Experience of intensification of students' cognitive activity in the USSR (postwar period the middle of the 20th century)

Abstract

The article reflects the experience of Kharkiv higher educational institutions' leading teachers who were looking for and using ways to enhance cognitive activity of students in the difficult recovery time of higher school after the Second World War. Teachers' attempts to develop students' cognitive activity were conditioned by the need to perform complex tasks (to increase constantly the level and to improve the quality of graduates; to strengthen links between theory and practice; to attract students to scientific researches and introduction of teaching staff’s inventions in production; to improve qualifications of teaching staff of higher educational institutions (HEIs); to develop initiative of universities’ and institutes' teachers and professors; to develop and intensify independent work of students in the learning process), which were put forward the higher education institutions by the state leadership. Kharkiv University' and institutes' progressive professors tried to intensify students' cognitive activity at lectures, workshops, seminars, consultations, laboratory workshops. They used a variety of unusual for that time teaching methods: search, problem, research, etc. The article presents examples of various tasks (situation-exercises, group games, situations-problems) and approaches to the educational process (using problematic approach while giving lectures, case reports of students at lectures, exchange of best lecturers and others), describes the characteristics of using of them at lectures, seminars and workshops.