Abstract:

One of the goals of the international project 544410-Tempus-1-2013-JPHES is the development of students’ and teachers’ polycultural competence, the development of their tolerance to different ethnic groups of multicultural Russian society. Polycultural competence is implemented in a person's ability to solve tasks of professional activity in the course for positive interaction with representatives of different cultures. Scholars have identified the following structural components of polycultural competence: cognitive,motivational and axiological, practical.

The necessity of development of students’ and teachers’ polycultural competence within the framework of the TEMPUS project - ALLMEET is supposed on the basis of Intercultural Educational Platform (IEP). IEP is a specially organized system of interaction between the individuals of educational process and other members of the institutions of formal and informal education. Its goal is the implementation of practices of polycultural education in the Russian regions, the development of polycultural competence and tolerance of the individuals of educational field. The basic principles of the IEP are: openness, dialogue, interactivity, humanity. These values and principles are important and necessary conditions for the formation of civil society in Russia.

IEP is the foundation for organizing a public dialogue on key issues in the field of national politics, migration, social development, interaction between education, business, government and civil society institutions.

The main tool of the open dialogue’ realization is the website of IEP, equipped with interactive tools, effective communication, and longlife learning. The main tools of formation and development of students’ and teachers’ polycultural competence on the basis of lifelong learning are ePortfolio tools. In the framework of the TEMPUS project- ALLMEET ePortfolio is one of the tools of Personal Lifelong Learning Services (PL2S). The ePortfolio technology is conditioned upon its openness, interactivity, reflexivity and active character. The presumed structure of teacher’ ePortfolio along with the traditional, could include the following topics: polycultural practices (programs, seminars, educational courses modules on intercultural interaction, cases of polycultural situations), methodological developments (methodological materials for seminars and workshops on cultural equality, inclusions, the problems of unemployment, trainings for migrants) psychological and sociological toolkit of studies (tests, questionnaires, interviews and others), participation in professional/expert communities. Student’ ePortfolio along with the traditional, may include the following sections: photo/video albums (representing polytcultural life events, multimedia work material of national holidays), reflection (educational practices in polycultural environment, participation in public forums), mobility (the experience of participation in the programs of academic mobility), language skills (possible link with the language portfolio EUROPASS).

Keywords:

EPortfolio, intercultural educational platform, polycultural competence, civil society, lifelong learning.