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FORECASTING DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SPACE OF THE CONTINUING EDUCATION SYSTEM
A. K. Oreshkina
The modern stage of establishment of national education is characterized by large-scale integration processes agreeing with the forecast of educational systems development within the frames of the world-wide globalization processes in education. The integrity of the organizational-substantive basis of the continuing education system forms within the frames of large-scale diversification processes along the educational lines of general (complete) secondary and higher education, which ensures identification of a new mechanism of interrelation of the differentiated and at the same time integral educational processes of the continuing education system. From these positions interpretation of the notion of “educational space” acquires priority significance in development of modern pedagogical knowledge, the substance of this notion being conceptually aimed at renewal of the theoretical and methodological context of the theory of continuing education. Pedagogical forecasting of development of the processes in education is an objective trend enriching pedagogical practice from the position of increasing efficiency and optimization of all subsystems developing in the environment of multifaceted “vertical” (by levels and stages of education) and “horizontal” (within the frames of a level or stage) integration.
Presentation of the process of forecasting should be considered from the perspective of dominant principles of optimization of educational subsystems as well as identification of the trends of development of educational processes reflecting the substantive component of the process of integration of the system of social institutions in postindustrial society. It also provides for regard for various kinds of integration: at the federal, regional, municipal level, levels of subsystems of education, particular kinds of educational institutions, institutions of science and production. As a result, forecasting of development of the social space of the system of continuing education is expedient from the perspective of expanding the interrelation of institutional and non-institutional (or socially institutionalized) structures of education. Alongside the institutional structures of education, of special significance at the modern stage are structures that are not educational but have a considerable educational potential (“Centers of Leisure Education”, “Centers of Creative Extended Education” etc.), museums, libraries, various funds as well as production structures at higher educational institutions and institutions of science. It should be noted that integration structures of “education - science -production - high technologies” become promising for forecasting of development of the social space of systems of continuing education with account for their interrelation with structures of extended education, which reflects the context of the modern pedagogical theory within the frames of interpretation of the substance of the notion of “conglomerate diversification” [3].
In the context of development of the pedagogical theory an optimizing area of expanding the sphere of social space is extended education's being important in
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the functional and substantive aspect of the organizational component structure of the system of continuing education creating its integrity. Development of social space of extended education should be considered from the perspective of continuity of the form of organization of the activities being priorities in the educational process of institutional education. In this context the organizational culture of the activities implies the design-technological type of organization of the activities of priority at the modern stage [2]. Integration of extended education into the organizational structure of the system of continuing education is manifested in the vector orientation of educational programs of extended education expanding the possibilities of assimilating educational programs (basic and additional) by the person in the form of design and research activities in the “education - science -production - high technologies” system. From the forecasting perspective this process can be considered as a sustainable strategy of development of the selfvalue and self-sufficiency of the form of extended education in the context of the leading ideas of modern education.
Considering the innovative processes in the system of higher education it should be noted that the system of extended professional education has grounds for preconditions that promote increased intensity of the educational process of continuing education, including: (a) conscious orientation in the sphere of cognitive activity motivating for continuous study of educational levels; (b) steady motivation for buildup of general and professional skills and knowledge; (c) high creative potential due to freedom of choosing a continuous educational trajectory; (d) educational programs of extended education in the “education - science -production - high technologies” system implemented in the system of leisure education and retraining and qualification improvement of adults and characterized by a very important quality - multiple-level system; (e) from the perspective of the competence approach transition of the focus from control over the content of study of the educational programs of extended education to its personality-related and socially significant result in the form of abilities, knowledge, skills (general and professional competencies).
Forecasting of development of social space is presented from the perspective of one of the priority vectors of the “education - science - production -high technologies” educational vectors - the so-called leisure educational programs implemented in educational structures of extended education. In this connection it is expedient to state the developing connection between academic science and practice within the framework of activities of such institutions as “House of Scientists” of the Central Institute of Aerohydrodynamics (Zhukovsky, Moscow region)1.
We would like to note that the steady character of this strategy of interaction of educational, production and scientific structures is ensured by the developing innovative models of extended education oriented to pedagogical forecasting of the social educational space from preschool education to education of adults and “third” age people. At the municipal level it is interesting to consider the experience
1 This educational institution has been functioning since 1995 and acquires the strategy of innovative development. Its activities are aimed not so much at preservation of the spiritual traditions of science and scientific intellectuals but rather at formation of a multiple-age educational sphere (children, young people, adults and “third” age people).
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of the institution of extended education “Center of Aesthetic Education of Children and Youth” (Korolev, Moscow region) being an experimental ground of the laboratory of methodology of educational space of the Institute of Theory and History of Pedagogics of the RAE that enables both children and students of higher educational institutions, adults and “third” age people to implement cognitive activity on the basis of personality significant projects on the basis of institutions of extended education.
An important area of implementation in the practice of the type of conglomerate diversification that expands the range of interaction of science, education, and production are educational programs oriented to their integration within the frames of international projects; a characteristic trend here is joint development of the content of educational programs of extended education carried out by the academic teaching staff of a higher educational institution and highly qualified practical specialists [3]. As result the leading form of organization of design and research activities ensuring integration of the personality into the system of extended education is the mechanism of effective interaction of general education school, lyceums, technical schools, institutions of extended education, colleges and higher educational institutions, which is aimed at development of the social educational space of the system of continuing education. It is reasonable to note the socially significant results of joint activities of all subsystems of continuing education: (a) integration of the activity of administration and teaching staff of general, professional, and extended education, and representatives of science that allows development and testing of new educational technologies, models of educational institutions of advanced education, forms and methods of education, study guides, and programs of extended professional education; (b) integration of the activities of subsystems of continuing education allowing implementation of scientific and production practices in scientific-research laboratories, workshops, departments of higher educational institutions and leading enterprises, etc..
In defining the trend in forecasting the development of the social space of the system of continuing education agreeing with the potential of the functions of extended education it is necessary to consider its important social and personally significant aspects, oriented to implementation of continuing and postindustrial education, as the leading ones at the present stage.
References
1. Мерцалова Т А. Образовательное сообщество и дополнительное образование (модель деятельности неформальной общественной организации) // Новые ценности образования. Принцип дополнительности. - Вып. 4 (28). - М., 2006.
2. Новиков А. М. Методология. - М.: Эгвес, 2008.
3. Орешкина А. К., Цибизова Т Ю. Развитие преемственности образовательных процессов в системе непрерывного образования. - М.: Издательство МГОУ, 2010.
Translated from Russian by Znanije Central Translations Bureau
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