Higher Education is impossible without application of ICT!
However, the success of its application depends on how modern strategies and advantages of
country and ICT infrastructure are used.
My name is Gytis.
I’m here to help you to choose the modern strategies of ICT application in Higher Education
by using advantages of ICT infrastructure according to the case of Higher Education
development in Lithuania.
In order to prove your knowledge by performing final quiz you will have to be acquainted with Lithuania,
with HE organization and coordination of ICT development, with services provided
and ICT application in Higher Education.
The name of Lithuania – Lietuva was mentioned for the first time in the beginning of eleventh century.
The territory of Lithuania was changing during centuries.
At its peak, Lithuania was the largest state in the Europe.
Nowadays Lithuania is a small country in the Baltic region of northern-eastern Europe
Population is slightly less than 3Mln.
Total Area is sixty-five thousand three hundred square kilometers.
The official language is Lithuanian - one of only two living languages in the Baltic branch
of the Indo-European languages.
Most students in higher education institutions are Lithuanians and study in Lithuanian language.
There are two types of higher education institutions: • Universities, academies or seminary,
• Colleges of higher education.
Universities offer university level degree granting studies and award Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral degrees.
Colleges offer college level degree granting studies and award Professional Bachelor’s degree.
Both universities and colleges can also offer non-degree granting studies.
All institutions of Higher Education are connected to Lithuanian Science and Research Network (LITNET)
and are able to use national ICT infrastructure and information resources
Coordination of ICT development in Higher Education is implemented through 3 consortia’s
of government program “Information Technologies for Science and Studies (LITMIS)”:
1st - Education Information Association (EDINA), 2nd - Lithuanian Academic Libraries Consortia (eLABa)
and 3rd - Lithuanian Distance Education Network (LieDM) that unites most of Universities
and Colleges for coordinating: • development of e-learning infrastructure,
• joined efforts in teacher training, • and creation of online learning courses.
LieDM Consortia provides: - with Multi-institutional Moodle installation
that implements functionality of most advanced open source Learning Management System;
- with Centrally supported Vidyo infrastructure that ensures desktop videoconferencing services;
and - with Web conferencing / virtual classroom system
that allows to deliver and record live interactive lectures.
This helps smaller institutions to avoid costs of own servers and system administrators,
always having up-to date services.
Adobe Connect is actively used in distance learning master program “Information Technologies
of Distance Education” at Kaunas University of Technology.
Students actively participate in virtual lectures connected from remote places
sometimes even from abroad.
Teachers divide students into groups for active discussions during the lectures.
Outcomes of active discussions are introduced to all groups and gained knowledge is validated
through short quizzes.
Recording of the lecture is usually divided into several parts.
Moodle is used to provide learning material and links to recordings for students
who are not able to attend virtual lectures.
Only the first part of the lecture is open to students.
Further parts of the lecture are opened after students reflect according to the tasks
presented during the lecture.
Students are able to see reflections of other students only after their submission.
Attendees of the life lecture can see all parts of recording
without the need to reflect in discussion forums.
Please accomplish the final quiz and you will reach the goal of the course!
So, let’s summarize the Case of ICT application in Lithuania.
The virtual classroom system is used: - for Active participation of students' in online lectures;
- for Recording of lectures as separate parts.
Virtual learning environment system is used for providing and connecting
learning resources with reflection tasks.
Knowledge and even skills of students are evaluated in interactive reflection tasks
The recordings with active tasks provide with higher added value.
Congratulations! - You have reached the goal of the course!