This page has been updated 04.05.2001.
URL: http://www.hut.fi/Misc/EUNIS99/
Towards Meaningful Computer Uses in Education
Jaakko Kurhila
Department of Computer Science
University of Helsinki, Finland
Erkki Sutinen
Department of Computer Science
Purdue University, USA
Jorma Tarhio
Department of Computer Science
University of Joensuu, Finland
We describe how the technical and methodological innovations developed
at the Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, can contribute
to education. The spectrum of innovations range from software applications
to schematic models and intercultural collaboration. The research has been
multidisciplinary: experts from different domains have shaped the realization
of the innovations.
University is an amphibian. It conducts pedagogic and educational
activities on one hand, research and project activities on the other. Therefore
an integrated university information system supporting all possible activities
in the university is a rather complex system. The paper will discuss the
structure of integrated university information systems. It will try to
define the role of new technologies in the education process at university.
Time is well-known to be the minimum resource for many SME’s trying
to arrange the in-service training needed for their personnel. Yet the
rapid development of an information society creates a strong challenge
for companies to increase their competence in networking and telecommunication
skills. The project VIRPI, A Virtual Learning Environment for SME’s, aims
at helping companies save time and resources by developing new methods
of in-service training via the Internet, according to the spesific needs
of small companies. During the first year pilot phase of the project, a
set of prerequisites and criteria for a successful learning process was
collected from three different point of views: the participating
enterprises, the educational organisation and the implementation of a learning
environment model. In the spring 1999 the virtual learning environment
is further developed according to the experiences of the pilot phase and
training is arranged for an extended number of enterprises. In our paper
we share the main experiences on the developing work of the virtual learning
environment, both positive and negative compared to the ideal given by
the enthusiasts of information technology.
This poster describes the approach to developing and realisation
of bachelor distance study focused on Application in Informatics for students
who can not take part in full time study. These students are from all the
Czech Republic and they are deaf-and-dumb people. The poster is focused
on specific requirements of this form of study.
UniCafé is the name of an innovative project which is currently
under development at the University of Surrey. The innovation of the project
is that it intends to provide new means of delivering higher education
outside the confines of tertiary institutions, into the community. The
paper describes the background of the project and such aspects as modes
of delivery, technical and academic frameworks, evaluation and trasnationality.
Lithuanian University of Agriculture (LUA) is the only higher school
in Lithuania training agricultural specialists. Total amount of students
in five faculties is about 4670. The staff is: 32 professors, 234 associate
professors, 132 senior assistants, 62 assistants, 50 researches and 765
supporting and administrative staff. LUA library has about 561000 books.
LUA campus is in 10 km. distance from Kaunas center towards south-west
near the highway to Marijampole and Warsaw cities. There are five academic
buildings, student campus and, situated on the other side of highway, teachers'
settlement.
The paper consists of two parts. The first addresses the symptoms
of the Y2K problem as well as possible solutions and tools. In the second
part we describe our experience in solving the Y2K problems affecting the
student records information system at the University of Ljubljana. A strategy
for solving the Y2K challenge in Clipper applications is presented, and
a description of two tools (source code scanner and data aging tool) is
given. Finally, some statistical results that illustrate the size of the
problem and enable comparison with similar efforts are presented.
New version of information system (IS) is under development in Vilnius
University. Both the client/server and three-tier architecture are used
for IS implementation. Read-only IS users have access only to replicated
data.
Scientia provide a range of planning and scheduling software applications,
one of which (Syllabus Plus) is widely used in Higher and Further education
institutions around the world. As well as producing a comprehensive
range of timetables (staff; location; equipment; students and their groups,
degree programmes, faculties, equipment) with tools to optimise, reprocess
and manipulate data; Syllabus Plus is also widely applied as a modelling
tool. Users report a wide range of benefits to be derived from the
software, from speedier production and publication of timetables, to saving
in space requirements and more flexible delivery combinations.
Currently in Latvia information systems are used in some of the higher
educational establishments only. Exchange of information among the universities,
Ministry of Education and Science (MES) and State Statistical Bureau is
in the form of Word documents or written papers. The obtaining of the full
statistic data is burdened. Latvian Education Informatization project,
a part of which is Information System of Higher Education (ISHE), enables
to improve the present situation in Latvia. It is expected to develop a
united classification of study programs and the register of programs and
students. ISHE is developed in ORACLE, Internet browsers and Oracle WebServer
being user’s interface. The existing problems and solutions concerning
the development of ISHE will be under discussion in this report.
Information Technologies (IT) are becoming an integral tool in the
education of Fine Arts at the University level. Universities are scrambling
to find additional funds and IT instructors/professors for their Fine Arts
departments. In addition, new students specifically seek out institutions
that include IT with their major study. It is happening so quickly that
many educators do not possess the fundamental background or skills in IT
to integrate it with their curriculum. There seems to be a gap between
the needs of the students and what Universities are able to provide in
relation to IT.
In the following paragraphs we will try to give a textual explanation
of the poster presentation to be held in Helsinki during EUNIS’99.
We describe the two most important standards in Secure Data Transmission:
SSL and PGP, and we enumerate some recommendations done for their implantation
within the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Some details about
the implementation are also given.
The drawbacks arising from the splitting of the implementation in
two somehow competing standards, as much as the legal problems that rise
due to the export restrictions of strong cryptographic software, have meant
a brake in the necessary process of integration of these technologies in
the application of Information Technologies, not only within the institutions
but also in the communication among private individuals.
Latvian University Information System development project started
at June 1996. There is used existing system experience. Data from FoxPro
systems were transferred to new application environment: Oracle, UNIX and
WWW. In the following document the main system production stages and security
aspects are described.
Computer networking technologies for science and education are now
actively developing in Moldova. The process of uniting efforts of different
scientific and educational organizations on creation of the National scientific-educational
networking segment is observed. As the result of this activity AMNET project
was started. The objectives and stages of project realization, existing
and future network infrastructure, detail program of the network development
and project realization financial support are described.
Abstract: Last 30 years great human, material, industrial, technolgic
and scientific potential was accumulated in the Republic of Moldova.
Now due to the economic problems specific for tranziction period
this potential is less required.
To stop the process of loses of technologies and know-hows we
want to realize a new mechanism to preserve and to propagate of obtained
results and to reorient to new direction of activity. In this scope we
want to use both of existing mechanisms and new ones. We want you to know
some aspects of curent situation we are and our visions too.
Realization of overall informatization program and development of
information-controlling system in University of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)
are described. The basic principles of advanced integrated university information
system creation are considered. Original balanced interpretation of automation
aspect of having business-processes and information supporting environment
for creation of new technologies and scripts of information processes is
offered.
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