Jumabekov K.U.
DESIGN OF CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE PROFESSIONS OF THE FUTURE *
Аннотация:
the article considers the results of a study of the possibilities of using Foresight to implement the Concept of short-term education and design a model of a new paradigm in education on the platform of design management and instilling design thinking skills as innovative approaches in the educational process. Innovative educational technologies are proposed that contribute to the formation of creative competencies among specialists of the future.
Ключевые слова:
design thinking, design education, knowledge economy, digital technology, artificial intelligence, benchmarking, future professions, Foresight studies, Delphi method, dual education
DOI 10.24412/2712-8849-2025-586-726-737
The future has arrived relentlessly, showing us with urgency and clarity that the modern education must innovate to prepare creative individuals capable of addressing to current and upcoming challenges in production, science, and technology. The increasing demands of individuals, society, business, and the state, driven by the rapid innovation, the digital economy, and the information society, along with the rise of artificial intelligence, clearly confirm this need.As John Dewey, the renowned American philosopher, psychologist, and educator, observed: "Education can be built either with an eye on the past or with a thought for the future. In other words, it can be seen either as a process of adapting the future to the past or as using the past as material to shape the future" [1].In these conditions, there is an urgent need to develop new ideological and methodological frameworks in education, science, and technology. This is in response to a new economic and social structure that necessitates an inevitable reassessment of the values of the sustaining economy and society, which is the key ideological principle of design thinking.Why do we lean on "design thinking" in these contexts? Primarily because it serves as an interdisciplinary platform that brings together specialists from various fields, such as science and technology, design and engineering, the arts and humanities, psychology, anthropology, cultural studies, to be involved in innovative teams.Secondly, design thinking is valuable because it allows us to find solutions to unconventional tasks, which differ from those not involving creative exploration. Indeed, there is a paradox: "How can we search for what we do not know, and if we know what we are searching for, why search for it?" After all, innovation loses its essence if everything about it is already known.Our attempts to understand how to shape the future can draw from knowledge based on scientific literature review, highlighting bold visions. One lesson is that radicalism and originality by themselves are not convincing, they are effecting only when connected to the familiar realities and societal norms we live with today.Another lesson is that while it is crucial to focus on the specialist of the future, it is productive to think about the future by starting with specific materials or technologies. Finally, we can think about the future and the impacts of technological development from both positive and negative perspectives – such reflections are valuable.Peter Drucker, a classic of management and educator, wrote: "Any attempt to base todays actions and commitments on predictions of the future will be fruitless. The best one can hope for is to anticipate the future impact of events that have already irreversibly occurred" [2].Similarly, modern design thinking emphasizes a holistic, multidisciplinary approach that acknowledges the interconnectedness of various fields. This expansive view positions design as a project-based activity with far-reaching social and cultural implications.Kazakhstans higher education system is facing a critical challenge to align educational programs with the evolving demands of the job market. While institutions strive for quality, predicting future workforce needs remains a gamble. This uncertainty, coupled with declining enrollment and brain drain, raises concerns about the relevance of current programs and whether graduates are adequately prepared for real-world careers.The critical issue is how to find the sweet spot – a balance where the education provided equips graduates with skills and knowledge valued by employers, while also satisfying the aspirations of students, parents, and the institutions themselves. This requires a collaborative effort from all stakeholders: universities must adapt and innovate, students need clear guidance in choosing future-proof professions, and society as a whole needs to support a system that produces well-rounded and highly skilled individuals. There is a noticeable lack of scientific research in our country when it comes to predicting future job market trends. We need studies that identify which professions will be in high demand in the coming years, specifically those that can contribute to tangible economic growth and advancements in the market for goods, services, and technologies. This lack of foresight makes it difficult to confidently state which skills and professions will be most valuable in the near future.Modern challenges demand a new approach to education. We need effective, socially-minded programs that utilize innovative methods to nurture creative and unconventional thinking in students. Educating creative and collaborative problem-solving skills is paramount in professional education. Cultivating systemic-creative thinking through modern educational technology is crucial for this new age. As Einstein wisely said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge," highlighting the increasing importance of thinking critically and creatively over simply possessing vast amounts of information.The idea of "design thinking" in education was once surprising, even humorous, to traditional educators. Terms like "design of educational programs" or applying design principles to economics, products, services, or even personal branding, were met with confusion and skepticism. However, to truly foster a knowledge-based, innovative economy and society, and to advance fields as digital technology and artificial intelligence, we must embrace innovative approaches in education. It is time to shift our research focus towards finding and implementing these new methods to tackle the challenges facing education today. Universities must fundamentally rethink education in the face of rapidly evolving technology and changing societal values. The key question is not choosing specific programs, but designing adaptable and versatile learning pathways for students. Innovative educational technologies are no longer just tools, they are evolving into critical strategic element for developing human capital. They are essential for fostering creativity and cultivating new skills and qualities in individuals, leading to a more valuable and adaptable workforce.The new approach to education, focused on student-driven learning pathways, offers numerous advantages:Empowering Students:Flexibility and Choice: Students gain true freedom to shape their education by adjusting their course selections throughout their studies, exploring diverse subjects and adapting to changing interests and career goals.Research Driven by Passion: Students can pursue research topics they are genuinely passionate about, leading to deeper engagement and more meaningful discoveries. This eliminates the outdated practice of imposing research topics based on faculty interests.Motivating and Relevant Curriculum: Continuously updated elective subjects and modern teaching methods ensure a dynamic and engaging learning experience that reflects the latest advancements and market demands.Enhanced Collaboration and Quality:Employer Engagement: Closer collaboration with employers in designing interdisciplinary programs will result in graduates who are better equipped with the skills and knowledge directly relevant to the workforce.Elevated Teaching Standards: Educators will be challenged to stay current with the latest industry trends, technologies, and teaching methodologies, ensuring high-quality instruction and a broader perspective.Research-Driven Innovation: Faculty will be incentivized to engage in new research projects that directly inform and improve educational programs and teaching methods.Practical Benefits and Impact:Co-Financing Opportunities: Strong industry partnerships will create opportunities for co-financing faculty development and benchmarking initiatives, leading to enhanced expertise and knowledge transfer.Accelerated Innovation: This approach will drive innovation in education, potentially positioning the university as a leader in commercializing educational advancements. Shift in Funding Priorities: The Ministry of Higher Education and Science and National Research Councils can align research funding priorities to support projects that directly contribute to this new model of education.Overall, this student-centered approach fosters adaptability, innovation, and a stronger connection between academia and the real world, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the challenges and opportunities of the future. Despite efforts to modernize education, breakthroughs and widespread commercialization of innovative educational technologies havent materialized. The root of the problems must be sought in the education system, as only with its development in the modern world can we improve the quality of life for our people, which is also a prerequisite for the competitiveness of the country in the global division of labor. The anticipated effects have also not been achieved from the close cooperation of certain universities with the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken" and a number of business partners, who were supposed to take the initiative in modernizing key aspects of the educational process.This conclusion is drawn from years of research, data analysis, and practical experience, utilizing methods like the delta method and Ansoff Matrix. These analyses highlight the need for a new approach to educational program development, one that prioritizes not just academic rigor but also market demand, employer collaboration, and effective marketing. Essentially, a programs success hinges not just on its academic merit but also on its ability to equip graduates with skills sought by the market. This requires a paradigm shift, moving away from restrictive frameworks and embracing collaboration, innovation, and market-driven approaches to education. Only then can we expect to see true progress and impactful outcomes in education. The Ansoff Matrix analysis conducted to identify real opportunities and effectively utilize the resources of the university, as well as conditions for producing researchers, engineers and innovative leaders ("market-product" - Table 1). This assessment of educational products applies two criteria: the growth rate of the industry market and the relative market share.According to Ansoff Matrix, there are four possible development strategies for a specialty with two characteristics: the market in which the university plans to operate and the new educational product (goods or services) that the university intends to offer in the market.Table 1. Ansoff Matrix. With a growth rate in the market, universities have greater variability in actions to develop their potential. To select the appropriate development strategy at this time, it is necessary to identify, based on conducted analyses, how successful the university and its offered products (educational programs and/or educational products) are, whether there are threats to the university in both current and new markets, and whether its financial condition is stable.Figure 1: The Strategy for the Almaty Humanitarian-Economic University (AHEU) by the Ansoff Matrix.The strategy selected for Almaty Humanitarian-Economic University (AHEU) in conditions of high market growth rates, represented in Figure 1. The competitive advantage of the "product portfolio" of AHEU is closely linked to its mission and model, which reflect its target goals and shape its identity. Meanwhile, the evolution of the university model does not reject any of its fundamental functions. Instead, it emphasizes the preferential development of certain areas that can lead to breakthroughs for the university during specific periods.An excerpt from the mission of the London School of Economics states: "International reputation requires academic diversity, a solid financial base, and the provision of favorable learning conditions to attract talented staff and students. To be a center for social sciences, it is necessary to conduct scholarly debates in all areas of social sciences. The school needs to cover all subjects, with more profitable disciplines supporting less profitable ones that have global significance."Assessment of the development strategy feasibility for the educational program (educational product) in the field of innovative technologies below in Figure 2.Naturally, like any conceptual approach, this will reveal several "pitfalls" in the practical implementation of these strategies. However, it will also enable for the introduction of innovative technologies in Kazakhstani education. Conclusions. The critical issue in Kazakhstan is a disconnect between the skills produced by the education system and the actual needs of the labor market, including challenges with aging workforce, mid-level specialist shortage and ineffective workforce planning.Another important factor causing labor market imbalances is the cyclical nature of market economy development, with phases like crisis, depression, recovery, and boom, which lead to fluctuations in labor supply and demand. Labor supply depends on the economically active population, while demand relies on employers capacity to create jobs during different economic phases.Our findings indicate that most Kazakh universities train specialists using educational programs and teaching methods that fail to meet the heightened competency requirements for future professions. A modern specialist should be an innovator and driver of a competitive economy, with creative thinking, multi-criteria problem-solving abilities, divergent "non-linear" thinking, and strong information culture skills.Current university programs traditionally focus on "knowledge, skills, and abilities," which often do not match the rapid technological advancements and digital society demands, nor their future prospects. Therefore, choosing educational programs should be based on a new concept proven effective, following an innovative approach of "concept (idea) – project – implementation – management (operation)." This article aims to illustrate how to make such choices.
Номер журнала Вестник науки №5 (86) том 4
Ссылка для цитирования:
Jumabekov K.U. DESIGN OF CREATIVE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FOR THE PROFESSIONS OF THE FUTURE // Вестник науки №5 (86) том 4. С. 726 - 737. 2025 г. ISSN 2712-8849 // Электронный ресурс: https://www.вестник-науки.рф/article/23361 (дата обращения: 15.07.2025 г.)
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