On March 19, a webinar titled “The Development of Professional Competencies of Special Education Teachers in Contemporary Higher Education” was held at the platform “Science in Publications: From Idea to Practice” with the support of the MSUPE Boiling Point.
The webinar was devoted to a new form of assessing knowledge and skills — the professional demonstration exam (PDE). During the exam, students of the “Special (Defectological) Education” program conduct a corrective session in conditions close to real practice. The exam is administered by a commission that includes both faculty members and prospective employers.
Students become familiar with the exam procedure as early as their second year. This new format allows both students and instructors to identify existing problems, and the curriculum can be adjusted within individual modules accordingly. A unified case bank has been developed for each module. Approximately 100 cases have been created for each specialization: speech therapy, surdopedagogy, and support for children with learning difficulties.
Eight components of the case-based task were identified: the focus of the session, level of education, topic (determined by the student), format, category of participants, age, individual characteristics, and learning situation.
A library of video cases has also been created, including examples of working with children with different conditions; individual, small-group, and whole-class formats; and work in inclusive education settings. These video cases help students feel more confident in real-life professional situations.
A team of qualified specialists, including developers of federal textbooks and teaching materials and faculty members of the Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology, worked on the development of the PDE. The speakers expressed their readiness to assist colleagues from other universities in organizing the exam. In addition to text and video cases, the department has developed criteria for assessing students’ knowledge and professional competencies.
During the discussion, participants raised several questions: How can access to the cases be obtained? Are there cases addressing interaction between children with disabilities and those without developmental disorders? Are employers satisfied with the professional competencies demonstrated by students during the exam?
Video recording of the webinar
Speakers:
Eva E. Artemova, Candidate of Sciences (Pedagogy), Associate Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology, Professor of the Department of Special (Defectological) Education, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education
Lyudmila A. Tishina, Candidate of Sciences (Pedagogy), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Special (Defectological) Education, Faculty of Clinical and Special Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education
Publications by the speakers:
-
Artemova, E.E., Tishina, L.A. Analysis of self-assessment results of readiness to solve professional tasks among special education students in the contemporary higher education system. Bulletin of Practical Psychology of Education, 2025, 22(3), 55–71.
-
Artemova, E.E., Tishina, L.A. Specific features of preparation for solving professional tasks among graduates in special education within the contemporary higher education system. Bulletin of Practical Psychology of Education, 2025, 22(4), 258–279.
Calendar of webinars and meetings of the project “Science in Publications” for 2026