Improving information technology training of the future specialists in the higher educational establishments in the conditions of digital economy

The paper is devoted to one of the most important directions of development of the system of higher education in the era of digitalization, i.e. the information technology training of future specialists. In this work, the need to improve the information technology training of bachelors and masters in the university is substantiated as one of the components of fundamental training of a modern specialist for the digital economy of Russia. On the basis of analysis of relevant theoretical, methodical, and technological approaches of domestic and foreign scientists and practitioners to the issues of improving information and technological training of students in the university, the authors of the article: (i) consider the distinctive features of modern information technology training of students requiring close cooperation of higher education institutions with the labor market in order to promptly adjust the content of curricula in accordance with employers’ requests, as well as to follow the concept of advanced education; (i) emphasize that, despite the digital transformation of educational process, changing forms, and methods of teaching, and competences, the most important requirement for the updated system of information technology training of students is to maintain its fundamental nature; (ii) emphasize the importance for future specialists to have programming skills, and their readiness to interact with information systems and technologies, as well as the ability to engage an independent and productive dialogue with computers, make decisions and perform assigned professional tasks and manage complicated automated complexes; (iii) justify and systematize the principles of selection of the content of information technology training for the higher educational establishments’ students, taking into account the requirements of Federal State Educational Standards for the Higher Education (FSES HE), domestic and foreign standards in the field of information technology, as well as the concept of advanced education; (iv) offer a system of methodical and technological approaches to improving the information technology training of future specialists in the higher educational establishments using practice-oriented and optimization approaches, advanced education, and e-learning using distance education technologies.