Professional Education And Training In Networking Information  Technologies As A Demand Of Developing National Information  Infrastructure
Main Principles Of Teaching In Networked Information Environment
Pilot Implementation Of The New Instructional Methodology And Educational Program
Summary
Reference

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN NETWORKING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AS A DEMAND OF DEVELOPING NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE

An important role in GII development and creating elements of Open Information Society will belong to Universities’ Academic and Research community. The knowledge-based economy demands greater openness and creativity in schools and universities, and the acquisition of new skills and adaptability through life-long training. An open approach to education that combines local and national cultures and promotes mutual understanding between all people is required.

Internet and Global Information Infrastructure (GII) development in the world change the main paradigms in Education and Research and rises new tasks caused by mankind survive Information Revolution and start building Information Society which is defined as post-technological society.

Education should respond on global challenges of forming Information Society in providing necessary background for successful people living in this new knowledge based formation:

• forming base knowledge and motivation for constant improvement of knowledge and skills
• setting up of life-long learning motivation
• free access for learning and training materials.

MAIN PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING IN NETWORKED INFORMATION ENVIRONMENT

Proposed instructional methodology is very similar to the Project Based Learning (PBL) that signify advent of the new paradigm of education in knowledge based Information Society. In this new environment, students and teacher become collectors and produces of knowledge/information in contrary to previous roles of just receivers and source of information in previous models of education in industrial and technological societies. Main issue of such new approaches belongs to knowledge search, transfer and acquisition in information and knowledge reach environment formed by GII and Internet that are not limited by classroom and national boundaries. Students in such environment are capable not only consume information and knowledge but also introduce new information and even skills retrieved from the Net.

Main principles teaching modern Information Technologies in Technical, Technological and non-Technical education can be formulted as following.

1. The new paradigm of education in modern Networked Information Environment should be incorporated into instructional methodology development

Learning from the Internet - Contributing to the Internet

1. Cooperative Learning Model + students' initiative.

Using Internet/Intranet technologies Teachers and Learners can mutually benefit from implementation and mastering new technologies. Key role in exploring this principle belong to educational projects and rely on Cooperative model of course management that effectively use students initiative in mastering new technologies
1. Contributional Learning model.

In conditions of wide use of computers and multimedia technologies among students and rapid technology changes, teachers sometimes can not have strong benefits in practical technological experience. In these circumstances they should play the role of mentors and/or managers of educational process or curricula. Teacher can propose some idea of contributional learning when students or students groups work on the projects that will have real implementation in building Campus computer network, development of information resources or other Society’s meaning.
1. Integration of traditional and distance learning.

New networking environment provided by Internet/Intranet eliminate differences between traditional and distance learning, however, stressing on interactive on-line (IRC, conferencing) and off-line (e-mail, mailing lists) communication between teachers and students.
1. Concept of “active position”.

Complete implementation and full benefits from using Internet and New Information Technologies in Education can be reached only by using this principle that is very close to the idea of contributional learning. It is not enough to give students and teachers Internet access only. To use effectively Internet, faculties should start development of their own Internet resources and creation of its own Internet presentation.

Pilot project on development of Educational Program and Instructional Methodology for Teaching Computer Networking and Internet Information Technologies has been started at Computer Aided Design Department in Kiev Polytechnic Institute. Two groups of 50 engineer students of the firth year have started education in September 1995 and 1996. 17 students of the first group have successfully defended their Master theses in June 1997. All students were involved into development of complete educational course technical and information base.

The pilot educational program includes main specialized courses on Computer Networks and Networking Information Technologies and Services:

• Computer Networks Basics. LAN and WAN Technologies
• Internetworking and Network Management
• Internet/intranet Information Technologies and Services
• Advanced Networking Information Technologies (Security, Java, VRML, Internet Publishing etc.)
• Internet Business Applications and Information Technologies Business Process Re-Engineering
• Information Society and Advanced Communication Technologies: Social and Cultural Impact

All courses are supplied by instructional and computer presentation materials that are distributed among students in paper and/or electronic form. Some materials are available on educational WWW server (http://cad.ntu-kpi.kiev.ua/). It allowed to create initial base of instructional and educational materials as well as to adopt and test Russian/Ukrainian terminology on real lecturing and educational project development.

Some practical experience will be acquired by students during educational projects designing that include development of real networks projects for concrete academic and educational institutions including development of necessary information services for operational needs of the organization and/or users’ group. Also practical installation of services and pilot information resource development is performed on special educational laboratory base.

Two main components of complex educational projects are network infrastructure design and information server structure and content development. Projects are recommended to be developed by groups of three or four students and include all necessary components of real networking project design of campus or company’s network including organisation of optimal cooperative work of the project group

• Real conditions investigation
• Defining users’ groups in organisation and their information resource needs
• Network structure design
• Choice of Hardware, Software and Communications and Internet Services Providers
• Corporate/organizational Internet/intranet information server design
• Development of devoted to the project WWW server

SUMMARY

Background of successfull realisation of discussed project on development new educational program and instructional methodology is idea of cooperative and contributive learning enforced by students’ enthusiasm and wide interest of professional and business circles in Ukraine.

Described experience is very simple for implementation but demands experienced and devoted teacher corps capable to work as “playing coach”. Some areas of fruitful international cooperation should be found in development of distance education on the base of existing results and technologies for better utilisation of developed educational courses and instructional methodologies on different subjects interesting for Universities.

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