the end result, due to the genre and launched by the logic of joint activities, interests of the participants of the project. However, presentation of results of the project requires a well thought-out structure in the form of a movie script, dramatization, holiday programs, etc., essay plans, articles, reports, etc., design and newspaper columns, almanac, album, etc.

· Adventure, game-playing project, whose structure is also only planned and will remain varying until the end of the project. Participants take on certain roles because of the nature and content of the project. The results of these projects are planned in the beginning of the project and can emerge only at the end. The degree of creativity is very high, but still the dominant activity is a role-playing, adventure.

· IT project initially aimed at collecting information about an object, phenomenon, introduction of the project to participants, analysis and compilation of facts intended for the general audience. Such projects as well as research require a well thought-out structure, possibility of systematic correction of the project course. Such projects are often integrated into research projects and made them an integral part of it or a module.

· Practice-oriented project has a clearly defined result from the beginning of the performance of its members. Such a project requires a well thought-out structure, even scenario of the whole participants’ performance with the definition of functions of each member, clear outputs and participation of all participants when designing the final product. It is particularly important good organization of coordination work in terms of staged discussions, adjusting collective and individual efforts in the organization of result presenting and its possible implementation in practice, organization of systematic external evaluation of the project.