Valentina Kirinić

Computers in Education of Children with Intellectual and Related Developmental Disorders

Children suffering from intellectual deficiency and disorders arising from such a condition tend to be provided with a specific form of education, depending on the deficiency type and degree. Apart from the disorder itself, the acquisition of knowledge, skills and learning habits depends on the childrenâ??s motivation for learning, as well as the accessibility of the computer. When used in conformance with pedagogical, didactic and clinical standards, the computer as an educational aid may prove helpful for education and training of children with developmental disorders. Using computers also enables communication and fosters communication skills resulting in the development of self-confidence.

Students with disabilities and other special needs in the process of higher education: inclusion issues

Nowadays, there is an increasing number of persons with disabilities eager to pursue their education in higher education institutions as well as of students with some specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, etc. A lot of institutional resources at different levels enable the inclusion of persons with disabilities and learning difficulties into higher education. This primarily refers to organisational resources and professional staff resources, including services and student counselling within universities or particular faculties, educational assistants, current legislation (development strategies), financial support, environmental support, ICT support and others. This paper presents initial experiences in organising a supportive/effective academic environment for students with disabilities by means of contemporary information and communications technology. Although the described experiences have arisen from the early stage of establishing an effective learning environment for students with disabilities, they can be valuable in future implementation of such an environment.

Development of the Methodology for Monitoring Implementation of Strategic Decisions in Higher Education Based on Capability Maturity Model

Abstract Decision-making is demanding, especially when referring to strategic decisions. The higher education sector and its institutions are specific in their three main pillars: education, research and knowledge transfer (i.e. contribution to society), which are different to the priorities of a typical business/corporate environment. This makes strategic decisionmaking and implementation in higher education even more demanding. No matter how sound it is, a strategic decision is not successful if its implementation is unsuccessful, inadequate or of poor quality. As the basis for defining and assessing ability to implement a strategic decision the maturity model for a strategy (decision) implementation may be used. The maturity model is a theoretical model by which the guidelines are given to organizations or institutions about how their abilities can be transformed from the initial levels to the desired level of maturity in some (key) areas. The paper describes the capability maturity model as the basis for the development of the methodology for monitoring the implementation of strategic decisions in higher education (institutions) as one of its key success factors.

Measuring digital capabilities of the higher education institution using Digital Capability Maturity Model

Abstract: Digital business transformation is based on the application of digital technologies for the purpose of designing digital business models to create new value for customers. The paper describes the Digital Capability Maturity Model (DCMM) as one of the modern approaches to measuring the digital capabilities of any enterprise including also higher education institution. DCMM evaluates the digital business transformation management through five levels of maturity (initial, reactive, defined, managed and excellence). Furthermore, assessment of the digital business transformation management according to the DCMM can be conducted within six areas of digital capabilities: innovation capability ; transformation capability ; IT excellence ; customer centricity ; effective knowledge worker ; operational excellence. As an example one of six areas of digital capabilities, the paper describes the results of the maturity assessment according to the innovation capability maturity model. The assessment results were collected within the higher education institution and refer to the innovations related to the establishment of e- learning.

Accessibility of Digital Information: Standards, Frameworks, and Tools Related to Information Literacy and Information Technology

One important aspect of information literacy is accessibility of information and adjustment of information to users with different abilities. Accessibility to both digital information and information technology (IT) in general is well supported in related international standards and recommendations. Common software products for creating digital documents have built-in features for checking accessibility, and there are many free resources to test accessibility in web pages. The goal of this study was to investigate, using in-depth content analysis, how accessibility is addressed in information literacy documentation and information technology standards, recommendations, models and frameworks, and how it is supported by tools when creating digital information content. The outcomes of the study are represented as a set of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to facilitate inclusion of people with disabilities through accessible (digital) information.

Perception of Information Literacy Among Faculty at the University of Graz, Tallinn University, and University of Zagreb

The way university academic staff perceive, promote, and practice information literacy (IL) becomes a topic of great importance to IL education. The tendency towards IL education as an integrated or embedded part of the curriculum and curriculum design where students have ongoing interaction and reflection with information, give academic staff an increasingly important role. A semi-structured interview was used as a method of collecting data on the perception of IL among academic staff at three universities in Europe. The following aspects of IL were explored: awareness of IL, attitudes towards IL, motivation for IL facilitation, IL experiences and IL requirements expected from students. Since the interviewed academics were from three different disciplines (business administration, information science, information systems), subject related differences in the perceptions of IL were investigated.

Assessing computer literacy as related to computer and school attitudes

The tendency to use the computer and other modern information technologies as means of learning and accessing information even applies to early primary school age children. The research presented in this paper has revealed that primary school students are not only aware of the increasing importance of using computers and familiar with the purpose and ways of using computers, but also enjoy themselves while doing so. Upon analyzing the results, statistically relevant correlations were obtained between the assessed values of variables computer importance and computer enjoyment and other variables related to learning success, including motivation, study habits, creative tendencies and school attitudes, as well as empathy as a social skill variable.