KHACHATUR ABOVYAN ARMENIAN STATE PEDAGOGICAL UNIVERSITY

The meetings of the Pedagogical University staff of the Internship Department and the Finland Oulu University Head of Internship Issues of the Faculty of Education Vesa-Matti

 Sarenius with the students continue. The review of the pedagogical internship, the application of the piloting programme and the problems of efficiency of its organization were discussed with SSS Presidents of ten University Faculties today. 

 

To begin with, the Head of the Internships Department, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor Vahan Sargsyan started his speech mentioning the importance of making internships explorative and student-centered, “We are developing a clear work plan; such discussions will allow us to make our activities more targeted, precise and specific. Internships must be the most important circle of the whole learning process that will ensure students’ mobility and will become the evaluation basis of learning outcome.”

 

During the meeting, the field specialists and students discussed the necessary changes to be made in the internship process, the provided books, materials, educational-methodological packages, teaching and advisory process, auditorium and logistic infrastructure availability.

 

In addition, the students made a number of suggestions, such as making a transition to interactive and active internship, as well as arranging the internships in the respective educational institutions that have the corresponding vacancies, also preliminarily informing about the supervisor of the internship in particular.

 

Further on, one of the students of the Faculty of Education Psychology and Sociology, the president of the University SSS Mariam Melkumyan mentioned at the end of the meeting, “Today, such meaningful and effective discussions of internship problems are simply essential. First time the actual problems of internship are being discussed in such a format; everybody had an opportunity to make suggestions. I am sure that they will be taken into account by the corresponding departments organizing internships and will be applied to renew the learning process and make it more effective.”

 

In his turn the Finnish expert Vesa-Matti Sarenius assured that the current problems and the compliance of the internship with the professional educational programme had already been discussed. The latter also informed that in the near future, the students of the Finland Oulu University and the Pedagogical University would arrange their pedagogical internships within the framework of students exchange programmes.