8,000 participants attend master classes presented by St Petersburg University at the Moscow International Education Show
St Petersburg University has presented innovative developments in education at the Moscow International Education Show 2021, the largest exhibition of new educational technologies in Russia.
This year's event was held in a hybrid format: live in the Crocus Expo exhibition complex and online. Master classes, lectures and presentations by specialists from the University are available online on the official website of the Moscow International Education Show. The live broadcast was viewed by more than 8,000 participants, with more than 4,500 people visiting St Petersburg University’s stand.
This year, the central theme of the show was defining the boundaries of the new reality. The participants, in addition to traditional forms of interaction with the audience, offered insights into their digital platforms and products. This will help to blend both learning formats: in person and online.
One of the innovative developments of the University presented at the International Show was the introduction of clinical forms of education. Four clinics presented a strategy for immersing students in practical activities under the guidance of faculty mentors and employers. Among the clinics of St Petersburg University were: the Sociological Clinic; the Psychological Clinic; the Mediation Centre; and the Clinic of Communication Projects. The clinics prepared a joint programme with case studies, games, tests and master classes for applicants and students from other universities.
A number of stands at the Education Show displayed various distance learning platforms. St Petersburg University also presented its online courses on the OpenEdu platform, offering registration, training, and a certificate from the University.
Online courses in foreign languages, preparation for the Unified State Exam and Olympiads attracted particular attention from applicants.
Specialists from St Petersburg University also shared their experience in online education at the plenary sessions. Vladimir Starostenko, Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development at St Petersburg University, spoke about the efforts the University makes to raise the attractiveness of Russian education for foreign students with the help of online courses. The Government of the Russian Federation set the target of improving Russia's international position in the field of education in 2017. According to the proposed plan, Russia should be among the top 10 countries of the world in the quality of distance learning programmes, and the number of foreign students taking online courses at Russian educational institutions should increase to 3.5 million people by 2025.
According to Vladimir Starostenko, long before the pandemic, St Petersburg University placed an emphasis on online learning and its potential. Despite the difficult epidemiological situation in 2020, the University has not only maintained its momentum in terms of creating online courses, but has retained its leadership in this area, strengthening its position on the leading educational platforms. 'The development of virtual academic mobility is one of the trends of the new reality as it is an opportunity to study abroad without leaving one's home country,’ said Vladimir Starostenko, Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development.
This effort has increased the recognition of the University' s brand abroad, as the open online courses have become a kind of showcase that demonstrates the University's academic credentials and enables foreign applicants to get acquainted with the faculty and teaching methods of the University before they enrol.
Vladimir Starostenko, Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development of St Petersburg University
In terms of the number of online courses on the Coursera platform, St Petersburg University ranks first in Europe and among the top five higher educational institutions in the world. The University' boasts more than 850,000 course participants on Coursera, 60% of whom are international students.
Today, St Petersburg University is the only university in Russia that has published its online courses on the largest national Chinese educational platform XuetangX. It is also one of the co-founders of the Global Alliance for Massive Open Online Courses and represents Russia in the international arena.
The transformation of education has already begun, we are already part of it, and that is a fact. By sharing experiences, becoming partners and working closely together, we can help each other develop amidst the pandemic.
Anastasiia Kovalchuk, Deputy Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development of St Petersburg University
In her speech, Anastasiia Kovalchuk, Deputy Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development of St Petersburg University, said that the University was the first to offer open access to its online courses to students at all Russian universities during the pandemic, and also supported the Coursera for Campus project. Moreover, specialists from St Petersburg University have developed a set of training materials to help educators at higher and secondary educational institutions to organise their work in the new environment. In March 2020, students from more than 100 higher education institutions in the country took online courses of St Petersburg University.