THE ROLE OF MATHEMATICAL EDUCATION IN PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF SPECIALISTS FOR THE TOURISM SECTOR
Authors: NOVYTSKA Lyudmyla 
Published: February 2020

At the current stage of social and economic development of Ukraine, the processes of globalization, integration and informatization of society raise qualitatively new challenges in the field of higher education.

Ukraine has recently been focusing on European countries, which consider the tourism sector as a priority area for their economic development. This area of ​​investment is very attractive, creates new jobs and is characterized by a high level of efficiency. Therefore, the socio-economic success of the country as a whole depends on the professional training of future tourists.

The basis for the development of specialist-tourist skills is mathematical disciplines, including the discipline "Higher and Applied Mathematics". There is an intensive process of mathematization of knowledge, involving mathematical apparatus in the study of natural sciences, humanities, economics and social sciences, which in turn forms a certain level of mathematical culture of students of universities.

The purpose of teaching the course "Higher and Applied Mathematics" is to provide students with basic knowledge of mathematics, which enable them to further master the professional disciplines based on mathematical concepts. In this case, considerable attention should be paid to the formation of practical skills, the ability to apply mathematical methods when solving the tasks of professional activity.

One of the tools for improving the quality of mathematical education for students-tourists is to update the content of courses that are read in the context of the future profession and modern socio-economic order.

When considering a particular material, the idea of ​​its connection with the future profession should be put on the foreground. In this regard, the course "Higher and Applied Mathematics" for students-tourists VNAU contains several critical sections covering all the main areas of application of mathematical methods in the tourism sector. Teaching is carried out in accordance with the typical curriculum for higher education institutions in the discipline "Higher and Applied Mathematics" for the specialty "Tourism", developed by the teachers of the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Technologies, VNU taking into account the principle of professional orientation.

Given the fact that for students the most important is the practical aspect of mathematics, the purpose of the course is to familiarize with the basic concepts and methods of studying modern mathematics necessary for further study of professional disciplines, as well as the formation of skills for the correct mathematical formulation of applied problems and the construction of simple mathematical models.

The solution of many applications is due to cumbersome mathematical calculations, the need to visually present the results of calculations, check them, so it is advisable to use computer mathematical systems, in particular, Maccats, in practical classes in mathematics. Teachers of the Department of Mathematics of Physics and Computer Technologies are the ones who prefer it. To work with Mathcad, there are basic elementary skills in working with Windows applications, so you need to implement this environment from the first lessons when studying topics such as Linear Algebra, Differential and Integral Computing, Elements of Probability Theory and Mathematical Statistics.

The use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the educational process greatly enhances the opportunities of both the teacher and the student's cognitive abilities. ICTs allow to visualize and dynamize the process of studying the discipline "Higher and Applied Mathematics", to personalize and direct the educational process for the comprehensive development of personality, to substantially increase the volume, sources of receipt and the nature of the information necessary for a person, the means of its processing.

They can have a significant impact on the methodology of holding higher and applied mathematics classes, requiring the teacher to use electronic textbooks, lecture notes, practical work, the testing system for assessing student knowledge, and global sources of information. They also facilitate the organization of effective independent work in non-attendance time for students.

It should be noted that to date there are quite a few tutorials, collections of tasks that contain applied tasks that can be considered at lectures and practical classes on higher and applied mathematics. Work on the creation of such methodological materials is conducted, in particular, at the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Computer Technologies.

Thus, changing requirements for a specialist in the field of tourism, which is conditioned by modernity, requires a permanent rearrangement of the structural elements of its preparation. Fundamental disciplines to a large extent are applied, and therefore a qualitative assimilation of basic and basic concepts of mathematical disciplines will contribute to the competitiveness and qualitative training of the future specialist.