SOCIALLY ORIENTED LEARNING AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

The concept of Service-Learning has been presented in the article. The essence and features of Service-learning have been determined. The difference between Service-Learning, volunteering and practice have been indicated. Service- Learning at the university is aimed at solving community problems, but does not involve the acquisition of professional skills and is not a part of the course in the structure of the curriculum. Practice involves the acquisition of professional skills, but is not always aimed at solving community problems. Service-Learning is defined as an educational approach that unionizes the content of academic learning with the solution of real problems of the community. Service-Learning is the delivery of a service to the community within the context of an educational program of study. Typical features of Service - Learning are: Service - meeting of real needs of the community by working together with that community; Learning - implementing in the curriculum of students (students using their academic knowledge in fieldwork for meeting real needs and real problem solving in the community). The article has presented possibilities of introduction of Service-Learning in educational process of university. The stages and cross-cutting processes of development and implementation of a Service-Learning project have been characterized. The content of project activity in the context of Service-Learning have been idefined and detailed: motivation; diagnosis; design and planning; project implementation; closure. The content of cross-cutting processes in the system of Service-Learning has been revealed: reflection; ongoing record, systematization and communication; process evaluation or monitoring. Foreign and domestic practices of Service-Learning in the conditions of universities and non-formal education have been analyzed. The advantages of Service-Learning are determined not only for specialties with a certain social component (social work, educational, pedagogical sciences), but also for other specialties. Opportunities of extrapolation of experience of Service-Learning in universities of Italy, Slovakia, and Malaysia in Ukraine have been identified. Prospects for the transformation of forms and methods of Service-Learning in Ukraine Universities have been determined experimentally. The author investigates feasibility of implementation of Service-Learning in Ukrainian Universities. The feasibility has been defined by means of questionnaires. Survey analysis shows that the vast majority of students are willing to participate in projects or initiatives that address problems and meet community needs. Also, the vast majority of students think that such projects should be implemented in the curriculum.