1. Competencies Training and Interactive Teaching Methods in Social Sciences Elena Belokurova Center for European Studies European University at St. Petersburg Workshop on New Teaching Methods, University of Helsinki, February 16-17, 2006

2. Plan Why New Teaching Methods? Why New Teaching Methods? What are competencies? What are competencies? How to teach competencies? How to teach competencies? What are the main problems? What are the main problems? How to assess competencies? How to assess competencies?

3. Why New Teaching Methods? Political and social challenges: Technological and informational progress Technological and informational progress New public management “by outcome” New public management “by outcome” Post-industrial economy Post-industrial economyAcademicchallenges: Bologna process (Bergen conference of European Ministers for HE, May 2005) Bologna process (Bergen conference of European Ministers for HE, May 2005) Theory of Curriculum development (from the end) Theory of Curriculum development (from the end)

4. What are competencies? “Cognitive abilities and skills available or learnable by individuals to solve certain problems as well as, linked to them, the motivational, volitional and social readiness and abilities to use the problem solutions in variable situations successfully and responsible” (Weinert 2001)

5. Key competencies for social sciences Critical thinking Critical thinking Academic reading and writing Academic reading and writing Communication / presentation Communication / presentation Leadership / moderation Leadership / moderation Team work Team work Creativity / flexibility Creativity / flexibility

6. It is better to integrate it into all courses than to held one special course

7. State of the art: problems European teaching: Academic reading and writing Academic reading and writing Research Research Problems with practical training Russian teaching: Knowledge transfer Knowledge transfer Problems with research and practical training

8. Some European examples of Research training methodology Learning research (Lehrforschung) Learning research (Lehrforschung) Problem based learning: Problem based learning: learning to learnlearning to learn teacher as a facilitatorteacher as a facilitator team workteam work problem identification -> literature overview -> from reading to writing -> team writing -> presentation

9. How to teach competencies? Civic – political – adults education Benjamin Bloom Taxonomy Knowledge Knowledge Comprehension Comprehension Application Application Analysis Analysis Synthesis Synthesis Evaluation Evaluation

10. Knowledge transfer Lectures: interactive presentation Lectures: interactive presentation Associations building Associations building Stories to schoolchildren Stories to schoolchildren ?

11. Comprehension Team work: explaining to the others Team work: explaining to the others Scientific conference simulation Scientific conference simulation Interactive presentations Interactive presentations Who is author and why does he write it? Who is author and why does he write it? ?

12. Application Tasks to apply technologies or methods: Tasks to apply technologies or methods: EU institutions – lobbing strategies EU institutions – lobbing strategies Fundraising technologies Fundraising technologies ?

13. Analysis Comparative statistical analysis Comparative statistical analysis Comparison of cases Comparison of cases Advantages / disadvantages Advantages / disadvantages Legislative base analysis (from parts to the general one) Legislative base analysis (from parts to the general one) ?

14. Synthesis Application of the whole knowledge Application of the whole knowledge Simulations: simple (two sides negotiations) and complicated (many roles and complicated strategy- building) Simulations: simple (two sides negotiations) and complicated (many roles and complicated strategy- building) Cases Cases ?

15. Evaluation Evaluation of the own work Evaluation of the own work Evaluation of the others’ work Evaluation of the others’ work ?

16. Assessment of students’ performance: some alternative ways (ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE, TO TRANSLATE IT FROM THEORETICAL LANGUAGE INTO PRACTICAL ONE) Practical analytical report Practical analytical report Press-release, article Press-release, article Press critic paper Press critic paper Examination of media stories Examination of media stories Background paper for politicians Background paper for politicians Political forecast Political forecast

17. Good luck!