Informatics in Education

The article examines update of modules of general IT (Informatics) studies under changes in secondary school programs. It is proposed to create distance-learning courses and use ``tools set'' principles. It will allow broadening the choice of study subjects and will create possibility for students from different faculties to choose the subjects and realization tools that better meet their needs and fields of studies. The developed materials will be available to all students and staff willing to improve IT skills through distance learning. Tasks and knowledge control will be unified in the whole University. The materials of updated Informatics courses will be presented in a virtual learning environment WebCT, including self-control tasks and tests. This will also be very useful for correspondence students.

A project is being developed with the main goal of creating an application of web server which allows students to use Mathematica software from their computers without the necessity of installing this software and of programming the necessary algorithms. The project consists of a set of mathematical models programmed with Mathematica and stored in a web server, which has been installed in a computer of our department. At the moment, it is possible to access to the web pages of the application from any computer of the intranet of our School.

Computer science undergraduate (bachelor) curriculum of the University of Latvia was developed in late 80th based on curricula of several US universities while keeping strong practical setting. The very core of the curriculum comprises Software Engineering lectures and related information system development course project in the second year. Thus every undergraduate (even theoretical computer science major) is prepared to start professional career of computer programmer by the second study year. It is amazing to realize how well this rather old curriculum conforms to the new ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula 2001.

This article analyses the informatics exam of secondary education in Lithuania. The research evaluates the correspondence of examination tasks to the exam program and its aims. Then, it studies the equality of examination variants. The article also discusses the clarity of the exam questions and instructions as well as the organization of the exam and the objectivity of evaluation criteria.

Research for the evaluation of web-sites has already begun, however it is proceeding at a very slow rate. The main reasons for this are, in our opinion, the attempt to adapt existing methodologies to the particularities of the web, the individual structure of web-sites and the issue of finding the appropriate evaluators. This study copes exactly with these points and suggests a heuristic approach for the evaluation of web-sites.

This article analyzes the possibilities of neural nets composed of neurons - the summators of continuously varied impulse frequencies characterized by non-linearity {N}, when informational operations of fuzzy logic are performed. According to the facts of neurobiological research the neurons are divided into stellate and pyramidal ones, and their functional-static characteristics are presented. The operations performed by stellate neurons are characterized as qualitative (not quantitative) informational estimations ``more'', ``less'', ``equal'', i.e., they function according to ``more-equal-less'' (M-E-L) logic. Pyramidal neurons with suppressing entries perform algebraic signal operations and as a result of them the output signals are controlled by means of universal logical function ``NON disjunction'' (Pierce arrow or Dagger function). It is demonstrated how stellate and pyramidal neurons can be used to synthesize the neural nets functioning in parallel and realizing all logical and elementary algebraic functions as well as to perform the conditional controlled operations of information processing. Such neural nets functioning by principles of M-E-L and suppression logic can perform signals' classification, filtration and other informational procedures by non-quantitative assessment, and their informational possibilities (the amount of qualitative states), depending on the number n of analyzing elements-neurons, are proportional to n! or even to (2^{n})* n!, i.e., much bigger than the possibilities of traditional informational automats functioning by binary principle. In summary it is stated that neural nets are informational subsystems of parallel functioning and analogical neurocomputers of hybrid action.

The new electronic relations have brought as much benefits as duties. The society uses more often computers in every day life than ever. Unfortunately, cyberspace bounds are huge and its regulation is very complicated. In many cases the users are responsible for his security. That is why Electronic Law knowledge is useful and important for the new society.

I present and solve several problems related to the settling of multiple debts. The solutions are documented in much detail, with (bright) high-school students in mind. One of the variants has a simple solution, though it is not so easy to code concisely. Another variant is an elegant NP-hard problem.

Computer-based instruction, online or offline, which we will be referring at as e-instruction, provides for the development of new flexible pedagogical frameworks that will offer opportunities for open worldwide lifelong instruction. We claim that these are to be stored in instructional digital libraries in order to be accessible to anyone, anytime, anywhere. While many advances have been made in the creation of digital libraries, there is considerable room both for improving how learning objects are accessed/re-used by educators and learners, and for enhanced support for instruction design and for implementation of sound instructional systems.

In the project ``Self-guided Learning in Teaching Mathematics - SEC II'' (SelMa), five authoring schools are working out scenarios, media and materials for phases of self-guided learning, which will be tested systematically by 10 trial schools with regard to their everyday suitability. In this paper three approaches to such learning arrangements (independent learning centre, jigsaw classroom and learning at stations) are being outlined and relevant experiences are being made available. Learning diaries prove to be useful for the learners' reflection of their learning process. The development as well as the management of such learning arrangements does place new demands on the teachers.