Center for International Cooperation in Education Development (CICED)

In September, the Moscow City University resumed its university seminar “What is an Activity Approach in Education” under the guidance of the Rector of the Moscow City University, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Igor Remorenko and the Chief Researcher of the Laboratory for Design of Activity Content of Education at the Moscow City University,  Professor, Doctor of Psychology Boris Elkonin.

At the first meeting, Boris Elkonin made an introductory report. He outlined the main contexts for the discussion of the activity approach in the framework of the second series of the seminar: action and sign in learning. In addition to issues related to situations requiring action, and retaining openness of opportunities, the speaker touched upon the problems of understanding the learning task and building a new type of education.

Igor Remorenko continued the presentation of his colleague and suggested raising development layers at the seminar, which are being developed outside the institutional forms, and also raise the question of how the work supports should be arranged.

The seminar leaders also discussed the possible focusing of the reports: the search for development situations, the search for development methodology, the search for development itself in the school. Boris Elkonin and Igor Remorenko found it possible to retain all the listed focusings with a clear indication of positions, since such polarization will help to “revive” the seminar.