In the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, the preparation of scientific diploma studieson interdisciplinary orientation (specialty “Primary education”, “Informatics”, “Graphic design”) was startedin the framework of synergy of international projects ERASMUS + “MoPED: Modernization of higher pedagogical education on the use of innovative teaching tools” (No. 586098-EPP-1-2017-1-UA-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP) and GameHub: Cooperation of Universities and Enterprises in the Gaming Industry in Ukraine (№56128-EPP-1-2015-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP).
In this context December 17, 2018 the first interdisciplinary defense of Master’s researches was carried out by the team of teachers and students of the three structural units of the university. In particular, the students Iryna Tereshkun (specialty “Primary Education”, “Informatics”) and Tetyana Tsitsyura (specialty “Graphic Design”) presented a joint work “Economic education of general secondary education students at STEAM lessons by means of educational computer games”. Vira Kopylchuk (specialty “Primary education”, “Informatics”) and Anna Blinova (specialty “Graphic design”) defended their works – “Integrated teaching of students in the New Ukrainian school by means of ICT (on the example of the lessons of natural and mathematic cycle)”.
The scientific supervisors of the research works were Prof. Olena Budnyk, Associate Professors: Oleg Chuiko, Olga Dudka, Maria Semankiv. Scientific consultant – Prof. Galyna Mykhailyshyn.
The students presented the results of joint scientific work, in particular the theoretical aspects of integrating pedagogical and artistic knowledge into computer programming of educational games for primary school students; own pedagogical and graphic design of computer learning games “Travel of the Purse” and “Wheat Ear” at the lessons of the natural-mathematic cycle; programming opportunities for the creation of educational games for STEAM lessons in order to increase students’ financial literacy, innovative forms and methods of integrated work with the students of the New Ukrainian school, etc.
The leader of the MoPED project team’s academic staff Olena Budnyk, during the defense, noted that the developed and tested during the pedagogical experiment computer training games is a idependently developed educational product which can be recommended for practical use by teachers of a modern primary school. She also emphasized the need for introduction of interdisciplinary researche at the university, in particular the development and approval of the relevant provision, the training algorithm for such type of works, their official documentation and more. The Professor also pointed out the usefulness of the partnership of the team of teachers and students of various specialties of the university, which promotes the development of creativity, establishment of friendly professional contacts, creation of the environment for discussing scientific perspectives.
GameHub Project was introduced by Ph.D., Associate Professors of the Department of Computer Sciences and Information Systems Vitaliy Gorelov and Viktor Rovinsky. They drew attention to some problematic organizational issues that took place at various stages of work on diploma projects, in particular, in the process of creating a computer design of the educational game. They expressed the hope that the launch of such interdisciplinary scientific research will form the basis for the creation of appropriate educational programs in the direction of the international scientific projects Erasmus +, which are implemented at the university.
Synergy of MоPED and Gamehub International scientific Projects at the Precarpathian National University
