Abstract:

The distance learning process in universities due to the pandemic of COVID-19 caused a change in the pedagogical paradigm of educational, organizational, and methodological work. Professional students’ competitions are supposed to be held as mass events but were excluded from the educational process in Ukraine. However, despite the pandemic such competitions still can execute their functions, such as identifying gifted students, increasing their interest in creative activity, talented students supporting and encouraging, involving academic and teaching staff in the creative collaboration with students.

The research’s purpose is to outline possible trends, tools, and ways to motivate students to participate in professional students’ competitions in terms of the distance learning process in higher education caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research methodology is based on the results of the experimental professional students’ competitions conducted remotely using different internet platforms and held in Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute at the Institute of Publishing and Printing (educational programs – “Advertising and PR”, “Publishing and Editing”). Before the competition, various motivation methods were used, including group, cognitive and positive motivation. The subsequent survey among students provided an opportunity to conclude about the competition’s effectiveness and the motivation level among students.

The research’s conclusions are based on the results of the developed competition procedure and the conducted survey among participants, and it shows the need for such activities and high motivation among students.

According to the preliminary assumptions based on previous research, motivational factors in the learning process may include personal feedback from the lecturer or competition’s organizers, increase or decrease the tasks’ complexity under the potential student’s level, bonus points, the access possibility to new knowledge free of charge, etc. It was noted that individual motivational techniques brought the highest ranks in competition. Depending on personal characteristics, a person will be inclined to the continuous learning process for long-term or short-term sessions, activating processes for him or her or them will be incentive elements or, conversely, elements of fear and loss. Motivational factors will not only improve the learning process but also help to analyze the personal characteristics and ways to improve the results of individual students.

Thus, we have developed and applied the technology of the distant professional students' competitions, which allows working with students more effectively: to encourage them to study diligently, to include a competitive element in the educational process, to motivate them to further professional knowledge acquirement.

Keywords:

Students' competition, motivation techniques, distance learning, university education, covid-19.