"Start programing": how the IT-preparation was revolutionized in TSU

TOMSK, Jul 25 – RIA Tomsk, Elena Taylasheva. Students of Tomsk State University (TSU) Program Engineering took examinations in game, mobile application creation. They mastered volume of practical skills for a year, which is hardly got by the end of a bachelor program. How a first-year student write algorithms not worse than Google and who make Tomsk the IT capital – in material of RIA Tomsk.

Program philosophy

There is a joke in the IT environment: 99,9% of people become programmers, dreaming to develop games. But yesterday's entrants quickly force to forget about this "whim" in the classical system of the higher education programming (and even not games) occupies only 1/6 curricula: on the first courses of the profile directions, the rest – generally mathematics, plus humanitarian subjects.

"The emphasis on mathematics is a legacy of the 1980th years when there were few machines, were a lot of automation tasks, and machine time was the most expensive resource. Training of programmers was built so that they developed not user-friendly solutions, but optimizing machine time", – professor, the doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, the Vice-Rector of TSU for IT Development, the head of a department of program engineering Oleg Zmeev tells.

For this purpose first fundamental mathematical preparation is necessary, secondly, ability to solve problems of optimization. However, Zmeev emphasizes, since then the world has cardinally changed, and a problem of optimization of machine time are very specific and meet infrequently in IT market now. Moreover, solution of even such tasks in a modern IT environment demands other preparation.

"Now time of a developer and client's time are the most precious resources. It demands absolutely other vocational training therefore, therefore starting the pilot program "Program Engineering" a year ago, we designed essentially new curriculum. If people come to us to become the coolest program engineers in the world, programming has to be the center of education".

It takes a third of the curriculum, another third is mathematics, and the rest – humanitarian objects. By the way, it turned out that the beginning IT geniuses adore the humanitarian block if it is correct to give it.

"For example, we completely refused factual model within history (we all have Google). The conditional name of history on our program is "Analytical history of Russia": we tried to show how analytical methods work in not IT subject domain. The main format is not lectures, but seminars – in the form of discussions, debates, public statements", – Zmeev tells.

The student is not a blank

42 students – 30 Russians and 12 foreign started education at the first year of the experimental program in TSU in September of last year who get an education in English.

"We have decided that we will have another mechanism of their preparation", – Zmeev notes. He remembers: a student was such a blank in Soviet period in which a standard set of information was recorded (and then, by the way, it turned out that this knowledge isn't necessary, everybody remembers a phrase at employment "Forget everything what you were taught in the university to").

"We have a student – the main element of education. He defines what he wants to receive, naturally, being in a certain framework of our opportunities and state standard. He has the right to ask a question: "Why do I need it?". And – Bingo! – when you begin to treat him that way, the rate of his education increases. It is interesting to him, he is motivated, he adopts rules of the game and begins to surprise pleasantly", – Oleg Zmeev says.

The most eloquent example: his students overcome a course of classical programming for 1,5 semester which in usual conditions hardly is mastered to the fourth year.

Aerobatics

Programming within "pilot" was packed on eight modules which were given in the rigid and fast sequence, from simple to difficult.

"The first module is very gentle, we, in fact, taught them to program, students have just endured two stresses – the USE and entrance, relaxed on vacations, and it is necessary to bring them into a form. It reminds preparation in team: you had a holiday, you have arrived not trained, and you go to the World Cup final not immediately! The body has to remember habitual loadings", – Oleg Zmeev tells.

By the end of the first semester, complicating tasks more and more, students were brought to form peak. Further, after a small pause in the form of winter vacation, "World Cup" – modules of the second semester has begun.

"It is, for example, algorithms of indistinct search – what is the cornerstone of any search engine of type of Yandex, Google. Only they are advanced there, and we show basic things with which everything began. Nevertheless, it is very hard tasks. Then so-called computing methods follow: genetic algorithms, neural networks and so on. It is somewhat aerobatics", – Zmeev tells.

And the penultimate module became cherry on cake which had to show how all this algorithmics which was studied within a year is applied in modern applications. Students were told: children, write the most ordinary graphic editorfor a mobile application. In a month. From scratch …

"At the same time they were not given a course about development of mobile applications, a course of development for Android. The main principle of the program is learning by doing (training in the course of work). They have to learn to master absolutely new technological stack from scratch. They should have no fear. They have to solve problems, being in limited term. Also they have to learn to work with team", – Zmeev explains.

After nine mobile applications appeared, it became clear: mission accomplished. One of technical directors of the IT companies who were attended the finishing of the module, told: two applications can be loaded in GooglePlay right now. And it was made by first-year students who have three more years of training.

I am an IT specialist from Tomsk

"And further … It is necessary to realize a dream", – the head of the program smiles. At the beginning of academic year students wrote the essay – what brought them to the program. Many of them told: development of games.

"Time was reserved on the program – in case people won't keep up with the pace. But almost all have sustained – except one person. Therefore, reserve month students were engaged in creation of games. It is interesting that each group has gained independence in desires: someone has decided to put emphasis on technical counters, someone – on a gameplay, someone on design", – Zmeev tells.

Success of the educational program Zmeev estimates for 96%, that is practically everything that on start was only a hypothesis was succesful. It was recognized also by the university, having created on the basis of pilot programs the Highest IT school (HITs) of TSU within a year (that is just fabulous speed for high school structure).

"It is impossible to build such program without cooperation with IT business. Also there were companies which believed in model and invested in it – not only by employees, time, but also cash. First of all, it is Bitworks Software and Space-O Technologies, they have supported young teachers who work at the program: everyone got a corporate grant", – Zmeev tells.

He is convinced: it is crucial to adjust trust between business and education:

"In my opinion, Tomsk has no other future just to become the IT city because the logistics and location aren't important for IT business. "IT specialist from Tomsk" has to become a brand in the professional environment. But for this purpose we have to put communication between all participants of this process – education, authorities, business. So far they are separated".

How can business trust an education system if it ignores its requirements? Oleg Zmeev gives such figures: about 1500 IT specialists graduate annually in Tomsk (with the highest and a secondary special education), a half of them leaves .

450 from the remained people begin to work in a profession. And Tomsk has 700 vacancies annually!

"That is the efficiency of education is lower than 50%, at the same time companies need to finish learning of the graduates during from 6 to 10 months. To make break, each of the parties has to set to itself a definite purpose and be responsible for it. We, in particular, told: "Misters, we in TSU will begin to prepare world-class specialists. It is our zone of responsibility". And we have taken the first step in this direction", – Zmeev considers.