Bauman Moscow State Technical University is returning to Habr, and we are ready to share the latest news, talk about the most modern developments, and even invite you to 'stroll' through the university's research centers and laboratories.
If you're not familiar with us yet, be sure to read the overview article about the legendary Bauman. by Alexey .
Today, we want to tell you about the unique faculty of GUIMC, the opportunities the university provides to young people with hearing impairments, and about adapted educational programs that have no analogues in the world.
The country's first educational institution for the deaf and hard of hearing
GUIMC is the leading educational, research, and methodological center for the professional rehabilitation of people with disabilities at Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
The history of inclusive education at Bauman University began in 1934 when the first 11 individuals with hearing disabilities were enrolled, forming a training group. Today, Bauman Moscow State Technical University has created unique conditions for the education of students, unmatched in domestic and international inclusive education practice.
Adapted Programs. How to Apply and What Makes Them Unique?
When applying to Bauman University, each applicant with a disability can choose the format in which they wish to pursue their education: either alongside most students or through inclusive (adapted) professional educational programs. Assessing their capabilities, applicants choose either the classic format familiar to everyone or education with support from the GUIMC faculty.
The main feature of adapted programs is an additional year of study. This means that education under bachelor's programs lasts 5 years, while special programs last 7. The main advantage of 'introducing' an additional year into the curriculum is the reduction of the workload in the first year of study.
Studying at MGTU is quite challenging: first-year students face a heavy workload, new subjects, and difficult tasks. By distributing the most complex subjects of the first year over two years, the GUIMC faculty gives its students the opportunity to master the material in a more comfortable manner. Additionally, in the first two years of study, the faculty introduces extra subjects based on the needs of students. Most students in the faculty have hearing impairments, for whom classes are specifically conducted on technical means that they require: on the use of hearing aids, where all the capabilities of such devices and market innovations are discussed; on the semantics of technical texts, and more.
In the first two years, GUIMC students study in small groups of no more than 12 people with partial integration into the general streams. These groups are formed from different training directions based on educational needs. Typically, enrollment for the first year looks like this:
Group 1: students with complete hearing loss, who require full assistance from a sign language interpreter;
Group 2: students with hearing impairments, who do not require interpretation;
Group 3: students with disabilities caused by other illnesses, who need special organization of the learning process (long lunch breaks, specially tailored schedules, etc.).
Since the first courses of study consist of similar subjects, students from different departments can study together in such small specialized groups.
After completing the first two years of the first-year program, students fully integrate into the second-year groups of their chosen specialty and continue to learn inclusively. This means they attend all classes with students from other faculties but participate with an interpreter or special equipment that allows them to clearly hear the instructor's speech without noise. This consists of a paired microphone system that the instructor wears at the beginning of the class, and the student's hearing aid.
The GUIMC faculty also offers the opportunity to study through master's programs.
What training directions (specialties) are available?
Applicants can choose any available area of study at MGTU; however, there are certain features and recommendations to consider. Students with complete hearing loss are advised to select from three of the most promising fields: "Informatics and Computer Engineering" (Dept. IU5), "Automation of Technological Processes and Productions" (Dept. RK9), and "Materials Science and Materials Technology" (Dept. MT8). This is due to the limited number of sign language interpreters available at the Center—such students need them throughout their course of study, including in general streams during the senior years.
Those who do not require sign language interpretation can choose any engineering specialty—they will study in groups at GUMC during the first two years and then transition to the general streams. Nevertheless, hearing-impaired applicants are also advised to select one of the aforementioned fields; the faculty of these departments have accumulated significant experience over the years with GUMC students and developed their own teaching methodologies. In addition to those listed, the departments of "Information Security" (Dept. IU8) and "Metrology and Interchangeability" (Dept. MT4) also have considerable expertise.
This year, 33 freshmen enrolled in the GUMC faculty. Among them is a hearing-impaired student who has joined the "Sociology" department (Dept. SGN2). An individual study plan has been crafted for her spanning five years. The freshman will attend classes with students from the SGN faculty. In these classes, she will be fully immersed in the learning process, just like everyone else, while the GUMC faculty will provide her with additional devices and hearing aids, which will be tuned and individually adapted to her hearing needs.
In the next article, we will show you what the Study Center looks like with all its technological features, discuss the smart classrooms of the faculty, and introduce you to some specialists working in the field of inclusive education.
Source: habr.com
