The practicum supervisor, Associate Professor Iryna Melnyk, provided the students with a detailed overview of the plans for the next four weeks. The master's students will undertake an intensive and multifaceted programme combining academic research with teaching practice in higher education.

This year's practicum focuses on current educational trends, including the digital transformation of education, the challenges facing the New Ukrainian School (NUS), the requirements of the updated professional standard for teachers, and the use of advanced digital tools and artificial intelligence.

The practicum traditionally consists of two interconnected components: research and teaching assistance. As part of the research component, the master's students will work on their individual qualification projects. They will collect and analyse geospatial and educational data using modern technologies, prepare research papers for publication, and present and test their findings at conferences and meetings of the department's academic research group, Innovative Technologies for Teaching Geography.

The teaching-assistance component will give students an opportunity to take on the role of higher-education instructors. They will prepare detailed lesson plans for lectures and practical classes using inclusive approaches, interactive maps, and elements of artificial intelligence, and will subsequently conduct trial classes for fellow students. The students' home department will serve as the main practicum site, providing an environment for professional development, mentoring, and the exchange of experience.

The master's students received safety instructions, comprehensive answers to organisational questions, and information about their individual assignments.

We wish them every success!

Department of Chemistry, Geography and Earth Sciences