Contemporary technologies in the educational project design for preparing medical opticians-optometrists in the system of secondary vocational education

Optometry, as a branch of ophthalmology, has expanded significantly in Russia over the past three decades. Although the training of optometrists dates back to the Soviet era, the educational program then primarily focused on producing corrective devices rather than fitting them, and optometrists had little involvement in diagnostic or therapeutic processes. Demographic changes linked to an aging population, along with rising rates of refractive disorders, have significantly increased the workload for ophthalmology services throughout Russia. Another critical challenge in managing ocular pathologies is the shortage of ophthalmologists. One effective strategy to address these issues is to organize a more active role for optometrists in the healthcare system, yet this requires high-quality specialist training within secondary vocational education (SVE). Despite the updated educational standard for the specialty of medical optician-optometrist, there are still no well-established teaching methods for optometry in the SVE system, and no textbook has been approved by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. Consequently, selecting and adapting contemporary teaching technologies within the educational project design for preparing qualified optometrists is a vital task in the SVE program. Educational technologies serve as a mechanism to orginize innovative forms and methods of instruction, bringing them to life in authentic pedagogical practice. Recognizing project design as an effective tool for modern education highlights the need to integrate independent and creative student activities into the main educational process. This article explores various approaches to designing the educational process for medical opticians-optometrists in the SVE program.

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