The role of online courses in the formation of a practice-oriented component of educational training programs for IT specialists

Problem and goal. The paper studies how increasing the number of IT degree graduates that are taught in a way that meets the requirements of employers could facilitate digital transformation of Russian economy. This study set out to develop web design teaching methods used in undergraduate training of IT bachelors in the context of blended learning that combines online courses with offline classes in order to make educational approach more practice-oriented. Methodology. The analysis of the research on various aspects of online courses and their usage in university education allows the researchers to construct the optimal model of blended learning in the regional university environment. The comparison of various learning platforms revealed that HTML Academy interactive courses are the best solution to teach web development as they meet the requirements of the professional community for student competencies. The study suggests web design learning methods of IT degree bachelors that are based on the blended learning approach with the help of HTML Academy online courses. It also describes how this methodology was applied in Nizhnevartovsk State University (the Faculty of Information Technology and Mathematics). The observational study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the approach and whether it is able to increase the quality of universal and professional competencies of IT degree bachelors. Results. The author developed and applied web design teaching methods for IT degree students that meet the employers’ requirements. The methodology was applied to teach computer science and computer engineering degree and information systems and technologies degree students and was approved by independent experts from the professional community. Conclusion. Blended learning that includes online courses developed by leading experts from the professional community makes IT undergraduate training more practice-oriented, increases education quality, and meets the requirements of professional standards and employers.