Nikita Karavaev

The problem that the research is aimed at stems from from the urgent need to change the existing model of learning robotics in order to implement the strategy of training highly qualified specialists in the most popular, promising sectors of the future, taking into account the requirements of business, society, and the state. The purpose of the study is to substantiate theoretically and test experimentally the effectiveness of using the task approach in teaching robotics to form the desirable cross-professional competences of the future. The research methodology consists of an analysis of psychological, educational, scientific and technical literature, methodological works on the teaching of robotics at all stages of training; analysis of constructors and software tools to support students' practice and transformation activities; analysis of robotic systems from creative projects of the educational process participants; Rapid Foresight method; system analysis; pedagogical experiment. The authors made a detailed description of the didactic and interdisciplinary potential of robotics course as a part of the educational model implemented by educational institutions based on the traditional trajectory “preschool education - school - university - additional education”, in terms of training engineering and technical personnel for the professions of the future. The work substantiates the role of cross-professional competences (soft skills) as a complex of non-specialized metasubject skills responsible for successful participation in the working process and high efficiency. In addition, specific content supported by a system of tasks is offered for each of the core competences in the field of robotics and engineering. Our findings allowed us to formulate the basic ideas of the methodology for improving the through course of studying robotics with a precise focus on those competences formation that meet the requirements of society, business, and the state to prepare future specialists. The effectiveness of the modified methodology of the course for improving the quality of the educational process is confirmed by experimental data. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the fact that the findings confirm: it is the improvement of the course of robotics that will provide a useful skill - be able to learn, prepare for the professions of the future.

In modern information educational environment, there is an increasing interest in computer games using to improve the quality of education. It determines the relevance of the article, which is devoted to the analysis of modern software tools that have the potential for gamification of educational process in the context of state, society and education requirements. The purpose of the article is to select several gaming platforms, on which basis the methodology for educational process gamification will be improved. The methodology of the research is information sources of psychological, pedagogical, methodical and technical orientation study, the analysis of computer educational games made by foreign and domestic authors whose authority and scientific reputation are recognized by the scientific community. Due to necessity of educational process gamification, the authors admit the requirement to clarify the concept of «gamification». Taking into account the peculiarities and principles of this phenomenon, the analysis of software, that has didactic effect and is most consistent with the idea of gamification, is performed. All the variety of software tools with the potential for educational process gamification was divided into groups: gaming platforms, educational quests, learning management services and game design sites. Within each group, those platforms are studied that are most common in the foreign and domestic educational environment. The group of gaming platforms includes Classcraft, MinecraftEdu and DuoLingo. The group of educational quests includes Scratch, Quandary and Ribbon Hero. Among the services used for management of learning process are ClassDojo, Goalbook, Coursera and Brainscape. Spectrum of sites-designers of games is not so wide: eTreniki and LearningApps. Based on the application of specific comparison criteria and for maximizing the implementation of educational process gamification idea, a set of services and platforms is selected that, with appropriate methodological support, will improve the quality of education: ClassCraft platform, Scratch environment, Quandary software product and the LearningApps project.

The author describes the problem of language as information technology. The roles of nonverbal and verbal language in the context of cognitive and communicative processes are shown. The key features of language as information technology are given.

The author describes the problem of interpretation of the phenomenon of knowledge. A brief review of the classical interpretations of this notion in the context of the opposition to the epistemological paradigm of rationality and sensuality is given.

The author states his own definition of the notion of human activity, and shows one of the fullest descrip-tions of activity structure.