New practices for improving educational programs in the humanities
On April 8, the department of social work and rehabilitation held a meeting of the Stakeholder Council, which discussed proposals for improving the educational and professional programs of the first (bachelor's) level "Social work"; second (master's) level "Social work" and "Social and psychological rehabilitation" and educational and scientific program "Vocational education".
Both employers and research and teaching staff, students and even their parents were invited to the meeting. It should be noted that the All-Ukrainian scientific-practical conference of young scientists, graduate students, students and pupils "Social practices in the focus of social work" held a week ago allowed to significantly expand the circle of our stakeholders.
Doctor of pedagogical sciences, professor of the department Nina Tverezovska introduced the new members of the Board:
- Iryna Humeniuk, candidate of economic sciences, lecturer-methodist, deputy director for scientific, innovative and international activities of the Podil special educational and rehabilitation socio-economic College;
Head of training and production practice of the State Higher Educational Institution "Kyiv Mechanical and Technological College" Tetiana Bila;
Valentyna Shulik, chief specialist of the department of education, health, culture and sports of the Severodonetsk district administration of the Luhansk Region.
In a welcoming speech to the members of the Council, Iryna Sopivnyk, acting head of the separtment, noted that today the efforts of scientists of the department and employers-practitioners in training a new generation of social workers, rehabilitation instructors and scientists should be united by a threefold goal - education, science, practice. The trend of modern vocational education is to focus on the labor market, taking into account new trends in the selection of content, forms and methods of teaching. Therefore, the department of social work and rehabilitation is always happy to creative and productive dialogue with employers and other educational institutions, whether in the format of such protocol meetings, or the format of scientific seminars and conferences.
Iryna Vitaliivna noted that the meeting of stakeholders was preceded by serious work on studying the opinion of students, in particular, a large-scale survey was conducted to study their opinion on the organization of training in graduate educational and educational-scientific programs and discussed proposals for their improvement. The head of the department noted that focusing on the quality of the programs, the guarantors even studied the opinion of the students' parents. It was especially useful to study their point of view, given the realities of distance education.
Iryna Vitaliyivna invited all participants of the Stakeholders Council to express their opinion in order to achieve synergy in finding such educational practices that would contribute to the quality of training of future social workers and their benefits for clients, society and the state.
Leonid Krysov, a methodologist at the Kyiv City Center for social services, took part in the discussion of educational and professional programs on social work and the educational and scientific program "Professional education". For more than 15 years, the Kyiv Center has been a partner and a leading base of internships for students. Applicants for higher education personally know Leonid Petrovych not only through internships at the Center, but also as an intern. After all, Leonid Petrovych is a frequent guest of events held by the university. With an open heart, he is happy to work with our graduates during internships, various events held by the Center. Noting in general the high quality of the programs developed by the guarantors and the high qualification of the scientific and pedagogical staff of the department, practitioners with extensive experience, Leonid Petrovych made a detailed analysis of each of the educational programs. In particular, provided specific proposals to clarify the objectives, program learning outcomes, general and special competencies; stressed the need to expand the objects of study, clarify the wording; emphasized the differentiation of the specifics and powers of state institutions of social orientation and the clear compliance of applicants' knowledge with the State Standard of Social Services.
Leonid Krysov stressed the importance of using new communication technologies (Skype, zoom, etc.) in the practice of social work and even suggested introducing a new training course in this area "Remote Social Work".
Candidate of economic sciences, lecturer-methodist, deputy director for scientific, innovative and international activities of Podil Special educational and rehabilitation socio-economic College Iryna Humeniuk provided recommendations on forming a selective component of programs, the need to study foreign experience of social work and stressed the urgent need to increase hours for industrial practice. Iryna Leontiivna shared her experience of training social workers in their college, where the emphasis is on inclusive education and "attachment" of the topics of term papers to the real work of students on the basis of practical training. It is necessary to pay tribute to the efficiency and motivation of the staff of this college, in which out of 71 instructors only 9 do not yet have a degree, and in the ambitious plans of the team - the reorganization of the college into an institute.
Proposals to improve the educational and professional programs of the specialty "Social work" were voiced by acting director of T.H. Shevchenko Uman humanitarian and pedagogical College Zoya Kramska.
Graduates of the Kyiv higher educational institution "Kyiv Mechanical and Technological College" not only know about our university, but are already its graduates. Tetyana Bila, head of the training and production practice of this institution, stressed the need to develop the ability of future social workers to reassure the client and recommended increasing the practical component of educational programs.
Who can better evaluate the program than parents? After all, they rejoice in the success of their children, wish them the best. Therefore, the mother of our second (master's) higher education student, chief specialist of the department of education, health, culture and sports of the Severodonetsk district administration of the Luhansk region Valentyna Shulik was invited to speak. She recalled the times when her daughter entered NULES, the difficulties that helped to overcome the scientific and pedagogical staff of the department of social work. She thanked for the individual approach to children and expressed admiration for the fact that the rector of the university Stanislav Nikolaenko personally delved into the fate of each entrant, paying attention to internally displaced persons. And now their family has something to be proud of. During these minutes, when the meeting of the Council of Stakeholders took place, Valentyna Vasylivna’s daughter Darya Shulik represented our institution for the first time in the final of the second stage of the All-Ukrainian competition of student research papers in the field of “Actual problems of inclusive education”.
Ruslana Bilyk, a young and energetic graduate of our university and now a candidate of pedagogical sciences, senior lecturer at the department of social work and rehabilitation, joined the discussion of educational programs. Expressing her vision of the development of educational components of the program, Ruslana Mykolaivna jokingly and kindly envied the current generation of students, who, unlike graduates of previous years, had a great opportunity to influence the content of the programs they study.
Serhiy Mykhniuk, the leader and innovator of all youth initiatives, a third-year graduate student, and the chairman of the NULES of Ukraine graduate school council, took part in the discussion of the educational and scientific program "Professional education". He expressed a desire to pay attention to the individual educational trajectory of each graduate student, expanding the range of elective courses, and stressed the need to establish a commission in NULES on research ethics, which would provide recommendations and facilitate publication of graduate research in Web of Science and Scopus (WoS).
Oleksandra Drachuk, a graduate of the third (educational and scientific) level of higher education, the second year of study student majoring in "Vocational education", noted the high quality of the program and made suggestions for improving the block of elective subjects.
Zealous and ambitious young people strive for the prosperity of our state, and this desire is laid by the university instructors. Victoria Matsola, the winner of the second (master's) level of higher education, a multiple winner of various scientific competitions, the head of the group, had her own vision of the educational program she is studying. Highly appreciating the democratic traditions of the department in the discussion of programs, when the student is actually asked at every step, "yes" or "no"; the head instructor's desire to study students' opinions through a survey, Victoria suggested introducing online lectures for first-year masters, regardless of the availability of quarantine. According to her, this would contribute to a better professional development of future masters.
Oleksandr Alekseev, the 2nd year (bachelor's) student, was also invited to speak. He expressed the wishes of future bachelors of social work in increasing the amount of practical skills and practical training. In particular, students want to learn sign language, communicate with a practical psychologist, as well as, given the relevance of environmental skills, to cooperate with environmental unions and organizations.
The meeting allowed studying the opinion of all parties interested as future specialists; to support good initiatives and to be convinced of the ability of such a polylogue to bear useful fruits and move education forward.
Olena Varava,
senior lecturer of the department of
social work and rehabilitation
