student participation in preparation and procedure of academic and scientific activities organised by the institute;
participation in competitions for grants.
Hindering factors:
material supply for the students (not all of them have a personal computer, the necessary programs and INTERNET) due to what it is more complicated to work independently outside the higher school;
the students have different preliminary knowledge of the sciences – most of the students have not studied physics and chemistry at a secondary school, the preliminary knowledge in the field of information technologies also differs significantly.
Promoting factors:
co – operation of the Institute of Education and Home Economics and the Faculty of Information Technologies in implementation of the program – in both institutions accredited study programs are already implemented, there are appropriate qualifications of the academic personnel, research and material supply;
the qualification of a teacher of two subjects gives a possibility to the graduates to work full – time load in country schools where there are mostly no parallel classes;
participation of almost all faculties of the LLU ensure the possibility to implement such a multi – sided program; multiform structure of the teachers (Masters and Doctors of the specialities – Pedagogics, Psychology, Art, Engineering Sciences etc.);
co – operation with all higher schools of Latvia having programs of pedagogics;
collaboration with the employers regarding the evaluation and improvement of the study programme, well-established collaboration with the schools-the base for the practical training, their administration and teachers – the supervisors of the practical training; the improved organization, implementation and the evaluation of the results of the practical training;
active participation of the Institute of Education and Home Economics in the attraction of the EU funds and the finance of other projects for the improvement of the material-technical, methodological, informative, scientific provision of studies;
the active and concerned participation of students in the research, related to the integration of household and information technologies fields in education;
the average age of associate professors involved in the study program is 48 years and they are comparatively young future professors in the academic situation of Latvia; the average age of masters is 35 years, one third of them continue studies in the post – graduate course;
active participation at international conferences and projects.
The LLU is a university type higher school and its status determines multifunctional development of the branches of science for the countryside of Latvia. The LLU graduate study program and the mood at the higher school are generally tended to promote the wish of highly qualified specialists to stay in the countryside, this way diminishing the differences between Riga, big cities and the rural environment.
The developmental plan of the study programme
Home Environment and Information Technologies in Education
Objectives:
To educate the teachers of household/home economics and information technologies with the developed professional, social and reflection competences, who would be able to solve the educational problems and who are aware of the significance of their professional activities for the development of pupils’ personalities, particularly in the rural environment, as well as the importance of lifelong education.
To advance the research towards the united theoretical basis – the ecology of personality development; to develop the cross curricular links within the study process by emphasizing the research and implementation of the integration of the fields of household and information technologies.
To improve and develop the content of studies on an ongoing basis and according to the latest tendencies in the fields of education, household and information technologies.
To activate more the research study method.
.To improve the collaboration with the employers regarding the organization of the students’ practical training
.To co – operate with Latvian higher schools (DU, LU, RPIVA, Rēzekne University College, Liepāja Pedagogical Academy):
in state examination commissions,
guest lecturing,
editing of course and study programs,
organisation and participation in conferences
To improve the collaboration with the faculties, institutes, departments of the Latvia University of Agriculture regarding the implementation of the programme.
Development of the scientific and academic potential and approaching the characteristics of the EU state higher schools.
Exchange of students and teachers within Erasmus and other programs.
Active participation in the work of international educational organisations: Association for Teacher Education in Europe; International Organisation for Science and Technology Education, International Federation of Home Economics.
Organisation of international scientific conferences and publishing of the conference proceedings in pedagogics.
To take part in the development and implementation of projects, and thus, by attracting the finances from the EU and other funds, to implement the study programme and carry out the scientific research, which meets the aims and objectives of the Institute of Education and Home Economics, as well as to improve the material-technical, methodological, informative provision of studies.
To improve the material technical supply in IT at the Institute of Education and Home Economics.
To use the computer classrooms of the Faculty of Information Technologies and IMI with INTERNET connection and use all sources of information at the LLU library.
To purchase the necessary literature for the program every year.
To continue the development of the advertising of programme To promote positive pedagogical environment repairing rooms and improving
Self – assessment and preparation of the self – assessment report.
To submit the program repeatedly to the accreditation committee.
