The training sessions for the academic staff of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University within the framework of the MoPED project

Extremely productive the training sessions for teachers of our university were carried out as part of the EU project Erasmus + “Modernization of Pedagogical Higher Education by Innovative Teaching Instruments – MoPED” (No. 586098-EPP-1-2017-1-UA-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), which lasted for 3 days – May 29-31, 2019. The training was conducted on the basis of the study visits of the academic group of the project to European partner-universities (University of Cyprus, Deusto University, Krakow Mining and Metallurgical Academy).

In the trainings, which were held simultaneously in three groups, participated 80 teachers from different faculties, which train future specialists in 013 Primary Education and 014 Secondary Education Specialties.

Throughout the training, the participants were offered the following training topics: Inquiry Based Learning. Online / virtual labs and simulations. Digital Learning Tools (Professor Olena Budnyk); Student Learning Outcomes. Formative and summative assessment. Open School: domestic and foreign experience (Associate Professor Tetyana Blyznyuk); Peculiarities of creating and using of Inquiry Learning Spaces. Flipped Learning at an institution of higher education (Associate Professor Victoria Gnezdilova); Critical thinking as a means of counteracting manipulations and fake information. Feedback techniques in the process of interaction between a teacher and a student (Associate Professor Inna Chervinska); Valuable benchmarks for the modernization of higher pedagogical education. Class management: “teacher – entrepreneur” (Associate Professor Oksana Dzhus).

As the chair of the academic group of the project Professor Olena Budnyk noted, the main goal of the training was to familiarize the university academic staff with the best European educational practices in teaching STEAM subjects, the experience of using innovative tools and teaching methods in institutions of general secondary and higher education, and also establish an affiliate teamwork interaction. Therefore, in each of the three groups of participants there were representatives of almost all faculties. The participants showed particular activity and responsibility for participation in joint work shops, worked in groups, presented interesting projects that were developed, received new ideas on the implementation of innovative technologies in the educational process using digital learning tools (QR-codes, Plickers, Kahoot, Mentimeter, Mind Maps, etc.), acquired new professional skills, exchanged experience.

At the end of the trainings there was a feedback on the relevance, innovation and practical orientation of the offered activities, efficiency of the exercises, general impressions about the possibilities of establishing a joint work of teachers of various areas of scientific research. All the participants received certificates of advanced training in the amount of 30 hours and discussed the prospects of cooperation on the establishment of MoPED Educational Ecosystem at the University in order to modernize the content of higher education in the context of improving professional training of teachers for the New Ukrainian School with the use of innovative pedagogical technologies.