Specifics of elaborating methodology to teach innovative competence using embeddable module

Introduction: the article is concerned with the development of competence when teaching students innovative activity. The analysis of bachelor's degree programmes in engineering and technology demonstrates the absence of competencies for innovation training. The curricula of the Russian universities do not contain any academic disciplines for teaching innovation as well as there is no definition of "engineering activities", and "innovation". Nethertheless the qualification requirements describe some separate components such as R&D, implementation and use of technical and technological innovations implying management of intellectual activity and its results for all occupations, hence mandatory training of bachelor degree students in innovative activities. Materials and Methods: the authors used: a) theoretical methods: analysis of philosophical, scientific, technical, engineering, psychological and educational literature; analysis and extrapolation of the research results and teaching experience; modeling of pedagogical situations, analysis of educational standards, foreign and domestic programs of technical training, textbooks and manuals; b) scientific methods: generalization, classification, ordering, compare, comparison, modeling; c) methods of special research: a system-element method, system-structural and system-functional analysis of the training content, analysis and generalization of pedagogical experience in teaching courses at universities; d) experimental and psychology diagnostic methods. Results: the authors developed and implemented the method of teaching engineering students innovative activities based on adding flexible module to core curriculum, a case study of the National Research Mordovia State University. Discussion and Conclusions: the results of the research underscore the significance of the innovation competence by including innovative training module into structure of technical disciplines, as well as specify the structure, the core part, invariable and variable parts. The article reveals the potential of such integration in training students in innovative engineering activities within the core teaching methodology.