=Paper=
{{Paper
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|storemode=property
|title=Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1000/ICTERI-2013-p-436-445-MRDL.pdf
|volume=Vol-1000
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/icteri/Shyshkina13
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==Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1000/ICTERI-2013-p-436-445-MRDL.pdf
Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled
Educational Personnel
Mariya Shyshkina
Institute of Information Technologies and Learning Tools
of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine
marple@ukr.net
Abstract. The article intends to explore and estimate the possible pedagogical
advantages and potential of cloud computing technology with aim to increase
organizational level, availability and quality of ICT-based learning tools and re-
sources. Holistic model of a specialist is proposed and the problems of devel-
opment of a system of methodological and technological support for elaboration
of cloud-based learning environment of educational institution are considered.
Keywords. Learning environment, personnel training, cloud computing, holis-
tic approach
Key terms. KnowledgeEvolution, KnowledgeManagementMethodology, Di-
dactics, KnowledgeManagementProcess, ICTInfrastructure
1 Introduction
As it is now impossible to introduce advanced ICT while managing this process with-
out mastering the ICT and other related pedagogical technologies, the main aim is to
train ICT-skilled educational personnel. Cloud computing technology (CC) is to cre-
ate a high-tech learning environment of educational institution, enhancing multiple
access and joint use of educational resources at different levels and domains. On this
basis it is possible to combine corporate resources of the university and other on-line
resources, adapted to learning needs, within a unite framework.
Cloud computing is used for resources supply and to support collaboration in the
learning process in particular by means of mobile services. It requires the develop-
ment of new approaches and models for designing of a learning environment. Among
them there are those based on a holistic approach to learning [1], [5], [7], [9].
For this aim a set of instrumentation tools for cloud-based learning resources col-
lection, elaboration and design, holistic models of learning environment and specialist
models, and a system of methodological and technological support for the develop-
ment of cloud-based learning environment of educational institution should be cre-
ated.
Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel 437
The purpose of the article is to identify trends and conceptual models of educa-
tional personnel training within the cloud based learning environment.
2 Problem Statement
The problem of training of qualified educational management personnel as well as
teachers oriented on ICT based learning can nowadays hardly be taken independently
from the processes of the innovative development of educational space formed within
the school, region and educational system of a country or globally [1]. In this regard,
there is a need for fundamental research focusing on the possible ways of developing
an educational environment of educational institutions. It should take into account, the
trends of improving ICT facilities while searching for new engineering technological
decisions and new pedagogical and organizational models [1], [2]. The main focus is
on shifting from mass introduction of separate software products, to an integrated and
combined environment which supports distributed network services and cross-
platform solutions.
Emerging technologies of information and communication networks give a way for
implementing a holistic approach to education and training of personnel. A holistic
approach focuses on combining science and practice, training and production, funda-
mental and applied knowledge and technological competencies with social and hu-
manitarian [5], [9]. Above all it aims the development of public administration’s
management skills in the educational field basing on a unite approach to learning
design and management. This is a promising direction for the development of a
field’s human potential. The innovative processes therefore, of the organization and
development of learning environment, search for new approaches and models for
specialist education and training becomes a matter of interest [11].
There is a problem of availability and valuable ways of learning resources deliv-
ery, to achieve with their use the best pedagogical effect and to gain maximum learn-
ing potential of ICT. This issue, may be hence partially solved if delivered by means
of cloud computing technology [2], [8], [12]. The main advantage of this technology
is the improved access to qualitative resources (and sometimes the only possible ac-
cess to necessary recourses at all). The idea is simply to explore approaches for the
modeling and estimation of CC-based learning process settings and valuable tools for
its organization.
3 Education and Training of ICT-Skilled Management
and Public Administration Personnel
Public administrators are public servants working in public institutions, departments
and agencies [10]. Specifically, they are concerned with “planning, organizing, direct-
ing, coordinating, and controlling government operations” [6]. Specific sphere are
public servants for education management. For such personnel to be efficiently
trained, the need to develop novel approaches arises, as this sphere is mostly con-
cerned with multi-disciplinary knowledge and requires skills on the merge of training,
438 M. Shyshkina
learning and management. Due to the fact that most pedagogical innovations are also
based on ICT the need in the sphere of education management also arises. There is a
branch of pedagogical sciences dealing with theoretical and methodological problems
of ICT in education use, psychological and pedagogical substantiation of these proc-
esses, elaboration of ICT tools and resources for providing functioning and develop-
ment of educational systems. So there should be specialized personnel to insure the
processes of implementation, introduction and development of ICT-based learning
technologies within the sector of public administration.
There are significant needs in IT competent specialists in the sphere of public ad-
ministration. Without ICT competence or competence in ICT for learning, problems
with their adaptation at the workplace arise, as do problems with the necessity of ad-
ditional and often profound training almost immediately after hiring. In some cases, a
vague idea of future graduates about the real problems and conditions of work with
innovative ICT infrastructures and ICT-based tools leads to lack of commitment to
practical solutions of work situations thus to a low level of innovative inclusion.
Formation of the innovative institution’s ICT infrastructure could solve some of
the aforementioned problems [11]. Namely, it would bridge the gap between the
process of training and the level of demand for their product. An environment that
would bring together the learning resources of educational and industrial projects
would be created, and would cover different levels of training; including the training
of both students and pedagogical management personnel.
According therefore to the high rates of development of both the global ICT mar-
ket for the education sector, and the IT market of learning tools, the problem of train-
ing professional staff for the domestic public administration and the IT-oriented sector
of education management; personnel which are primarily prepared within higher and
post graduate schools (e.g. universities and advanced training schools) being continu-
ous, we conclude that modern approaches to the design of educational systems are a
key point.
It is unlikely that the current state of skilled personnel of management and public
administration of education could be regarded as fully satisfactory for the needs of
innovative development of ICT-based learning, for the required number of qualified
professionals with appropriate structure and quality of training. The system of training
and retraining of employees for public administration has not been properly formed.
These problems should be considered within the context of development of an in-
stitution’s and a region’s innovative environment as well as on national and interna-
tional level [3], [11]. These processes have to do with the modernization of a learning
environment in perspective of emerging ICT. Thus the developmental need of new
models and approaches to personnel training arises, which will account for the mod-
ernization of ICT infrastructure and integrate resources of different levels and use.
Introduction of innovations into the educational environment of a state or a region,
is highly concerned with the development of human resources of informatization on
education [1]. It requires new types of skills and competencies which graduates often
lack of. These skills include leadership, ability to approach a problem holistically, and
the ability to critically evaluate achievement and self-assessment [9], [11]. It is the
lack of qualified personnel and the absence of a strategic approach to ICT infrastruc-
Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel 439
ture design that are among the reasons for an institution’s of professional education
deficiency of a unite high-tech desisions.
Nowadays content-technological process regarding the creation and use of ICT
products, and in particular the electronic learning resources, requires fundamental
background knowledge in both ICT and pedagogy. The approaches however for train-
ing personnel today, do not sufficiently take into account the recent years’ innovative
changes in the ICT industry, nor the real needs regarding the extent of such training.
A mean for provision of users with relevant services of cloud computing technol-
ogy is considered to be outsourcing; i.e. a service in a specific system to implement its
core functions is required, offered and sold by another system external to this [3]. ICT
outsourcing plays an important role in enhancing the scientific and technical level of
ICT-systems of an educational institution as well as the efficiency of their operation
and their development. It is a market mechanism incorporating the latest advances in
the ICT sector and to satisfying user demand [2], [3].
The main problem in educational practice is the contradiction between on one hand
the objective need for a continuous improvement of the software and the hardware
power of training computer complexes, and on the other, the lack of personnel’s abil-
ity (in both qualitative and quantitative manners) to maintain, manage and develop
their ICT systems appropriately. The informatization hence of an educational institu-
tion in terms of cloud computing and ICT outsourcing, will offer realistic solutions
for both the deepening of informatization and improvement of ICT’s educational per-
formance and use of information resources [2], [3].
The basic principles of such introduction should be: a tight relationship of learning
with training and methodological support for tutors, focus on a specific educational
task; modularity of learning; continuity of learning, sharing experience and formation
and participation in professional association activities (including electronic) [2], [3].
In this process electronic distance learning systems should be actively used, based on
the principles of open education, with the maximum possible use being of CC tech-
nology and outsourcing.
4 What are Advantages of Cloud Computing Decision?
4.1 It is a Cost Effective Solution
Being cost-effective the user can get (buy) products and services proposed by the
virtual supermarket of ICT according to their needs (individual or group, collective,
corporate), they may pay only for what has been bought (e -transport, e-content, e-
services, virtual e-tools, a generic and subject software applications, network plat-
forms - full range of cloud services along with services for the design and implemen-
tation of ICT systems and their fragments ordered by the users, their warranty and
post warranty service, maintain, upgrade and improvement, etc.) and only for the
actual time of use of the purchased product [3 ]. This will allow users to avoid regular
updating and upgrading of powerful general system software and hardware tools of
their own ICT systems, avoiding a potential surplus of ICT products used from time
440 M. Shyshkina
to time; fragmentary, not fully, as well as spare parts, reduction of requirements for
information security of their own ICT systems, reduction of the number of their ICT
services and requirements for professional competence of their employees and as a
result, significantly reduce overall costs to support the operation and develop their
ICT systems, to increase their social and economic return, their efficiency [2], [3].
4.2 This is a Flexible Solution of ICT Infrastructure
It is designed for increased flexibility and effective access to learning resources so as
to build a unified and mobile infrastructure.
On the basis of CC infrastructure all main aspects of interaction of a learner may
be comprehended on the unite basis. Along to approach introduced in [1], among
them there will be interactions between a learner and other learners; a learner and a
teacher; a learner and a learning tool; a learner and educational institution; a learner
and the society. This will lead to an environment of learning organization on the unite
base, where collaboration between learners and a tutor, free and flexible resource
access, learning activity within social inclusion into the environment of an educa-
tional institution and the society will be enabled. The ICT support of learning is real-
ized by means of cloud services. It is designed for adaptation to the rapidly changing
external/internal environment, changing of task/competence requirements and devel-
opment of modern pedagogical approaches.
Due to the principles of open education [1], there is a need to create an innovative
learning environment that will form and develop necessary professional skills. Among
them are leader skills, collaborative skills, critical thinking, and the ability to view a
problem in a holistic manner. These skills refer mostly to the demand of the sphere of
public administration of education, as in alliance with them; a process of innovative
development may be involved. This may be achieved on the basis of a holistic ap-
proach to specialist training when the planning, design and resource management and
learning activity of an organization and its monitoring, may be represented on a unite
basis. It will be achieved through the unite development of different competencies:
professional, fundamental, personal and technological.
5 A Holistic Model of a Specialist
Holistic approach to education deals with the learning processes to be taken as unity
of all main aspects of a personality development, for example such as mental, emo-
tional and volitional. This is in tune with a meaning of the term “holistic” as com-
pleteness, being impossible with disregard of some of its components.
There are innumerous investigations devoted to the problems of holistic learning
development in different aspects such as learning and teaching interaction, collabora-
tion processes, engagement of both aspects of theory and practice to gain comprehen-
sive view of a subject [7], [9]. Now there are important trends of research develop-
ment in concern to modern ICT. For example, holistic view is to approach learning
environment structure. Thus, the model of a learning environment, developed in [1] is
Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel 441
to reveal main components and types of interactions within the different learning
process settings.
The notion of holistic learning occurs in relation to personnel training, concerning
to different components and interactions within educational organization. It may
touch upon certain types of activity, collaboration and resource management proc-
esses, engaging thus the entire organization at all levels and developing a performance
culture of personnel. There are different ways to approach peculiarities of specialist
formation, namely in the aspect of personal or professional features. That concerning
to modeling of professional competencies [5], especially in the sphere of educational
management. Another aspect is about holistic models to develop leader skills [4], [9],
which are more to traits of a personality.
The proposed approach is based on holistic model of a specialist in the sphere of
informatization of education presented in Fig.1. It concerns to Domain Competencies
which would occupy fundamental knowledge of educational management and modern
learning technologies and also ICT skills and ability to use e-learning tools. There are
also Personal Competencies, such as leader skills, critical thinking, and capability to
holistic view of a problem, responsibility and activity of an individual. As for profes-
sional skills there are planning, design, resources management, cooperation and col-
laboration skills, performance skills and ability for monitoring and self evaluation.
Levels of Domain Competencies
Education
Fundamental
knowledge of ICT skills
management
Skills for modern Skills for creating
Dr.Sc
educational tech- and use of e-learning
PhD
nologies tools
Magister
Specialist
Bachelor
Levels 5-9
Personality Professional
Competencies Skill
Leader skills Planning
Critical thinking Design
Holistic view of a Resources management
Cooperation and collaboration
problem Performance activities
Responsibility Monitoring and self evaluation
and activity
Fig. 1. A holistic model of a specialist
442 M. Shyshkina
All the components of a specialist’s competencies, skills and knowledge are con-
sistently formed within the main level of education which corresponds to National
qualification framework (levels 5-9).
Cloud computing decision is a reasonable way to support holistic learning settings
giving a platform for unite representation and access to learning tools for different
levels and domain of education as also for different individuals and groups of users.
Promising ways of assessing resources quality, while building a holistic learning
environment are:
A. Analysis of the most appropriate ways to use cloud computing technology to
supplementing and structuring collection of educational learning resources, fill-
ing it with the resources on this basis and organizing multiple access to their
use
B. Use of a certain set of educational resources for testing methods to evaluate the
quality of their use within the cloud-based infrastructure of organization
C. Recommendations on methods to replenish the collection, its prototyping and
ways of structuring resources
D. Elaboration of requirements to provide electronic resources, for collection re-
plenishment
E. Analysis of cloud computing technology outsourcing for optimal selection and
use of resources’ collections
F. Creation of recommendations to developers and material for replenishment and
application of existing electronic learning resources
G. Development of recommendations for dissemination and use of collections of
electronic resources
6 An Expected Impact and Social Results of the Project
The important step to wider application and introduction of new learning approaches
and to gain most possible benefit from emerging technologies and ICT tools should be
achieved through modernization and upgrading of ICT learning environment of edu-
cational institutions, increasing of overall level of e-learning.
To achieve these goals the main problem is to rise ICT and professional level of
competencies of subjects of the learning process – managers, pedagogical personnel
and staff and also personal of ICT departments. Just the people are the most valuable
factor of empowerment of development and formation of social and economical sys-
tems and educational systems in particular. Just the people are the most important
resource which should be involved so as to improve the quality of these social sys-
tems and to manage their purposeful and productive growth. By this reason develop-
ment of tools and resources to train teachers and stuff is critical point because it really
concern to all levels of educational systems functioning.
The whole impact of implementation of learning tools and techniques based on
cloud computing is aimed at:
Broaden use of ICT in education aiming at wider take up by learners and teachers
Effective public-private partnerships for introduction and managements of learning
environment solutions
Holistic Approach to Training of ICT Skilled Educational Personnel 443
More efficient introduction of ICT into the learning process through the exploita-
tion of monitoring and assessment tools
More timely and purposeful acquisition of skills and competences through ICT-
based learning technologies, in educational establishments and public administra-
tions
Increased involvement with the adoption of learning digital technologies
The important step to wider application and introduction of new learning ap-
proaches and to gain most possible benefit from emerging technologies and ICT tools
should be achieved through modernization and upgrading of ICT learning environ-
ment of educational institutions, development of new learning approaches, creating
more advanced learning technologies [1], [2].
Formation of innovative ICT infrastructure of the institution could solve some of
the problems of development highly skilled educational and management personnel,
bridging the gap between the process of training and the level of demand for their
product.
Due to development of cloud computing technologies opportunities, functionality
and access to collections of electronic learning resources has significantly increased.
In this regard, cloud computing is a promising direction of development of electronic
resources’ collections (may be relevant for development of collections), as it allows
the creation of a unified methodology for a single platform, a framework for devel-
opment and testing, and for improvement and elaboration of integrated assessment
methods’ quality. This gives an added value to available recourses [2], [11].
The social results will help to modernize the learning environment of educational
institutions and organizations, to increase educational potential of ICT and add value
to the best examples of available learning resources due to their flexible and learner-
adaptive access.
At the same time there are several aspects of the cloud-based learning architecture
to be a subjected to further research. There are problems of pedagogical and psycho-
logical support in regard to the processes of the design and organization of an educa-
tional institution’s cloud infrastructure, prospecting possible organizational structures
to provide learning environment functioning and to teach educational managers and
organizers, pedagogical and technical stuff how to use new methods and approaches
to learning, based on cloud computing. There is a necessity therefore, to create an
educational and training system of support used by management personnel, teachers
and learners.
The result of instrumentation for cloud-based learning resources collection elabora-
tion, and development of cloud-based learning environment of educational institution
might be used within different learning and organizational educational structures.
7 Analysis and Estimation of Perspective Ways of Development
The cloud based learning infrastructure is to give the opportunities:
To combine the processes of development and use of electronic resources to sup-
port learner competencies
444 M. Shyshkina
To insure holistic approach to specialist education and training, combining both
technological and social competences, development of critical skills of a learner
To integrate the processes of training, retraining and advanced training, at different
levels of education by providing access to electronic resources of a unite learning
environment
To solve or significantly mitigate the problems of association of electronic re-
sources of the institution into unite framework
To access to the best examples of electronic resources and services to those units or
institutions, where there is no strong ICT support services for e-learning
To provide of invariant access to learning resources within the unified educational
environment, depending on the purpose of study or educational level of the student,
enabling person-oriented approach to learning
To make conditions for a higher level of harmonization, standardization and qual-
ity of electronic resources, which may lead to emergence of the better examples of
learning resources and to more massive use them
8 Conclusion
There are real advantages of CC technologies to assure more flexible, scalable and
cost-effective decisions of access to learning resources as within the learning envi-
ronment of the university and also in learning environment of the whole region, na-
tional and international scale. This is an advantage so as to ensure joint use and wid-
ening participation in the learning courses of learners from different institution were
necessary services are substantiated and supported. As if holistic approaches to cloud
services development are already used in education so the challenge is to transfer this
experience into wider context.
The project is implemented within the framework of the joint research laboratory
of Cloud computing in education of the Institute of Information Technologies and
Learning Tools of NAPS of Ukraine (Kiev) and the Krivoy Rog State University
(Krivoy Rog), www.ccelab.ho.ua.
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