Education Resources Information Center

The architecture of secondary school buildings implemented according to typified and customised design projects in Soviet Lithuania has been analysed as a manifestation of certain timeframe conditions and possibilities. The research has revealed architects’ creativity, represented values, and ideas under the conditions of a strictly regulated and standardised state construction industry. The influences of changing educational paradigms, building construction regulations, and the political and cultural context on the architectural results of a certain typological group have been taken into account. The research results are relevant for a more detailed understanding of the development peculiarities of the Soviet era, as well as the rearrangement of schooling spaces by adapting them to contemporary needs. The research is focused on the period starting from 1955, when a shift was made to industrialised and standardised architecture, up to 1990 when Lithuania regained its independence.

It has long been acknowledged that effective learning is grounded on opportunities to explore problems and think critically, thus creating solid base for knowledge economy development. In this vein, there have been concentrated reform initiatives across many content areas that have integrated authentic and student-driven instructional approaches. Within the context of the 21st century education paradigm, the acquisition and development of new competencies and technical skills require new authentic learning methods. The growing popularity of the project-based learning paradigm, is related to extended opportunities in terms of knowledge attainment, facilitating the acquisition of several transversal competences such as team work, search and collection of information and synthesis and analysis abilities. However, PBL learning strategies should be developed in compliance with the educational challenges faced by the new technique’s implementation. In the light of this reasoning, this paper presents a literature review on PBL and discusses PBL’s implementation opportunities and challenges faced by academic staff, business representatives and students. A key point is to highlight the concept of networking among teachers, students and the business sector.