Comprehensive study of the fundamentals of geomorphology and geology in the educational process in college as a way to broaden horizons in relation to the region of residence

the article presents the experience of teaching the complex discipline "Fundamentals of Geology, Geomorphology, Soil Science" to students studying in the secondary spe-cialized education program at the college of the Ural State University of Economics. It is shown that most students living in the city of Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk region have very limited understanding of both the history of industrial development of the region and the natural resource potential and environmental problems. A number of methods of teaching the discipline are described, including the use of business games, discussions, laboratory and practical classes and excursions aimed at expanding the horizons of the student contingent in relation to historical, geological and eco-logical-geographical information about the territory of the Greater Urals. The combination of personality-oriented and practical-activity approaches with the simultane-ous use of external and internal motivation, based on the personal interest of students in studying the material, contributed to the fairly high effectiveness of the course of this academic discipline. According to the results of a survey conducted among students after completion of the curriculum, 94% of respondents noted the importance of the discipline for future professional activity, 78% indicated that they received new information about the region of their residence, and 52% felt proud of it. The presented experience can be useful in drawing up the curriculum of this discipline, taking into account the needs and interests of students.

level of knowledge, college students, basics of geology and geomorphology, interest in class topics, Urals, teaching methods and technology