Special features of the project interfaces method as a mechanism of developing a project approach to the educational process and children's technical creativity

Introduction. The article is devoted to the problem of developing a project approach applied to engineering education. The purpose of the research is to identify special features of project interfaces method as a mechanism of developing a project approach to the educational process and children’s technical creativity. Materials and Methods. The authors applied a system-synergetic approach. The methodological base of the research includes the following methods: phenomenological description, interpretation, comparison, and comparative analysis of research works by Russian and Foreign scholars on the project approach to education. The authors also used the results of studying schoolchildren and students’ creative products. Results. The authors argue that project interface method presented in this paper is a development of the project approach to the educational process and children's technical creativity. The authors analyze and summarize the conditions enhancing efficiency of project teams, which work on complex projects, by using decomposition and encapsulation procedures within the framework of the project interfaces method. Relying on the results of the comparative analysis and summarizing the findings of examining students and schoolchildren’s creative products, the authors conclude about the role of natural encapsulation in aligning complexity levels of educational projects and the competence of project teams. The authors also show how to develop the project approach through artificial “strengthening” of encapsulation and unification in the functional parts of educational projects. The authors conclude that the efficiency of using the project interfaces method is determined by types of educational projects, mentors’ competence, and the number of members within project teams. Possible limitations, determined by requirements for mentors and project managers are also considered. The authors present an analysis of the methodological experiment on the practical application of the project interfaces method in blitz projects carried out at Gorno-Altai State University. Conclusions. In conclusion, the authors summarize the special features of the project interfaces method as a mechanism for the development of the project approach in the educational process and children's technical creativity.