The article offers the theoretical-and-methodic aspects and practical experience outcomes of implementing the master's specialization «E-learning management» for the students of pedagogical specialities of the University, which forms professional competences in the field of innovative methods, Webservices 2.0, e-learning expertise, projecting of e-environment, IT-infrastructure management, as well as develops Soft skills. It suggests the solution of the specialists' training, who will have an ability not only to use ICT in their academic activities, but will also master the competences of e-learning. The article features the model of professional competences of e-learning manager, the content of the training program, methods, forms and training tools, efficiency indicators, and outlines the directions of research results dissemination.
Information and communications technologies (ICT) have become an important impact factor on politics, economics, educational and social spheres of any country.
The research results testify to the fact that nowadays the majority of higher
educational institutions (HEIs) are implementing e-learning [
At the same time, not enough attention is paid to the teachers training regarding the effective e-learning implementation into the educational process with the aim of ensuring quality of education. Future teachers receive an episodic ICT training and training of applying ICT in the educational process.
The topical task of many HEIs is training specialists, who do not only possess professional competences, but also can: ─ analyze market offers of accessible information systems and technologies of building and developing the IT-structure and information educational e-environment; ─ test, implement and assess ІТ-technologies for the e-learning system; ─ choose forms and tools of presenting educational е-content; ─ elaborate instructions as regards the use of electronic resources and е-content; ─ organize the educational process based on using information educational eenvironment and assess its efficiency; ─ effectuate the monitoring of usage and satisfaction of the educational process participants by the components of the information educational e-environment; ─ manage the educational process through the usage of resources of information educational e-environment for the provision of high-quality educational services 24*6*365, etc.
The solution to the problem of the efficient teacher training towards future professional activities under the conditions of educational process informatization may lie in the implementation of corresponding specialized Master’s programs. The aim of the present article is to substantiate and analyze results of the experimental study by means of implementing “E-learning management” into the educational process of Master’s specialization, conducted on the basis of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. 2
The E-Learning Competency Framework for Teachers and Trainers contains 10
groups of competences, which should be formed for the effective use of ICT [
The majority of researchers in the field of e-learning implementation pay attention
to the students’ training to use ІТ. For example, Keengwe & Kidd [
At the same time the researchers in the sphere of ICT usage in the educational
process pay attention to the problem of staff training for the organization of e-learning,
including the corporate sector (e.g.,
https://www.plotr.co.uk/careers/e-learningmanager/job-description/). In particular, D. Cardos Vasile and A. Tiron-Tudor [
Research hypotheses it was assumed that the introduction of the master specialization "Management of e-learning", which forms the professional competence of future teachers of educational, technical, design, research activities using ICT, improves the quality of teacher training for the education system in conditions of informatization. The main tasks of research: 1. Theoretically substantiate and verify experimentally a model professional competences manager of e-learning. 2. Develop methodological principles of training e-learning managers, based on developed model of competencies (contents, methods, forms and tools). 3. Identify indicators of effectiveness of training future e-learning managers, to develop a system of competency tasks.
Authors’ experience regarding the e-learning implementation, taking into account
that Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University is the participant of European University
Association, and analysis of the international and national experience form the basis
for defining the peculiarities of e-learning managers training program, which [
To objectively define the effect and build a competence-based educational process by using project strategies, a Master’s model – e-learning manager through defining competences and their components [12] – was created: 1. Professional competences (pedagogical activities): (a) Ability to use modern methods and technologies of the learning environment organization and realization, which envisage the use of ICT, on different educational levels in different educational institutions; (b) Readiness to use modern technologies, which envisage the use of ICT, diagnostics and assessment of the educational process quality; (c) Ability to form the educational electronic environment and use their skills in the process of realizing the tasks of innovative educational policy; (d) Ability to supervise the research work of students by means of contemporary
ICT; 2. Professional competences (research and development activities): (a) Ability to analyze the results of scientific researches and apply them in the process of solving specific educational and research tasks, including the ICTbased; (b) Readiness to apply individual creative abilities for the unique research tasks solving by applying contemporary ICT; (c) Readiness to independent scientific research by applying cutting edge science methods and ICT; 3. Professional competences (methodical activities) (a) Readiness to the elaboration and realization of models, methods, technologies and means of learning, which envisage the use of ICT, to the outcomes analysis of their usage in educational institutions of different types; (b) Ability to systematization, generalization and distribution of methods experience (national and foreign) and readiness to dissemination realization by means of contemporary ICT; 4. Professional competences (management activities) (a) Readiness to study the state and potential of the managed system and its macroand microenvironment by means of using the complex of strategic and operational analyses methods, including the ICT-based; (b) Ability to research, project, organize and evaluate the realization of management process through the usage of innovative management technologies, which conform to general and specific regularities of the managed system development and envisage the use of ICT; (c) Ability to organize the team work for the tasks solution of educational institution development, realization of research and development activities by means of contemporary ICT; (d) Readiness to use individual and group technologies of decision making in the educational institution management, based on national and foreign experience by means of contemporary ICT; 5. Professional competences (project activities) (a) Readiness to the fulfillment of instructional design of the educational environment, including the electronic one, educational programs and individual educational trajectories by means of contemporary ICT; (b) Ability to design forms and methods of education quality control as well as different types of test-and-measurement materials, including the IT-based ones; (c) Readiness to design new educational content, technologies and specific methods of learning, which envisage the use of ICT; 6. Specific competences (a) Awareness of the ICT role in education and readiness to innovation initiation in the sphere of IT usage in the educational process; (b) Ability to use instructional technologies and means in the ICT-saturated educational environment; (c) Ability to the selection of effective ICT tools and services for building individual educational trajectories for those who study; affording access to full-value education of different categories, who study, according to their abilities, individual aptitudes and interests; for widening the possibilities of specialization for those, who study; (d) Ability to design balanced educational components based on IT-technologies application, conducting experimental approbation, further integration into the educational process; (e) Ability to use different approaches of social media in education via social interaction of students and instructors (teachers), understanding the possibilities and skills of social media application for the experience exchange increase among instructors (teachers); (f) Understanding the organization concept and managing the educational institution as an organization, that is constantly developing: the staff are constantly acquiring new knowledge and master new ICT, developing their abilities, thus, contributing to the institution success in general; (g) Understanding the significance of digital literacy for the society in general and education, in particular; (h) Knowledge of tools usage didactics and ICT services in specific subject fields; (i) Knowledge of methods of cost estimating for the realization of educational process.
Formation of professional competences is accomplished on the basis of complex approach, which includes: creation of favorable innovation-oriented educational environment and educational communications support system, improvement of the educational and research-and-development content, as well as the infrastructure of the educational institution. The University (www.kubg.edu.ua) has the above-mentioned preconditions for e-learning managers training: ─ the curriculum and working programs of the discipline of this speciality are elaborated on the basis of e-learning manager competences (Fig. 1); ─ the researchers who are directly involved in this sphere are invited to teach in line with the program of e-learning managers training; ─ the masters are selected by the specialities “High School Pedagogy”, “Primary education”, “Preschool education” to study by the specialization “E-learning management”; ─ the hybrid cloud-oriented educational environment is formed, which includes ecourses (EEC – electronic educational courses) on the platform LMS Moodle, corporate accounts in Microsoft and Google clouds, access to tools and services, which are the subject matter [13], in particular, services for the organization of independent and individual work, establishment of educational communication, creation of electronic didactic materials, control and diagnostics of students’ academic progress, tools of organizing independent research activities, common applications and virtual classrooms.
During training the students are offered to master four key disciplines (Table 1). Formation among the students of not only defined professional and specific competences, but also personal characteristics and skills of interpersonal cooperation (soft skills) was carried out based on the embedded model [14]. Teaching by this model does not need any additional resources – soft skills are formed in the process of holding discussions, brainstorming, team work activities, role games, organization of educational and social projects, holding work practice classes and practices in educational institutions, etc.
The tentative foundation of e-learning managers training within the framework of mastering the discipline “Electronic learning management” is offered as an electronic educational course (EEC), placed at LMS Moodle (Table 1).
For the critical assessment and processing of the course materials the students may use resources of the platform LMS Moodle, that is: (1) Forum (discussion, recognition of educational problems); (2) Test (achievement tests of the input knowledge of the students and assessment of the intermediate outcomes); (3) File, Hyperlink (visualization, instructions, additional data, etc.); (4) Pages (list of useful resources for studying); (5) Lesson (material learning, self-checks through tests); (6) Tasks (drilling of practical abilities and skills, experimental activities).
For the organization of the team work and establishment of communication not only the resources of centralized platform LMS Moodle (recommended by the University) were used, but also Google Apps cloud services (Fig. 2) and Microsoft Office 365 tools (Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University has corresponding license agreements).
Name of the subject / Code (URL-address EEC) Internetics [15] and applied information technologies in education / DLC.1.01 (http://elearning.kubg.edu.ua/ course/view.php?id= 2593 ) ІТ-infrastructure management of the educational institution / DLC.1.04 (http://elearning.kubg.edu.ua/ course/view.php?id= 2636 ) Innovative methods, technologies and monitoring of the electronic education quality / DLC.1.02 (http://elearning.kubg.edu.ua/ course/view.php?id=
Credits / hours number 8/240 (5 year, 1 term) 4/120 (5 year,
1-2 terms)
Electronic learning as an example of innovation in education Electronic educational resources for the electronic education support Applied information technologies for the organization of educational process Electronic learning in corporate sector Design of ІТ-infrastructure Program-and-technological complexes for educational institutions ICT policy and ІТ-infrastructure of the educational institution Usage of cloud technologies for building ІТinfrastructure of educational institutions
Basics of pedagogical design Monitoring and assessment of the electronic education quality Non-formal education and advanced training
2682 ) Design and expertise of high technology information educational environment / DLC.1.03 (http://elearning.kubg.edu.ua/ course/view.php?id= 2683) Work practice (by the specialization) / PP.1.01 Qualification examination by the specialization / ВА.1.01 4,5/135 1,5/45
The notion of electronic information educational environment (ІEE).
IEE design of HEI.
Design of ІТ-infrastructure and IEE components.
Design of management procedures and processes of using IEE.
Design of IEE quality assessment system in HEI Program and outcomes (https://goo.gl/TXp8Rn )
At the same time the offered tools do not restrict the students, as the use of other social services allows the students to widen their personal educational environment and enrich it in the process of carrying out their research activities [16]. Selection of tools and services by the students was effectuated independently, based on the aim of educational activities and taking into account Pedagogy Wheel [17], also based on Top 200 Tools for Learning 2016 (http://c4lpt.co.uk/top100tools/ ) and the assessment of the selected services expediency was carried out by the SAMR-model [18].
For monitoring of the training level and students’ readiness to study the disciplines of the mentioned specialization at the stage of input testing we defined basic knowledge, abilities and skills of working with office applications. Correction was conducted during the term by way of additional training at Microsoft Imagine Academy, as well as providing additional training regarding the implementation of ICT into the pedagogical activities (Teaching with Technology Microsoft Imagine Academy). The students independently defined tasks and trajectory of non-formal education in МООС [19].
The Masters had a chance “to check” the formation of professional and specific competences and soft skills during their working practice at the educational institutions. In particular, the tasks of practical preparation foresaw the ability to apply the acquired aptitudes and skills on information education expertise, preparation of recommendations on the improvement of ICT-policy of the educational institution, provision of recommended practices regarding the use of contemporary information technologies and services for the organization of pedagogical activities, etc. (https://goo.gl/TXp8Rn). The methods of survey and observation were applied for conducting reflection and monitoring of the formation of the above-mentioned competences of students.
The assessment of acquisition by the students of cognitive and communicative skills in the process of mastering the disciplines of specialization (Table 1) was effectuated by means of solving competence-based tasks, developing individual (e.g., compiling an е-textbook for the students, https://goo.gl/z9sALC) and team (e.g., creation of the knowledge map on the defined topic, https://www.mindmeister.com/774227568?t=G9wXy1HfVL) projects.
The technology of carrying out such projects foresaw specific stages activities, as a result of which the students developed communicative, interpersonal, leadership skills, skills of working in the team, and time management skills. 4
Compilation of complex competence tasks, which combine knowledge and activity components [20], should comprise the following stages: content description of the problematic situation, backed by the earlier mastered knowledge or personal students’ experience; formulation of demands, that define the primary and limit conditions of educational activities process; criteria elaboration of effective realization of the task fulfillment stages and outcomes of the activities; assistance in the form of a question, assignment or an exercise, aimed at the concretization of the described situation content, specification of the formulated demands, basic knowledge actualization and activation of associative and cause-and-effect ties, necessary for the search of ways of its solution; elaboration of instructions regarding the qualitative fulfillment of certain tasks (Fig. 3). The problem-solving tasks of such a kind aim at conscious acquisition of knowledge and skills to form the strategy of solving complex competence tasks, to plan the process of solving, to monitor its accuracy and efficiency, to detect and correct mistakes. Depending on the level of generalization, such tasks may be subdivided into subject, group (in which pair-work or team-work is expected), interdisciplinary and fundamental ones. Under such conditions the students display their intellectual activity and independence both in the process of problem-solving tasks and in assessing (selfassessment, peer assessment) intellectual tasks and display ability to goal-setting, assessment, effective action and reflection.
To form such tasks the use of training practice taxonomy by B. Bloom will be expedient; such tasks are implemented by means of specially selected class assignments in accordance with 6 categories of learning goals: knowledge, comprehension, use, analysis, synthesis, assessment; organization of students’ activities; ICT selection and use (e.g., https://bloomstechtaxonomy.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+Digital+Taxonomy ).
It’s important to take into consideration, that life competences should be also formed, namely: technological, communicative, readiness to use information resources, self-education, problem solving and social interaction [21] as well as soft skills. As for the latter one, the degree of skills acquisition from the category soft skills presents a problem for monitoring, checking and visual demonstration. Therefore, the authors used the model of professional activity of e-learning manager while selecting the content component of competence tasks. Thereby the students have a possibility to use different behavior models, integrally understand their personal and common interests, set priorities and make choices.
The example of a competence task, suggested for the final attestation, may be seen below.
Case (fundamental discipline “Innovative methods, technologies and monitoring of electronic learning”. The educational institution, in which you are having work practice, has just been awarded the access license to G-Suit (Google Apps for Education) and you are to participate in the organization of advanced training for teachers of this educational institution on the issue of effective ICT use in the educational/bringing-up process.
You conducted a survey among teachers (educators) to define the level of ICTcompetence and their readiness to ICT implementation (according to UNESCO estimates, http://iite.unesco.org/pics/publications/ru/files/3214694.pdf) (Table 2.) ─ Formulate the goal and tasks, aims (specific, comprehensive and attainable); ─ Define, which categories of students you are going to work with in the first place and ground your choice; ─ Design a curriculum of advanced training: services and tasks forms of conducting the training (classroom, distance learning), recommended МООС and communities for experience exchange.
Submit your result in a form of a structured text. Elaborate the structure of the document yourself.
Analysis of realization conditions (fundamental discipline “Management of the ITinfrastructure at the educational institution”): state the minimum content and characteristics of the equipment necessary for the effective use of ICT at the educational institution. Substantiate your suggestion.
The students, who completed competence tasks during their qualification examination, assessed the development of their personal professional competences in the pedagogical, research-and-development, methodical, project activities, alongside with the specific competences by the 4-point grading scale from 0 to 4 (https://goo.gl/5nGiw4). Simultaneously with them the same competences, achieved by the students, were assessed by their teachers. As a result the students’ selfassessment and teachers’ assessment were drawn to the mid-value, presented in Fig. 4.
The next check of statistic hypothesis about the equation of universe mean in the totality of two results by each type of competences (self-assessment and instructors’ assessment) testified, that all totalities are distributed by the normal law of distribution. For each pair of universe mean the experimental value of Student’s criterion meaning was calculated (e.g., for the group of competences on pedagogical activity Т=1.07, Тcr=1.96 for the given degree of freedom 64 and p<=0.01, Т<Тcr and doesn’t get into critical region). On the basis of carried out calculations the hypothesis about the equality of two universe means was established.
Accordingly, we should underline students’ self-assessment adequacy concerning their mastery of acquired competences. Assessment results, on the one hand, gave an opportunity to analyze, which competences were employed in solving a competence assignment, and, on the other hand, demonstrated the level of students’ mastery of different types of competences. It allows to modify the training in the process of studying academic disciplines by the speciality, for example, to pay attention to the formation of research-and-development competences, managerial competences, which are of crucial importance for the future e-learning managers, who should not only create and correctly use ICT in the e-learning from the methodical perspective, but also organize the process of e-learning, study the efficiency of implementing innovative methods into the teaching and learning process. 5
The pedagogical experiment on the implementation of a new specialization “Elearning management” for Master’s specialities “Primary education”, “Preschool education” and “High School Pedagogy” was held at Borys Grinchenko Kyiv University. Prior to the beginning of their studies by the speciality “E-learning management” the students assessed their computer technologies skills according to 9 groups; the assessment also took place after training (Fig. 5).
Fig. 5. Chart of students’ computer technologies skills before and after training (Source: Own work)
The hypothesis about the equation of universe mean in the totality of two results was calculated based on Student’s criterion. The absolute mid-value in the first totality (before training) constitutes 2,50 points (by the 4-point grading scale from 0 to 4), and in the second totality (after training) it constitutes 3,53 points. The calculated experimental mean of Student’s criterion is Т=5.1, Тcr=1,96 (the given degree of freedom is 64). Т>Тcr gets into the critical region. Thus, the hypothesis about the equation of universe mean is rejected. Accordingly, we may state the increase of the level of students’ computer technologies skills mastery by more than 25%. The students made a considerable progress in mastering ICT-competences necessary for their professional activities. We should lay emphasis on their ability to keep a blog, develop didactic e-materials, work in professional on-line networks, select innovative learning methods, evaluate e-resources and e-content, think critically, etc.
We conducted a students’ survey to define which learning methods, forms and technologies contributed to their progress; results are shown in chart (Fig. 6). Preference was given to the opportunity to receive a tutorial from lecturers, followed by their own practice, project work and tasks. In their commentaries the students noted, that practically-oriented and project tasks belonged to the most effective methods of the development of their professional competences.
The reflection on completing the course by the speciality “E-learning management”, in the process of which the students were offered competence tasks and methods of their solution, testify to the considerable increase of students’ skills, which are referred to the category “soft skills”: ─ ability to manage their time, set goals, set priorities – by 23%; ─ ability to use contemporary ICT for solving problems and set tasks – by 35%; ─ communicative abilities, team work – by 25%; ─ leadership skills – by 18%; ─ ability to present their ideas and outcomes – by 21%; ─ project management skills – by 28%; ─ cognitive skills, creative thinking – by 16 % 6
Analysis of the research results testifies to the significant effect of the implemented speciality “E-learning management” within the framework of Masters’ training by the specialities “Preschool education”, “Primary education” and “High School Pedagogy”.
The competence model for the specialization “E-learning management” is elaborated, and its components are defined in the pedagogical, research-and-development, methodical and project activities.
The level of mastering professional competences within the period of training increased by more than 25%, and the mid-value by the 4-point grading scale is 3,22 points. Practically-oriented and project tasks proved to be the most effective methods of learning for this speciality. Results of the work experience and qualification examination, which were held based on competence tasks, give us an opportunity to draw a conclusion about the qualitative Masters’ training as for their professional activity at educational institutions. The students demonstrated thorough understanding of the tasks, knew how to use necessary tools and services, teaching methods, and recognized the principles of information educational environment structure, ІТinfrastructure of the educational institution. These results confirm the hypothesis of research.
Best practices of implementing the specialization “E-learning management” is worth spreading to all pedagogical specialities, which will enable more intense implementation of innovative technologies in preschool institutions, secondary schools and higher educational institutions. 11. Dhondi, P.: Skills of a Successful E-learning Project Manager.
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