Project activity as a trend of the modern educational system

The paper deals with issues related to the project process in a modern educational institution. The history of using project method in the field of education is traced. The weak and strong points of applying project-based learning in the modern academic process are analyzed. The research focuses on a new educational model used at the basic university on the basis of various projects: start-ups, student special projects, student mini-projects. It presents a comparative characteristic of traditional and innovative projects. A comparative characteristic is based on the Kaizen approach and innovations. Such components as participants, pace and time interval, and result are considered as well. It is concluded that the start-up result is short-term but impressive because there are new, sometimes revolutionary ideas, solutions, inventions, products, and theories. It is relevant to analyze failures and mistakes made by students during the project-based learning. The research demonstrates that the project-based learning as a part of the academic process is to develop the creative personality, its intellectual capabilities, volitional powers, and professional behavior allowing the graduate to be competitive on the labor market.