Russian Technical Universities Research Articles

Forced distance learning at a Russian technical university: A comparative analysis of key challenges assessment

Introduction. On the example of a technical university, the article presents a comparative analysis of assessments of key difficulties identified among the faculty during the transition to distance learning in the spring of 2020 and 2022 throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors identified trigger challenges, which do not lose relevance in the context of the recurrence of a pandemic (and not only) and a person’s ability to adapt to the situation. Generalised recommendations are proposed to compensate for the influence of socio-psychological and communicative barriers to improve the quality of teaching activities of the faculty mediated by information and communication technologies.Aim. The presents paper aims at conducting a comparative analysis to assess key challenges, which are determined by the human factor and affect the implementation of the educational process by the lecturers during distant work with students.Methodology and research methods. The analysis was carried out during spring semesters 2020 and 2022 amid the realisation of forced distance learning. The authors used the methods of scientific and theoretical analysis, synthesis; empirical collection of a dataset of 2 cross-sectional studies using a questionnaire, the C. Rogers & R. Diamond SPA test, and the social stratification level test. Two respondent pools included 307 lecturers from Tomsk Polytechnic University. The results were processed by comparative analysis and using the SPSS 26.0 statistical package program for social sciences.Results. The comparative analysis of the results in two pools showed that the key challenges were: 1) socio-psychological challenges associated with frustration, the challenge for adapting to the remote implementation of the educational process due to the certain disorientation and unprepared teachers; 2) communicative barriers related to the complexity of keeping students’ attention and reducing the quality of materials, the necessity for lecturers to have special communicative skills that meet the conditions of remote work (linguistic, subject, discursive, pragmatic, socio-cultural, technical), and supraprofessional competencies necessary when working in conditions different from traditional methods of teaching. It is concluded that the prerequisites for successful distance learning are determined by the presence of digital educational platforms and hardware resources for their implementation, and by the socio-psychological training of the faculty. In this regard, the authors made the recommendations on the organisation of consistent systematic work by the university personnel service in terms of organising teacher training in the specifics to work in a remote format from the point of view of not only technological (acquisition of skills to develop electronic courses, introduce types of tasks focused on interactive, group collaboration, gamification elements, fractional materials and their visualisation, etc.), but also the psychological acceptance of the situation, the development of emotional competence, adaptability, socio-psychological stability, as well as the improvement of communicative competence that meets today’s challenges.Scientific novelty and practical significance. The comparative analysis in dynamics revealed that the socio-psychological and communication barriers do not lose significance and influence on the lecturers, despite the repeatability of situations associated with a sharp transition in the implementation of the educational process from the traditional to the remote format. There is, therefore, a need for comprehensive work of the university HR service to compensate for the identified difficulties and build a trajectory for the consistent preparation of the faculty for the likely repetition of the situation with the forced distance learning, since the risk of its repetition due to a pandemic, a change in geopolitical or other conditions, is high enough. The implementation of the proposed recommendations for building a vector of readiness for remote work will reduce the negative socio-psychological impact of stressors and improve the quality of the educational process.

"Is It Okay That She is a Woman?"

The article deals with Russian brainpower's perceptions of gender segregation in a technical university when training both IT-specialists and STEM professionals in general. The theoretical and methodological basis for interpreting the results of the empirical study are the main provisions of the theory of social representations, the concept of habitus and the concept of narrative identity. The assumption used as a research hypothesis is that gender “indifference” or neutrality, rather than gender discrimination, takes place in higher technical education in the Russian technical university. The analysis of the data obtained as a result of the study confirmed that there are gender professional distinctions in the group consciousness of brainpower. In Russian speech practice and culture, a thesaurus of non-binary perception of professional gender identity has not yet been formed. At the same time, there is a shift in perceptions of gender professional identity in IT towards gender “neutrality”, which allows us to expect a relatively “soft” transformation of social attitudes and adaptability of professional consciousness to changes in the perception of gender in IT.

ИННОВАЦИИ В СИСТЕМЕ ВЫСШЕГО ТЕХНИЧЕСКОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ РОССИИ НА СОВРЕМЕННОМ ЭТАПЕ

The article deals with innovations in the domestic system of higher technical education in the first decades of the 21st century. The advantages and disadvantages of the country's participation in the Bologna Agreement for higher technical education are analyzed, new mechanisms for implementing the personalization of student learning used at Russian technical universities, including individual educational trajectories, using foreign languages when teaching students, project activities, etc. are considered. The article analyzes the features of the implementation of competence-based approach in the domestic practice of higher technical education at the present time, the importance of using a transdisciplinary approach in designing the content of educational programs as well as the need to use active teaching methods for prospective engineers and student-centered learning models are emphasized. The article considers the use of digital technologies in the training of professionals in the field of engineering and technology in our country, the advantages and disadvantages of digitalization of engineering education. The difficulties associated with the introduction of e-learning and distance learning technologies are introduced.

Readiness comparison of foreign students of different directions to study at a Russian university

An effective system of pre-university training is the key to the competitiveness of Russian universities in teaching foreign students. The study is devoted to a comparison of the processes of formation of readiness, typical for students in different areas: engineering, humanitarian, economic and biomedical. The comparison was carried out on the basis of an intellectual analysis of the opinions of foreign students about studying at the preparatory faculty of the Russian Technical University. There were no particular differences in the factors influencing the readiness to study in different areas. On the contrary, according to the results of the study, it is possible to identify a number of problems common to respondents from different areas of study, and to form algorithms for leveling them within the framework of the pedagogical system of the preparatory faculty. These algorithms could become the basis of an adaptive technology for forming the readiness of foreign students to study at a Russian university.

The Influence of Multidisciplinary Factor on the Technical Universities' Positions in International Rankings

Abstract : The article is devoted to a comparative analysis of world-class technical universities (TUs) ranks in the International Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) ranking 2021. The top-100 of QS-2021 includes only one Russian TUs, and there are no TUs of large industrial countries such as India and Brazil. Many Russian TUs were founded in the 30s of the last century, were related to certain industry ministries and have retained their narrow orientation up to the present time. However, the manufacturing of modern high-tech products (aircraft, robotics, electronics, medical equipment etc.) requires engineers to have knowledge from various fields of science (multidisciplinarity), supported by profound int erd isc iplina ry r esea rches. In add it ion, multidisciplinary TUs provide the opportunity for students to change their specialty or adjust it during their undergraduate and graduate studies. The analysis showed that leading positions in international rankings are occupied by multidisciplinary research TUs that conduct training and interdisciplinary research at the intersection of various scientificactivities. This study can be useful not only for Russia, but also for the transformation of TUs in other countries. Keywords: multidisciplinary, technical university (TU) , en g i n e e r in g s p e c i a l t i e s , t r a i n i n g , transformation

Problems of teaching Russian as a foreign language for special purposes: analysis of students' opinions

Introduction. For foreign students of Russian universities, the Russian language serves as a means of obtaining higher professional education. In this regard, one of the priority tasks of improving the quality of training specialists for foreign countries is the language training of foreign citizens in the Russian language for special purposes. Materials and methods. 126 foreign students of the first year of technical specialties of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University participated in the survey. The results of the study. The survey made it possible to identify the difficulties that foreign students have in the process of learning the language of their specialty and communicating in Russian in the educational environment of the university of the Russian Federation. Among the main difficulties affecting successful communication, foreign students noted communication with teachers of specialized disciplines (46.1%) and with employees of the dean's office (40.4%). The greatest difficulties in the training sessions are caused by understanding the lecture material (49.4%) and understanding the tasks for laboratory work (46.1%). Among the difficulties directly related to the study of the Russian language of the future specialty, the following types of tasks were noted: forming sentences (43.85%), grammar tasks (42.7%), writing dictations (36%). Discussion of the results. The results of the survey allow us to place methodological accents in the preparation of curricula, the creation of modern textbooks and tutorials; to take into account the communicative needs of foreign students who are starting to study on higher professional education programs in Russian technical universities; to implement the principle of continuity and interdisciplinary connections in the formation of the educational route of foreign students. Conclusion. Effective organization of teaching foreign students in the Russian language for special purposes contributes to improving the quality of training of highly qualified competitive specialists for foreign countries and the growth of the international authority of Russian higher professional education.

Multi-disciplinarity as a way to strengthen the positions of Russian technical universities in international rankings

Subject. The article is devoted to the problem of improving the ranking of the leading Russian technical universities by transforming them into multidisciplinary research universities with the limitation of technical faculties (programs) to 40–50% of the admission plan of entrants. Objectives. The study focuses on improving the position of Russian technical universities in international rankings, providing an opportunity for students to change their specialty or shape it, according to the requirements of the employer. Methods. I analyzed the structure of world-class technical universities in terms of differentiation of specialties and methods of improving the rankings. Results. The analysis shows that the leading positions in international rankings belong to multidisciplinary research universities that provide training and conduct integrated research at the intersection of different sciences. Conclusions. There is a need for gradual reforms of Russian research technical universities, in terms of compliance with global trends in multidisciplinarity, differentiation of funding, and research activities. Such reforms can be carried out in the form of mergers and creation of network structures on the basis of agreements on cooperation between technical universities and research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Role of MOOCs in teaching Mathematics to students majoring in Engineering

The research is dedicated to the features of providing mathematical training to would-be engineers through using the potential of mass open online courses. The article reveals the importance of mathematical training as the basis for forming the professional competence of engineers. A sociological poll among the participants of the educational process at Russian technical universities revealed high awareness of the professors about MOOCs (93.3%), while only 45.4% of students knew about such platforms. The undisputed leader by popularity among both professors (53.3%) and students (34.5%) is the project “National platform of open education”. The reasons impeding the use of mass open online courses are: the lack of spare time, the lack of skills of working in such format, and the lack of regulation for introducing the results of studying at MOOC into the formal educational process. At the same time, analysis of Coursera, EdX, Open Education, Intuit, Lektorium and Stepik platforms showed that, as of January 2021, 150 courses were available in the broad and specific mathematical domains. Intensification of using MOOCs in preparing for academic sessions may increase the efficiency of mastering knowledge and skills in solving practical mathematical tasks, which would improve training of the would-be engineers.

CLIL methodology evolution in Russian Technical University (Tomsk Polytechnic)

CLIL methodology evolution in Russian Technical University (Tomsk Polytechnic)

Preface

The annual International Conference on Complex equipment and quality control laboratories was held virtually on 14-17 April 2020 due to lockdown in Russia. The institutional organizer and the originator of the conference is Saint Petersburg Mining University. More than three dozen reports were presented on time of the conference via Zoom. This volume is comprised of the most significant and valuable contributions reported by authors in the course of virtual meetings.This year, scientists, representatives of educational organizations, instrument-makers, specialists in the operation of measuring and testing equipment, quality control specialists from different regions of the Russian Federation and from other countries came together at the oldest Russian technical university to share their experience and knowledge. The participants of the conference, round tables and seminars discussed trends in the modern instrument-making industry, the potential of new measuring equipment, the latest changes in the regulatory framework for quality control and ensuring the uniformity of measurements.The materials presented in this special issue cover a wide sphere of technical knowledge on industrial electronics and instrumentation design, metrological support of measurements, quality assurance and quality management. Among the authors of the papers are well-known scientists from the leading universities of the Russian Federation, young scientists and specialists from the manufacturing sector. Editors: Vasilyeva Maria Alexandrovna, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate professor of the Miningtransport machines department, Senior Deputy of the Chairman of young scientists of Saint-Petersburg Mining UniversityNagornov Dmitriy Olegovich, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate professor of the Geo-ecology department, Saint-Petersburg Mining UniversityKremcheev Eldar Abdollovich, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of the Metrology and quality control department, Saint-Petersburg Mining University

Методическая система мультилингвального обучения будущих инженеров: эмпирическое исследование

Training of highly qualified engineering personnel capable of solving professional tasks in a multilingual international environment is one of the main goals implemented within the framework of the national project known as “Education”. Expanding the range of languages taught and modernizing the approaches to teaching foreign languages can change the attitude to linguistic education in technical universities making it multifunctional, relevant to the time and more attractive for both Russian and international students. This article analyzes the methodological system of multilingual training of technical students elaborated by Anna A. Prokhorova and summarizes the results of an empirical study conducted on the basis of one of the leading Russian technical universities. The study aimed at examining the effectiveness of the proposed methodological system. The authors consider the latter to be a compound educational structure of a humanitarian nature, which is aimed at developing a multilingual communicative competence (MCC) among students of engineering specialties as well as their multicultural personality. MCC is interpreted from the perspective of the idea proposed by Konstantin E. Bezukladnikov, who offers to formulate it in terms of ‘readiness' and ‘ability'. Thus, the authors give the definition and describe the structural complex of the multilingual communicative competence, which includes basic and complementary components. The authors also stress that a multilingual educational process in a technical university is possible only in specific conditions that promote systematic language learning. In this regard, they suggest the idea of creating the architecture of a multilingual environment that is built on the principles of mobility, integration and digitalization. The methodological system of multilingual training was implemented and its efficiency was verified via experimental work with more than a thousand student participants majoring in various fields of engineering and belonging to dissimilar learning paths. The multilingual skills of the participants were diagnosed through observation, surveys, and modern methods of analyzing multilingual educational activities. The obtained indicators were recorded and discussed. The achieved results proved to be positive due to the introduction of multilingual modules such as facilitative, accelerative, communicative and transferable, presented by the authors. The statistical data analysis performed using the IBM SPSS Statistics program confirms the effectiveness of the implemented system and proves that its integration into the content of technical students' foreign language teaching is really promising.

Interactive technology of pedagogical assistance as a means of adaptation of foreign first-year students

The relevance of this study and its social significance are due the need to improve the readiness of the foreign first-year students for the learning process in educational environment of a Russian technical university. The purpose of the article is to develop an interactive technology of pedagogical assistance, identifying the features of adaptation of foreign first-year students. To assess the adaptation process we estimated: students’ motivation toward science learning, their abilities of self-regulation in the learning process and classroom climate. The effectiveness of the proposed model is confirmed by the results of a pedagogical experiment, using proven, valid questionnaires on the subject of the study. On the basis of the obtained results, it is proved that to improve the quality of training of foreign students, it is necessary to take into account their motives, cognitive style of mastering the educational material, the used educational strategies and features of the organization of communication in the educational group. Most effectively, these factors can be taken into account in the organization of pedagogical assistance of the adaptation process through the electronic educational environment of university.

Evaluating the externalities of investment in higher education in Russia

Subject. I address the impact of higher education expansion in Russia on the income level of economic agents interacting with university graduates of different majors. Objectives. The aim is to test the hypothesis about the existence of externalities of the expansion of higher education in Russian conditions that are characterized by the diminishing return on the increase in the share of economically active population with higher education and the differentiation of the impact of increase in the number of graduates with different educational majors. Methods. To evaluate the external effects of the expansion of higher education in Russia, I performed a regression analysis of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey data. Results. I revealed a positive external effect of the expansion of higher education in Russia. It decreases as enrollment in higher education increases. In Russia, specialists in the field of law and public administration benefit from the expansion of higher education. The increase in the share of graduates with higher technical education does not produce significant positive external effects due to the structure of the Russian economy and its economic development model, which has a limited demand for competences providing innovative development of industry. Conclusions. Despite the decline in external effects of investment in higher education, the decision to obtain it remains quite rational, as the private return on higher education remains quite high. Improving the external effects of training specialists in technical and natural sciences requires improving the training programs of Russian technical universities and institutional changes.

Научный потенциал современного вуза: перспективы подготовки научно-педагогических кадров в аспирантуре

The paper analyzes the strategies for the profes-sional adaptation of young scientific and teaching personnel. Based on the results of a sociological survey of graduate students of the Russian Tech-nical University MIREA, the authors identify the main directions of the university personnel policy in work-ing with youth. They pay particular attention to the study of the components that determine profes-sional self-identification of graduate students. The paper assesses the dependence of academic mobili-ty of postgraduate students and their scientific ac-tivity on various factors. The study of the evolving practice of training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel allows to focus on creating academic environment conducive to scientific activi-ty of graduate students and improvement of the quality of ongoing research projects. Today, active participation of graduate students and teachers of a department in scientific work of the university be-comes one of the indicators of successful scientific activity of its structural divisions. The identified low estimate of the demand for research activity in a number of structural divisions is largely determined by the low level of fulfillment of the basic needs of graduate students in connection to further career development in academia. In this regard, the direc-tion of the formation of resources of educational institutions is significant both on the basis of moti-vation for research activities, and on expanding youth access to scientific design.

Actors’ reflexivity and engagement in the formation of new accounting tools during university hybridization

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the unfolding dynamics and evolving processes relating to the formation of accounting tools by university actors. It answers the research questions: How do individual actors engage in the formation of new accounting tools during university hybridisation? Specifically, what forms of reflexivity do these actors display in various phases of university hybridisation? Design/methodology/approach This is a longitudinal case study of the development of new accounting tools in one Russian technical university from 2010 to 2016. It is based on an institutional work perspective, involving 29 interviews, documentary analysis, and observations of internal meetings relating to new accounting tools’ formation. Findings The findings show that academics themselves were gradually engaged in the marginalisation of academic demands in university governance in favour of managerialism via accounting. Nevertheless, the role of accounting morphed over time from a dysfunctional and negative carrier of managerial ideology and its domination, to what could arguably be considered a mediation device between academic and managerial demands. These dynamic processes and the role of accounting within them are explained by the constant challenge stemming from the involvement of several groups of actors in institutional work, which is often unpredictable and fluid due to the intricate play of plural reflexivities and actors’ identities during university hybridisation. Originality/value This paper advances the field by showing that the engagement and reflexivity of academics in the formation of accounting tools is not a “panacea” to deal with hybridisation within universities. The results highlight several obstacles, including variation in the reflexive capacities of actors within the university, leading to a reflexivity lag and reflexivity trap.

Модернизация инженерного образования в России: исторические корни современных проблем

The paper is devoted to the problem of the higher engineering and technical education modernization in Russia, that has acquired special significance due to the need for breakthrough technological development of the state. An assumption about the relevance of addressing the historical premises of modern problems of domestic engineering education and the study of experience in successfully resolving them is made. The purpose of the study is to conduct a historical and sociological analysis of the interaction of Russian society and the institute of higher engineering and technical education. The formation of engineering education in different periods of the history of Russia is traced, the factors that determine its current state are identified. The research method is manual quality content analysis, that combines the methodology of traditional content analysis (highlighting significant elements of the text and their quantification) and in-depth qualitative analysis of the text. Empirical object is the scientific publications of representatives of scientific and pedagogical staff of Russian technical universities. The analysis of the interaction of Russian society and higher engineering and technical education is carried out within the framework of a structurally functional paradigm based on the theory of social institutions by Herbert Spencer. In consequence it was concluded that the modernization of Russian technical universities is certainly necessary, but it cannot be carried out in isolation and should become a full part of the modernization of society as a whole.

The Talbot effect in X-ray range

This article describes the advances made using Talbot effect in X-ray wavelength range. The possibilities of phase-contrast interferometry using a three-grating Talbot interferometer are noted. The achievements of applying the Talbot effect in nanoscale X-ray lithography are discussed. The need to include this material in courses on X-ray optics, read in Russian Technical Universities, is underlined.

X-ray free electron lasers in the course of physics of Technical University

The article provides an overview of the X-ray sources based on synchrotron radiation sources of the generation of the four – X-ray free electron lasers (XFEL). The multipolar system of magnetic fields – undulator – allowing receiving high intensity beams of X-rays is considered. Important properties of the radiation emitted by XFEL are noted: ultra-high brightness, ultra short pulses, the high spatial coherence of the beam. There is an urgent need to include this material in the course of general physics and in the courses of X-ray optics for Russian Technical Universities.

Preface

The special issue “Integrated equipping of quality control laboratories” includes research articles, scientific reviews and notes submitted by the participants of the international scientific and practical conference held at Saint-Petersburg Mining University.In 2019, scientists, representatives of educational organizations, instrument-makers, specialists in the operation of measuring and testing equipment, quality control specialists from different regions of the Russian Federation and from other countries came together at the oldest Russian technical university to share their experience and knowledge. The participants of the conference, round tables and seminars discussed trends in the modern instrument-making industry, the potential of new measuring equipment, the latest changes in the regulatory framework for quality control and ensuring the uniformity of measurements.The materials presented in this special issue cover a wide sphere of technical knowledge on industrial electronics, metrological support of measurements, and instrument making. Among the authors of the papers are well-known scientists from the leading universities of the Russian Federation, young scientists and specialists from the manufacturing sector. A significant part of the issue was prepared in collaboration with members of international professional organizations, societies and research institutions.In the preparation of the papers and the compilation of the issue, the MineCite intellectual analytical system was used.Editors:Vasilyeva Maria Alexandrovna, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate professor of the Mining transport machines department, Senior Deputy of the Chairman of young scientists of Saint-Petersburg Mining UniversityNagornov Dmitriy Olegovich, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate professor of the Geo-ecology department, Saint-Petersburg Mining UniversityKremcheev Eldar Abdollovich, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Head of the Metrology and quality control department, Saint-Petersburg Mining UniversityList of Logo is available in this pdf.

New model of managerial education in technical university

Purpose A modern trend in the educational environment in recent years has been the permanent education system with the involvement of online study modes. It is based on multidisciplinarity and adaptivity of educational technologies, starting with the basic level of education – bachelor’s degree, and ending with gaining competences in the field of engineering and economics throughout the whole professional life of a student. The purpose of this paper is to perform a detailed analysis of development of permanent education in Russian universities, focusing on statistical data on popularity of jobs as to professional groups among employers and determining peculiarities of permanent education, based on the distinguished peculiarities of permanent education and requirements of business to develop a model of engineering and managerial education that would integrate two blocks of the educational process – engineering and economic, as well as include modern technologies of teaching. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose the modern model of engineering management education that is implemented in the Russian technical universities. Its distinctive feature as compared to the conventional educational technologies is gaining competences in the field of economics and management at the same time with engineering education at the second stage of education – the master’s program. The proposed model of engineering and management education results in obtainment of two diplomas by the student who is awarded with a master’s degree in engineering and a master’s degree in economics. A difference of the offered model from the traditional educational technologies is obtaining competences in the sphere of economics and management together with engineering education at the master’s program. The result of the offered model of engineering and managerial education is graduate’s receiving two diplomas with master’s degree of engineer and master of economics. The paper shows the existing mechanism of implementing the model of engineering and economic education in a technical university by the example of the master’s program in Economics “Evaluation of economic risks during technological decisions (in oil processing and oil chemistry).” Findings The offered model of engineering and managerial education will allow training the engineers of a new type, who will be able to adapt to new tendencies and initiate the changes that are necessary for effective functioning of business in the conditions of digital economy. Originality/value The offered model of engineering and managerial education should be acknowledged as an innovational educational project that raises demand for graduates through their adaptability to employer’s needs and their usage of new tools of management that are based on exchange of information data and that form managerial task for information provision of the process of decision making and their further execution.