Distance Learning Programmes as Alternative Learning

This study aims to understand the satisfaction and experience of programme-seeking students in a community college in the United States. In order to improve the satisfaction, experience, and teaching and learning procedures of distance learning courses and programmes, it is important to understand the students' feedback and ideas. Based on the case study methodology, the researcher collected data from 1,857 inductive surveys and 11 focus group activities. This research allowed the researcher to gain knowledge and understanding about students' satisfaction, experience, and potential enrolment in degree programmes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. More importantly, the results provide recommendations to school leaders, instructors, government leaders, and policymakers about current and future college and university development regarding changes in teaching and learning behaviours.

University Development Strategy: Sociological Aspect

Students are active participants in the educational process. The events of recent years have affected seriously the activities of the University. The authors conducted a sociological study in 2 areas: the pandemic situation and its impact on the educational process; strategic direction of the university development. The article presents the results of a sociological study of students of Baikal State University (BSU) with a detailed description of issues related to satisfaction with the educational process, including the use of an online study mode. A set of issues related to the proposals of students on the strategy for the development of the university is considered. Students are satisfied with the education in general and in the relevant areas, as well as the high quality of training specialists at BSU. Objective and subjective difficulties encountered by students when switching to online learning are analyzed. The advantages and disadvantages of distance learning according to respondents are described. The examples of the responses are given, the grouping of which allows to adjust the direction of the university development. Social aspects of communication of students with teachers and employees are distinguished. It was concluded that students of BSU have preferences for obtaining applied education as well as oriented to the development of modern professional skills. The results of sociological research influence the formation of new approaches to learning and the development direction of the university, in general.

The Search for Forms of Interaction between Technical Institutes, Regional Authorities and the Industries in the 1920s-1930s (by the Example of Ekaterinburg - Sverdlovsk)

In the 1920–1930s the Ural industries and regional authorities were in need of qualified economists and engineers, which resulted in establishing in Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) its own university, technical institutes, and the Ural Branch of the USSR Academy of Science. The article reveals the reasons of failures in technical institutes’ development and the mistakes in training of economic specialists. The educational organizations and scholarly institutions faced the lack of funding from national and local authorities, whose intention was to make the process cheaper and faster, which resulted in disrupting operation of technical institutes and decreasing the quality of the students’ training. Such attitude on the part of the authorities became the crucial factor for the crises of higher education in the city. Poor communication with the local industry, ideologically based restrictions in teaching of economic disciplines, as well as separate reporting lines of technical institutes, higher education establishments and scholarly institutions also negatively affected the situation. The article proves that the best solution for the city could have been establishing a single research and education center at the State University, which was the original intention of its foundation in 1920. The lack of funding and inconsistent policy of the national and local authorities have led to abandoning the initial program of the university development. Only in 2019, they returned to the program at a new level, when they started to establish a research and education cluster at the Ural Federal University.

Development of the Theory and Practice of Higher Education Innovatics

Most of the innovative changes in higher education in relation to academic capitalism are based on market principles. The aim of the article is to further study and determine the innovative directions of the reform of higher education. For this, it is necessary to create and implement a scientific and applied system that combines theoretical and practical approaches to the innovative development of higher education. The authors propose the further development of a new scientific direction in the field of higher education - “innovatics of higher education”. Theoretical foundations and practical issues of higher education innovatics include innovative changes in a number of activities. The main of these activities are: teaching, training and study; R&D, engineering, IT and technologies development, projects activity and design creativity; financial and economic support of the educational process, R&D, activities development and business expanses; inventive and patent-licensing activities, technology transfer, academic/university entrepreneurship; cultural and moral development, upbringing of cultural, moral and human values; sports, recreational, festive and extracurricular activities including other types of universities activities. Thus, innovatics of higher education includes innovative changes in almost all areas of higher education to enhance the quality training of professionals and responsible citizens of the modern community. More over innovations can guarantee financial independence, economic stability and competitiveness for a university development. This will be useful both for reforming the higher education systems and for universities R&D in Ukraine and other countries.

On Environmental Education in the Discourse of the Concept of Sustainable Development (from the Experience of a Pedagogical University)

The article analyzes the implementation of the ideas of sustainable development at the Chuvash State Pedagogical University named after I. Ya. Yakovlev in the field of education. The methodological basis was the work of domestic and foreign authors in the field of research. The relevance of the work lies in considering the experience in the field of environmental education in the discourse of the concept of sustainable development from the standpoint of participation in it of the administration, teachers and students of the university in question, from the point of view of content and organizational aspects. Analysis of the experience of the ChSPU named after I. Ya. Yakovlev in the field of environmental education from the perspective of the sustainable development concept, identified the main contradictions that are of a socio-political and economic nature. It has been noted that teachers, students and the administration of the university are involved in the implementation of activities that create conditions for the implementation of the principles of sustainable development in education on the example of environmental education. It is noted that the university still has problematic issues in the field of education for sustainable development, for the solution of which the authors propose a number of measures that will create comfortable conditions at the university for the global responsibility and active citizenship formation in the field of sustainable development. Within the framework of this article, the authors have developed basic recommendations for integrating the concept of sustainable development into national educational programs, which consist in the following: organization of a center for environmental education and sustainable development of the university; development of the concept of the university in the field of sustainable development; development and implementation in the curriculum of the discipline “Sustainable Development” with the provision of the course with appropriate methodological support. Keywords: sustainable development, environmental education, education for sustainable development, pedagogical university

Orenburg State University in the Conditions of Transformation

The article presents the key points of the development strategy of Orenburg State University with a focus on the criteria of the Strategic Academic Leadership Program “Priority 2030”. Transformations of popular models of university development in the historical logic are considered, actual models in an international and regional scale are highlighted. The article makes the case for transition from the adaptation strategy of the university development to the strategy of a driver of positive changes in the Orenburg Region. The resources of the OSU leadership strategy and tactical solutions for the implementation of the OSU mission – “Development of territory and human capital” in various types and scales of influence are determined.

The higher education and the sphere of labor in digital economy: a new mechanism of interaction

The article addresses a new mechanism of interaction of Russia’s higher education and the sphere of labor. New challenges facing modern higher education are predetermined by digital transformation in the sectors of the economy and changes in the structure of the labor market resulted from the development of digital technologies. The author shows how the application of modern digital technologies affects the transition to a new digital format of training, radically changing the paradigm of university development, scientific and educational activities, and also organizing the work to attract and retain young talents. Finally, the author provides valuable conclusions concerning specific development of digital educational environment in the sphere of higher education.

The higher education and the sphere of labor in digital economy: a new mechanism of interaction

The article addresses a new mechanism of interaction of Russia’s higher education and the sphere of labor. New challenges facing modern higher education are predetermined by digital transformation in the sectors of the economy and changes in the structure of the labor market resulted from the development of digital technologies. The author shows how the application of modern digital technologies affects the transition to a new digital format of training, radically changing the paradigm of university development, scientific and educational activities, and also organizing the work to attract and retain young talents. Finally, the author provides valuable conclusions concerning specific development of digital educational environment in the sphere of higher education.