PROJECT-BASED LEARNING AS A METHOD OF INTERDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The publication shows the role of project-based learning in the context of ensuring interdisciplinarity related to the current needs of the labor market and the active use of information technologies in the educational process. Author's attention is focused on the transformation of the traditional understanding of project-based learning, caused to a significant extent by the growing role of digital technologies, which is actualized in the blended learning. Accordingly, the article outlines the meaning of project-based learning, defines its advantages and resource needs in the field of higher education. Attention is also paid to the transformation of professors' role, which is not limited to the provision of instructions and evaluation, but instead involves 1) resource support for students in research work and processing materials, 2) formation of skills that can be applied in professional activities, 3) promoting interaction with the external environment, outside the classroom. In general, the advantage of project-based learning is the understanding of the relevance, context, and applied value of the tasks performed (which, in turn, allows to overcome the gap between learning and professional activity). It also creates opportunity to involve experts or potential employers in the learning process. In addition, project-based learning, beyond the retranslation of knowledge, encourages the development of communication and cooperation skills, stimulates innovation, and generally increases the motivation to learn due to the feeling of involvement in the production of knowledge. Due to the fact that researchers, as a rule, write about the advantages, but not about the risks of use, the author singled out such potential risks as: not taking into account the psychological characteristics of team members and/or the basic level of their knowledge; excessive or insufficient control by the teacher or excessive autonomy of students in setting tasks and finding resources; lack of technical, information and other resources for project implementation; as well as the unbiasedness of teamwork assessment based on the project presentation. Therefore, the implementation of projectbased learning with all its advantages requires the appropriate qualification of teachers/trainers, the setting of clear requirements and evaluation criteria, effective combination with other teaching methods, taking into account the availability of resources for the performance of tasks, and also existing competencies and students' interaction beyond the classroom, which meet the requirements of higher education and the labor market.