Ecological project "Revitalization of the river the Second River": a project approach to teaching students

• Ivanenko N.V.

  Natalya V. Ivanenko. Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. Vladivostok. Russia

• Egor O. Sazonov

  Egor O. Sazonov. Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service. Vladivostok. Russia

On the example of the environmental specialists training at the Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service, we consider the project activities of students, focused on developing their superprofessional skills and abilities to solve complex issues, systemic thinking. Skills and abilities are formed
through participation of students in a long-term environmental project «Revitalization of the Vtoraya Rechka river», oriented to the conservation of biological diversity. The stages of research work of students on the project are considered. The results of the project and its role in promoting environmental initiatives to
preserve the quality of places to live are presented. The purpose of the study is to generalize the experience of VSUES students in a research environmental project and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of the project-based teaching method. The methodological basis of the study is the analysis of the specifics of the research project – approaches to its organization, obtaining training and project results. Scientific novelty: the role of project activity in personal growth and formation of professional competencies and skills of experimental research activity is shown. Practical significance of the study: the features of the implementation of the research project are outlined. A research project of a natural-science orientation implies the development of a verified plan for office and field work. The result of the experimental part of the project depends on many conditions: complex preparatory work, availability of funds for its implementation, distribution of responsibilities between its participants. Students who do not have the necessary qualifications cannot be allowed to perform certain types of work. Such projects require a lot of time for a professor or mentor to teach student performers research methods, work with special literature (taxonomic manuals and determinants), laboratory work techniques, safety precautions, work with complex instruments, methods of
systematizing data, carrying out the necessary calculations (integral biological indices) and presentation of the results obtained. In this regard, the expediency of dividing the stages of the project into training and empirical is shown. The optimal length of the training phase depends on the nature of the project. The pa-
per presents the educational and project results of each stage. The effectiveness of Project-Based Learning is proved by the personal growth of students, confirmed by scientific results (research work approbation at conferences, publications).
Keywords: Project-Based Learning, professional competencies, environmental project, pollut.