Realization of the humanitarian potential of a higher mathematics course in the professional training of technical university students

Abstract

Introduction. The next stage of globalization of relations is being formed – the creation of a digital economy, including smart manufacturing, smart finance, telemedicine, etc. The UNESCO Science Report: the Race Against Time for Smarter Development – Executive Summary, published in 2021, calls this phase the “fourth industrial revolution.” The development and basis of this revolution in the fields of science and engineering is directly related to digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain technology, which intersect with nano- and biotechnologies, and cognitive sciences. Scientific institutions and higher education systems are actively involved in this process as direct participants and as training institutions. Mathematical training is rightfully considered the methodological basis of most educational and special disciplines. The purpose of the study is to reveal the humanitarian potential of a higher mathematics course in the professional training of a technical university student. Materials and methods. In accordance with the provisions of the system-activity and information approaches, the authors have developed a questionnaire to identify preferences in realizing the humanitarian potential of the higher mathematics course at a technical university. Respondents are asked to rank the proposed six statements that characterize the mathematical preparation of students. 368 people took part in the survey, among them students of bachelor's degree (136 people), specialty (124 people), master's degree (78 people) and postgraduate studies (30 people) of St. Petersburg Mining University. The method of summarizing and grouping statistical observation materials was used. Results. The highest rating of 3.74 was occupied by the contradiction between the awareness of the leading role of mathematics in the development of logical thinking and at the same time the predominance of theoretical facts over their practical application in the university course of higher mathematics. This statement was noted as the most significant by 20% of students, 27% of undergraduates and 24% of graduate students. The other two, in terms of the severity of the contradiction, have a rating of 3.55 (mastering the content of a higher mathematics course is accompanied by objective difficulty due to the high abstractness of the subject) and 3.56 (insignificant inclusion of heuristic methods in the content of the course). In the context of constantly increasing requirements for the quality of engineering education, the problem of increasing the role of mathematical knowledge can be solved through didactic support of the educational and cognitive process in the classroom and as part of students’ independent work. In a multi-component educational activity, the basic dominants (spatial, logical, numerical and symbolic) are highlighted and the methodological features of their implementation in the student’s mathematical preparation are revealed. Conclusion. The humanitarian potential of the higher mathematics course presupposes a system of measures aimed at the priority development of intellectual and general cultural qualities of students. The realization of humanitarian potential involves the formation of a student's value attitude towards himself, the world around him and his activities in it. The realization of the humanitarian potential of the discipline in the training of a future engineer is possible through the organization of symbolic activities by means of practice-oriented tasks and educational cases of an applied nature.