Formation Of Key Competencies: Heuristic Conversation

Abstract

Changes in social and economic spheres, growth of high-technology productions set a task for educational system to train the specialists with effective performance and constant self-development. In the modern context the orientation for proactive education and formation of competencies are necessary. Special attention should be paid to the development of key competencies, which are the base of the other skills. At present, the relevant objective is the development of pedagogic technologies directed at realizing this goal. Regarding this issue, the key role belongs to the developmental teaching. The analysis of heuristic conversation potential for forming key competencies on the basis of competency-based and technologic approaches is the objective of this research. Experience in problem solution, development of communication skills, formation of critical thinking, and ability to structure information with the help of this method are justified in the article. The obtained results can be used for further studying the forms, methods and modes of instruction, which promote the development of competencies. Also, it can be useful in teaching practice when setting a goal and choosing teaching methods.

Keywords: Heuristic conversationproblem-based learningcompetency-based approachkey competenciesthe Council of Europe

Introduction

Problem Statement

For successful socialization the graduates should possess the set of qualities and skills which can help them to adapt to the realities of the changing modern world. However, the significant part of the utilized teaching methods is typical for the industrial society, it’s directed to the acquisition of knowledge, that rapidly become outdated. It negatively impacts both the youth social progress and the overall development of the society.

At the same time, the emphasis on the competencies development allows to form an identity, able to self-development in professional and social spheres.

In other words, the shift of accent in teacher’s activity can allow to optimize the academic process with taking into account the realia of the present day.

Research Questions

The allotted task requires to clear up which forms, methods and ways of education promote the formation of one or another key, universal-cultural and professional competencies.

Purpose of the Study

The analysis of heuristic conversation usage in educational activities and revealing its potential to form key competencies among students is the research objective.

Research Methods

Competency-based and technological approaches compose the basis of the research. Competency-based approach is manifested by defining the developing and shaping the education goals that can be achieved with the help of heuristic conversation. Under the frame of such approach we can define which key competencies are being formed during the application process of this method. Technologic approach allows generalizing, systematizing, and comprehending the accumulated pedagogical experience in a theoretical way.

The methods of analysis, synthesis, abstraction, induction, interpretation were used from the number of general scientific theoretic methods. The results of research, pedagogical experience, conducted with the aim of finding more effective training methods, comparing performance of diverse forms, ways and modes of teaching compose the empirical base of the research.

Findings

Development of finding-solution skill

Taking into account the transfer to the knowledge-driven economy in human society, the tendency of increase in number of working places, with the competency “ability to resolve problems” can be traced, and the proportion of workplaces with routine labor is decreasing. The stated competency is connected to the ability to define and analyze the new obstacles and find ways of effective overcoming the difficulties as well. It is based on such features as leadership, decisiveness, outcome orientation.

Heuristic conversation possesses high potential for developing such competency during the process of education. The teacher, who knows this method, can push students to independent solution of the issue with the help of specially selected questions. That means students are not only acquiring knowledge but also getting experience in problem solution. Heuristic methods must be used on a regular basis to form neural connections that promote the search of the most effective solutions, among students.

The solution is sometimes connected to an ability to see unconventional ways and modes. That’s why the development of the considered ability is directly connected to the formation of the “ability to find new solutions”.

A lot of different vital or professional tasks have several variants of solutions. In most cases ordinary approach is quite obvious. However, modern society needs challenging ideas. The ability to find new ways can be and should be studied.

If problem methods are used during training, heuristic conversation, to be more exact, only teacher knows the final goal, the finding that students should achieve through the education process. For students, new information, acquired by resolving a problematic issue is subjectively new.

Thus, when a teacher is using this method of knowledge transfer, students get useful experience, that can be shaped during participation in research activity, which is included into the structure of most competencies.

Development of communicative skills

In the modern world any information can be received by telecommunication means. That’s why interpersonal communication among people becomes crucial. Developed social skills can help to carry on a dialogue, negotiate, defend your point of view, and take into account someone else’s opinion.

The propensity to effective communication is being shaped during professional studies, especially when a teacher is using innovative methods. Heuristic conversation is not an exception. When a teacher is asking a problem question, it’s hardly possible to get an absolute answer from a student group. Usually students start disputing, which require new clarification questions by a teacher. Communicative skills, ability to dispute and “stand fast” are being formed during accidentally born dispute.

Such experience is especially important in modern epoch, when communication is losing interpersonal character and proceeds to virtual world.

Formation of critical thinking

Constantly growing volume of information and virtualization of youngsters’ perception require work organization upon formation of critical thinking, the ability to extract information from the information traffic of credible information. It’s extremely important to conduct information analysis, draw own conclusions. To develop critical thinking a man should possess an ability to see a process or an event from different perspectives, know how to analyze and interpret information, and estimate its significance, sources quality.

Students don’t get information cut and dried but try to leap to a conclusion during the processes of thinking and discussing, acquire experience of conclusions validity estimates during educational process. Also, they get used to independent search of problem resolutions, estimate opinions of other people, and form their own attitude to it. In other words, they learn how to “think critically”.

The ability to think critically, shaped during student years, can help to make mature, considered opinions.

Structuring skills development

Acquired knowledge can be applied practically only when it is interconnected and structured.

It’s hard to overestimate the complexity of heuristic conversation when generalizing and systematizing knowledge, studying its possible usage in adjacent areas and resolving practical issues. Thus, using heuristic conversation promotes students to “organize interconnection of their knowledge and arrange it”.

In future self-organization skills will help to systematize methodological, theoretic, special knowledge, experience, got from professional activity – it will positively influence the future competency of a young specialist.

According to the analysis of modern scientific literature, the questions of forming key competencies are covered basically in publications devoted to school education. The main task of high school (in the opinion of various authors) is to develop culture-universal and professional competencies.

However, the formation of key competencies cannot be considered as completed until the moment of finishing the secondary school. Moreover, these competencies can be changed so far as new experience acquired during a life span. That’s why not only school but also university education should add to the development of key competencies.

Conclusion

According to the results of the research, the application of heuristic conversation promotes formation of various competencies, stated during the European Council’s symposium.

Students get experience from problem solutions and ability to look for new solutions because a teacher is leading them to the resolving of problems with the help of a series of questions. During discussion, emerged in debating, students develop their communicative skills. Because knowledge is acquired by searching the solutions and discussing, the critical thinking is being shaped among students at that time. Heuristic conversation, applied during the knowledge generalization, develop students’ abilities to structure information.

The results of the following article can be used for further research in different scientific spheres. First of all, the search for the most effective methods of students’ thinking organization is necessary for the formation of competencies stated in the article. Secondly, the role of heuristic conversation in the development of other key competencies (e.g., ability to cooperate, to adjust) is still open. Finally, the interconnection of key, culture-universal, professional competencies formation during the process of developmental teaching is not revealed.

The results of the research can be applied in practice, for example, when planning the developmental goals for academic studies and choosing teaching methods for achieving such goals.

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