An assignment-based e‑learning course on the use of KeyToNature e-keys

This article conceptualises a common approach to train teachers and university lecturers in integrating the use of e-keys produced by the EU-funded project KeyToNature in the design, development, and delivery of e-learning modules within their school practice. The approach is based on setting and administering learning scenarios developed around real practice assignments that have at their core the identification of organisms and end up with the creation of meaningful biodiversity information products, rooted in concrete environmental contexts. The learning products may even include the creation of specific sub-keys from the initially used e-keys. The paper briefly describes the application and the real testing of the approach in an experimental teacher training course conducted in Bulgaria within the KeyToNature project

Towards an organisational model of ‘interface’ university structure as a means of serving Lifelong Learning needs

The paper conceptualises on the experiences of the Centre of Information Society Technologies (CIST), Sofia University, Bulgaria, in serving the learning and training needs of non-university audiences who fall in situations that can be described as lifelong learning-determined. In developing this conceptualisation we use the research findings and policy agendas in two distinct areas – Lifelong Learning, and Higher Education Systems. More specifically we explore the organisational and management issues and challenges of the quite interesting situation of a structure behaving “in between” the market shaped lifelong learning demands, and the rules and practices of “classical university” structures to which CIST is subordinated. As a result of these three streams of thought and practice we outline an ‘interface’ model of university interdisciplinary structure, which aims to explicitly meet the demands of the lifelong learning market

An online authoring and publishing platform for field guides and identification tools

Various implementation approaches are available for digital field guides and identification tools that are created for the web and mobile devices. The architecture of the “biowikifarm” publishing platform and some technical and social advantages of a document- and author-centric approach based on the MediaWiki open source software over custom-developed, database driven software are presented

Development of digital competences in the Bulgarian secondary school context–a literature review of good practices

The digital competence is one of the key competences needed for an active and fulfilling life. In the Bulgarian secondary schools, there are subjects dedicated to the development of digital competences: Computer modeling and information technologies (CMIT) in low secondary school, informatics and information technologies (IT) in upper secondary school. Partially, the process interweaves mathematics education, too. The focus of the study is to identify good practices for effective development of the digital competences of students in the context of Bulgarian formal education. An additional goal is to identify good practices in the professional development of teachers so that they can successfully develop the digital competences of their students. A systematic literature review is presented to achieve the objectives of the study. The identified teaching methods are classified according to the target groups and the digital competences they contribute to the development of. Finally, methods are outlined that should underpin the training of teachers so that they successfully develop digital competences of their students

Towards an organisational model of 'interface' university structure as a means of serving Lifelong Learning needs

The paper conceptualises on the experiences of the Centre of Information Society Technologies (CIST), Sofia University, Bulgaria, in serving the learning and training needs of non-university audiences who fall in situations that can be described as lifelong learning-determined. In developing this conceptualisation we use the research findings and policy agendas in two distinct areas Lifelong Learning, and Higher Education Systems. More specifically we explore the organisational and management issues and challenges of the quite interesting situation of a structure behaving "in between" the market shaped lifelong learning demands, and the rules and practices of "classical university" structures to which CIST is subordinated. As a result of these three streams of thought and practice we outline an 'interface' model of university interdisciplinary structure, which aims to explicitly meet the demands of the lifelong learning market

Towards an organisational model of 'interface' university structure as a means of serving Lifelong Learning needs

The paper conceptualises on the experiences of the Centre of Information Society Technologies (CIST), Sofia University, Bulgaria, in serving the learning and training needs of non-university audiences who fall in situations that can be described as lifelong learning-determined. In developing this conceptualisation we use the research findings and policy agendas in two distinct areas Lifelong Learning, and Higher Education Systems. More specifically we explore the organisational and management issues and challenges of the quite interesting situation of a structure behaving "in between" the market shaped lifelong learning demands, and the rules and practices of "classical university" structures to which CIST is subordinated. As a result of these three streams of thought and practice we outline an 'interface' model of university interdisciplinary structure, which aims to explicitly meet the demands of the lifelong learning market