Experience of project-oriented learning and organisation of teamwork among university students

Improvement of competitiveness and enhancement of international ranking of Russian universities requires modernisation of the higher education system. It should seek the improvement of the quality of education and acquisition of modern competencies by students. In tackling these tasks one of the limiting factors is a significant gap between knowledge acquired and practical skills. International universities successfully solve this problem on the basis of educational technology "learning by doing" through project-oriented learning. Practice-oriented learning allows to provide students not only with modern knowledge, but also skills sought in actual practice. The article reveals the content of the educational technology and highlights the necessity of its wide use in universities of the Russian Federation. Special attention is paid to the organisation of the teamwork of students in the preparation and presentation of projects. Teamwork practices are characterised by a high level of student activity, stimulating cognitive activity of students. Project-research activity of students in higher educational institutions is one of the most used and effective forms of learning, which is based on the method of projects and successfully implemented in many modern universities. The experience of implementing a project-oriented learning is patterned to the discipline "Marketing" taught to students of economic faculty of Ogarev Mordovia State University. The article also discusses the appearance of the new philosophical directions of project-oriented learning, i.e. CDIO (Conceive - Design - Implement - Operate), seeking to upgrade the educational programmes and enrich them with worked out practices.