Сервис-ориентированный подход при создании электронных обучающих продуктов на примере средств самоконтроля

Overview of technology for developing LMS-server-independent e-learning products with universal web-services for storing learner info and user communications. Using of technology is illustrated on a sample of CD with self-testing tools.Рассматриваются технология создания электронных обучающих продуктов, использующих универсальные web-сервисы для централизованного хранения информации о результатах обучения и взаимодействия между участниками учебного процесса

A framework to facilitate effective e-learning in engineering development environments: executive summary

The demands of the continually changing and developing workplace require individuals to be adaptable, multi-disciplined and with the ability to work collaboratively, often in virtual environments. Professional engineers of today must meet these demands and have appropriate business and communication skills to operate in today's competitive, fast-moving, global environment. Yet these engineers still need to remain productive and routinely keep abreast of technological advances for their day-to-day working requirements. Thus, a range of continually renewable competencies is essential, which in turn puts pressure on both industry and academia to consider alternative ways to inform and educate their engineers and students. To help address these requirements, electronic learning (e-leaming) has been researched as a possible solution to facilitate a more flexible, distributed, collaborative, self-directed, virtual learning environment for both work-based professional engineers and engineering students. This research revealed gaps in both the existing literature and working practices regarding the elearning needs of engineers and in current approaches to meet these needs. Consequently, the main objective of the research was to develop a mechanism to assist providers of e-leaming to construct effective e-leaming activities in engineering development environments. In this context, 'development' environments refer to the engineer's product-development environment and the engineering student's study environment, with the increasing responsibility for selfdevelopment in an engineering career. The research identified and investigated factors that affect learning in these engineering environments, and examined current Web-based technologies to support and enhance learning experiences. A framework was developed as the mechanism to group the different and non-comparable learning factors together into philosophy, delivery, management and technology categories. These learning factors can be connected and sequenced differently in the categories, depending on the learning requirements. Hence, the main research innovation has been the creation of this framework to structure, link and order key learning factors, which offers guidance to e-leaming providers developing e-leaming environments. A predominant action research methodology was adopted for the research, as the author was involved with engineering environments and their e-leaming practices, decisions, developments and implementations in varying degrees. The main areas investigated for the research were: 1) Exploring learning methods & preferred learning styles in the engineering environment. Important findings here identified that engineers have a strong visual learning style preference and practise experiential learning in their engineering environments. 2) Examining technologies to support and enhance learning. This provided an understanding of 'hard' computer and Web capabilities, and 'soft' non-tangible technologies. Web technologies were of particular interest to this research due to their wide reach and interactive impact on the modem working and learning environments. 3) Investigating marketing considerations from the Web-based learning (WBL) providers' viewpoint. Marketing issues, products and services of WBL providers were investigated. This compared what and how the market offered and identified the business aspects of WBL. 4) Developing an e-learning framework. The research was consolidated to create a novel framework that grouped disparate learning factors for effective e-leaming development. 5) Studying practical engineering e-learning applications. Areas of the proposed framework were validated and refined from the case study data and experiences. Critical success factors (CSF) were derived to provide a business perspective for e-leaming developments, and these complemented the framework's learning factors. The above areas have been addressed in detail and documented in separate Engineering Doctorate submissions. This Executive Summary outlines and consolidates these areas, and describes, exemplifies and verifies the various factors within the e-leaming framework and the CSFs. The rationale, applications and guidelines for the e-leaming framework are also discussed. The framework provides a toolkit for building effective e-leaming activities in engineering development environments. Thus, the research shows that e-leaming can provide the solution to facilitate a flexible, continuous learning environment for engineers

Development and validation of an integrated model for evaluating e-service quality, usability and user experience (e-SQUUX) of Web-based applications in the context of a University web portal

Text in EnglishDevelopments in Internet technology and pervasive computing over the past two and half decades have resulted in a variety of Web-based applications (WBAs) that provide products and services to online users or customers. The Internet is used not only to transfer information via the web but is increasingly used to provide electronic services including business transactions, information-delivery and social networking, as well as e-government, e-health and e-learning. For such organisations, e-service quality, usability and user experience are considered to be critical determinants of their products’ or services’ success. Many studies to model these three concepts separately have been undertaken as part of broader studies of software quality or service quality modelling. However, to the current researcher’s knowledge, none of the studies have focussed on proposing an evaluation model that integrates and combines the three of them. This research is an effort to fill that gap. The primary purpose of this mixed-methods research was to develop a conceptual integrated model for evaluating e-service quality, usability and user experience (e-SQUUX) of WBAs and then contextualise it to evaluation of a University web portal (UWP). This was undertaken using an exploratory sequential research design. During a qualitative phase, an extensive extensive systematic literature review of 264 relevant sources relating to dimensions of e-service quality, usability and user experience, was undertaken to derive an integrated conceptual e-service quality, usability and user experience (e-SQUUX) Model for evaluating WBAs. The model was then empirically refined through a sequential series of validations, thus developing various versions of the e-SQUUX Model. First, it was content validated by a set of four expert reviewers. Second, during the quantitative phase, in the context of a University web portal, a questionnaire survey was conducted that included a comprehensive pilot study with 29 partipants, prior to the main survey. The main survey data from 174 particiapants was used to determine a validated model, using Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), followed by producing a structural model, using partial least square – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). This version consisted of the components of the final e-SQUUX Model. Consequently, the research enriches the body of knowledge on IS and HCI by providing the e-SQUUX Model as an evaluation tool. For designers, developers and managers of UWPs, the model serves as a customisable set of evaluation criteria and also provides specific recommendations for design. In line with the Exploratory sequential design of mixed methods research, the findings of the qualitative work in this research influenced the subsequent quantitative study, since the potential Likert-scale questionnaire items were derived from the definitions and meanings of the components that emanated from the qualitative phase of the study. Consequently, this research is an exemplar for developing an integrated evaluation model for specific facets or domains, and of its application in a particular context, in this case, a University web portal. Keywords: e-service quality, usability, user experience, evaluation model, integrated model, exploratory factor analysis, partial least square – structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), mixed methods research, Exploratory sequential design, quantitative study, qualitative study, validation, Web-based applications, University web portalInformation SystemPh D. (Information Systems

Developing strategic learning alliances: partnerships for the provision of global education and training solutions

The paper describes a comprehensive model for the development of strategic alliances between education and corporate sectors, which is required to ensure effective provision of education and training programmes for a global market. Global economic forces, combined with recent advances in information and communication technologies, have provided unprecedented opportunities for education providers to broaden the provision of their programmes both on an international scale and across new sectors. Lifelong learning strategies are becoming increasingly recognized as an essential characteristic of a successful organization and therefore large organizations have shown a preparedness to invest in staff training and development. The demands for lifelong learning span a wide range of training and educational levels from school-level and vocational courses to graduate-level training for senior executive

Salient Trends in Organic Standards: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries

This paper presents an overview of the fundamental issues in the production, trade and regulation of organic products. It notes the changing consumer and trade environments that are driving organics beyond the realm of niche products toward an increasingly relevant position among other important agricultural standards. Rather than a comprehensive analysis it outlines key elements that are most relevant to developing country producers including the likely impacts of adopting organics and the salient trends drawing from recent empirical research and the current literature on the subject. Finally, this document briefly assesses the significant constraints and opportunities facing the sector in order to draw some practical policy and investment conclusions

Knowledge-based industry and regional growth

One of the most important but less understood phenomena in the beginning of the 21st century has been a shift toward knowledge-based economic activity in the comparative advantage of modern industrialized countries. Two broad trends has been observed in the global economy. That is, the output from the world's science and technology system has been growing rapidly and the nature of investment has been changed (MILLER, 1996). The relative proportions of physical and intangible investment have changed considerably with the relative increase of intangible investments since the 1980s. In addition, there has been increased complementarity between physical and intangible investments and more important role of high technology in both kinds of investment (MILLER, 1996). Even in the newly industrialized countries, the growth of technology intensive industries, the increase of R&D activities and the growth of the knowledge intensive producer services have been common feature in recent years. In this change of the structure of productive assets, the role of knowledge is well recognized as the most fundamental resources in recent years (OECD, 1996; WORLD BANK, 1998). The development of information and communication technology (ICT) and globalisation trend have promoted this shift toward knowledge-based economy

Forging Ahead: Early Lessons

Outlines outcomes and lessons of the Scale Academy for Microenterprise Development's operational grants, training, and technical support for microenterprise organizations. Examines grantees' progress in and strategies for expanding services sustainably

E-Learning as a Cultural Artifact. An empirical study of Iranian Virtual Institutions

Choice, design and use of technology in education settings can be dependent on culturally embedded norms, i.e., assumptions about the nature of knowledge, ways of communications, kinds of teaching and learning strategies\ud and methods, etc. By discussing the culturally inscribed norms in this article, it is argued that on the design and use of e-learning in the perspective of globalization it is critically important to recognize, understand and thus take into account the cultural situatedness. Drawing on the literature, we present a model of culturalpedagogical paradigms in higher education in general and e-learning in particular. We use this model to explore cultural-pedagogical orientations in Iranian Virtual Institutions as an instance of a developing country. This is done in a comparative perspective, looking for similarities of the teacher’s and learner’s points of view