THE STRATEGIC MODEL FOR THE FORMATION OF PROSPECTIVE IT SPECIALISTS' READINESS TO PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY

The realities of the dynamic development of computer and communication technologies require competitive information technology professionals who are capable of perceiving, generating and implementing new scientific ideas, as well as developing and utilizing innovations. In the article the strategic model for the formation of information technologies specialists' readiness for their professional activity in the conditions of the development of information systems is developed and experimentally tested. Based on analyzed and aggregated results the authors describe the professional duties and requirements for IT specialists, whose tasks are related to designing, developing and using information systems. The paper also demonstrates the importance of IT specialists' professional activities for the support for full operation of information systems of different organizations. The article also develops an individual scheme of learning styles. This scheme presents the factors that are key to the perception of information by students in the learning process. By analyzing the proposed scheme and the conducted diagnosis, the authors determine learning styles most students are good at; they also analyze the correlation between learning styles and classroom work. It constitutes the basis for determining the vectors of implementation of educational strategies for the professional training for modern IT specialists. Training strategies that will contribute to IT specialists' readiness to professional activity in the conditions of information systems development are highlighted. On the basis of the obtained theoretical and practical information, the expediency of implementing the results of the study in practice is justified; a strategic model for prospective IT specialists training is developed and experimentally tested. The proposed model reflects the logic of the formation of students' individual style of cognitive activity, which encourages the independent choice of cognitive activity strategy and individual didactic route, which are external organizational forms of the formation of prospective IT specialists' readiness for their professional activity in the conditions of information systems development. The results of the study suggest the prospect for further research. In particular, the authors emphasise the search for ways to integrate adaptive and self-directed learning in the process of IT specialists training.