Students’ Independent Cognitive Activity and Its Formation at Universities

Abstract

Nowadays students should have such qualities as efficiency, independence, commitment, discipline and the abilities to self-identify and self-realize in a situation of uncertainty. To implement these requirements, it is necessary to change approaches to the organization of the process of education and enhance the formation of independent study skills in order to improve the quality of education, develop the creative abilities of students, their desire for continuous acquisition of new knowledge and readiness for further development or self-education. The main strategy of learning should create conditions that generate intellectual initiative and activate students’ thinking processes in autonomous learning. This article discusses implementation of the course New information technologies (project-based learning)–designed to develop the skills of independent cognitive activity in university students. The study was conducted in Smolensk Sport Academy of Physical Education and Tourism (SSA, Smolensk) and North-Eastern Federal University (NEFU, Yakutsk). The pedagogical experiences of the practical application of project-based learning foreign languages (NEFU), information technology (SSA) and organization of independent studies with information sources has been studied. The authors of the article analyzed psychological, pedagogical, linguistic and methodological literature on the studied issue. The article presents the results of the analysis of interviewing and testing of students as well as the results of pilot training. The developed course showed its effectiveness not only in increasing the level of formation of students’ independent cognitive activity but also in motivating students to study, and adjusting communication skills and creativity.