On an example of the project "IITUniversiy" created by initiations of the President and the Government of the Republic of Kazakstan in April, 2009 it is implimented the mandatory discipline “Ecology and sustainable development”, enhanced pedagogical methods towards democracy, citizenship and inter-culturality, developed of faculty members’ and students’ skills in sustainability; improved tutorial activity and independent students' work as premises of lifelong learning system of IITU. As results of the first year of project implementing awareness, knowledge and understanding, attitudes and personal lifestyle decisions and action for a better environment are done.
Sustainable context of Higher Education is based, on the internal side of the Concept of Transition of the Republic of Kazakhstan on sustainable development, and from the external side, on the UN's Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Sustainable development is recognized to be the strategy through which we can resolve many of society’s problems and develop a promising future. The basic principles of transition to sustainable education in Kazakhstan concerns the political, economic, social, environmental issues and competitiveness of science and education and is a priority. A development of education towards sustainability is based on modernization of the national multilevel educational system to reach a high quality of the human capital and satisfaction of needs of individuals and society; access an equal admittance to education by all categories of population in accord with individual abilities and intention to continue lifelong education; implementation of technological preparation to develop the new abilities and skills in creativity, decision making and innovations; preparation of competitive individuals to be ready to participate in an active social, economic and political life of the country; a creation of elite universities at the international level and the construction of students’ campuses; monitoring the staff of specialists of higher scientific qualification both at the republican and regional levels. The IITU started its educational activity in September 2009, in accord with decision of the Government and the President of Kazakhstan to improve situation of informatization of society and to prepare higher competitive specialists at an international level as knowledge workers of the new generation in IT Management, IT Finance, E - Journalism and Information technologies and is a private-governmental partnership with participation of iCarnegie business school, the structure of Carnegie Mellon University, targeted on Education for all, Lifelong learning, High-quality teaching and learning of education for sustainability.
To reveal the nature of the presented article the following objectives were enacted: 1. To revise a structure and principles of curricula for sustainable context of educational activity of IITU; 2. To develop “greening “curricula in IITU; 3. To connect curricula contents with one's own life, 4. To implement the mandatory discipline “Ecology and sustainable development”; 5. To enhance pedagogical methods towards democracy, citizenship and inter-culturality in IITU; 6. To develop of faculty members’ and students’ skills in sustainability; and 7. To improve tutorial activity and independent student’s work as premises of lifelong learning system of IITU.
To act upon the sustainable context of educational activity in IITU the following principles were put into the curricula development: 1. to follow the state educational standards of specialty - since 1991 the sixth generation of state standards issued in Kazakhstan; 2. to follow for the typical curriculum of specialty issued by academic and scientific councils of the leading universities in the fields; 3. to comprise three blocks of disciplines inside of curriculum: the common educational – 32 credits, the basic - 64 credits and the profile - 32 credits; 4. to divide the blocks of disciplines of mandatory and elective credits: the common educational block consists of 29 credits of mandatory and three credits of elective disciplines; the basic block consists of 34 and 30 credits respectively; the profile block - 18 and 14 credits each; 5. to organize the student activities via the contact, tutorial, and the independent student work in ratio 1:1:1.
“Greening” curricula in IITU is reached by putting the discipline “Ecology and Sustainable Development” in the common educational block for study in the first semester for all programs. The purpose of studying this discipline is to understand the environment with the ultimate aim of developing caring and committed attitudes that will foster the desire and ability to act responsibly in the environment not only with knowledge, but also with feelings, attitudes, skills and social action.
The chair “Management and Social Sciences” carries out programs of baccalaureate “IT Management”, “IT Finance” and “E-Journalism” which are concerning sustainable development. Connecting curricula contents with one's own life at IITU is organized via the preparation of students for their lives as members of the biosphere. It is learning to understand, appreciate, work with, and sustain environmental systems in their totality, in problem-solving from a philosophical basis of holism, sustainability, enhancement, and stewardship. Resources of learning are the original methodical and manual materials of faculty members based on the advanced literature and internet sources including on-line ones, surveys done by students, wide usage of information and communication technologies which allows developing the new educational methods of teaching and learning as follows: - cooperative; - interactive; - fiction literature , classical pop music analysis; - analysis of the video films contented local, national and global questions and problems; - analysis of original articles of the prominent scholars; - learning by doing; - modeling; - research methods based on an across-the-cultural and an across-the- curriculum approach to learning.
It is believed that these methods will help IITU students to achieve environmental, economic, political and ethical awareness, values and attitudes, skills and behaviour consistent with sustainable development and for effective public participation in decision-making towards democracy, citizenship and inter-culturality and get skills in lifelong learning. In order to create a sustainable environment in which students, staff and faculty members can work while continuing professional development of teachers is an agenda of IITU. Scientific - methodological seminars, master classes, open public lectures and public auctions in the field have been organized.
In the 2009 -2010 academic year the following results in education for sustainability were reached:
1. Awareness, knowledge and understanding:
Awareness of the new context of disciplines “IT Management”, “IT Finance” and “E-Journalism”;
Knowledge of theory and practice of the discipline “Ecology and sustainable development”;
Understanding of necessity to realize own life on principle of “People living together”;
2. Attitudes and personal lifestyle decisions:
To eliminate noise pollution inside and outside of university both by students and faculty members;
Personal lifestyle decisions of students on buying more local products, on less smoking, on more rational shopping, on saving energy at university and home.
3. Action for a better environment:
Participation of faculty members and students in the Earth Hour initiated by the Wild World Fund;
Development of the student social project for disable children of Almaty city in information technology’s study.
Understanding the complexity, origins and plurality of definitions of sustainable development
Developing critical understanding of the problems, and the sources of problems, facing today’s society and environment
Developing the skills to identify and promote sustainable approaches and processes;
Enhancing personal responsibility as a global citizen
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