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Radom je prikzan utjecaj srednjoškolske naobrazbe na uspješnost visokoškolskog informatičkog obrazovanja.

This study considers the meaning and functioning of the spreadsheets for mathematical modelling and programming development and improvement of the educational and teaching programs as indicated on the example of assigned quota of degree studies. It is to be considered the overhaul significance and possibilities for usage of the software methods for mathematical modelling and programming in the area of education. Arguments are analysed and defined areas of usage of computer supported quantitative methods and models in case of management of the teaching and educational processes. Degree study is considered as a representative component of the teaching process from the point of view of illustration and analysis of the possibility of usage of quantitative models in teaching and education processes. With the possibilities of configuring and organising the groups of address areas according to the variables and equations of real mathematical model the problems and processes of elaborating the complex quantitative analysis are significantly made simpler and more common to the managers. The information technology development enforces the spreadsheets to strategic programme package that enables sophisticated and efficient modelling, analysis, prototyping and presentation of the complex processes and activities of mathematical programming. Availability of sophisticated software packages for designing complex mathematical models and user orientation, with previously stated possibilities release creative potentials within the processes of teaching and education. Also, by exploitation of the new technological solutions the inductive logic is developed which encourages better insight of analysed problem and develop new ideas for promotion and sophistication of teaching processes accordingly.

In this paper, we describe usability of programming languages and tools in the development of complex algorithms on the example of critical path algorithm in project network optimisation. We discuss the integration of mathematical and computer algorithms using Visual Basic for Excel. We suggest a methodological frame for development and usability of algorithm, which integrates programming of matrix and recursion formulas, and is implemented in critical path programming.

The solution of linear least squares system requires the solution of over-determined system of equations. For a large dense systems that requires prohibitive number of operations. We developed a novel numerical approach for finding an approximate solution of this problem if the system matrix is of a dense type. The method is based on Fourier or Hartley transform although any unitary, orthogonal transform which concentrates power in a small number of coefficients can be used. This is the strategy borrowed from digital signal processing where pruning off redundant information from spectra or filtering of selected information in frequency domain is the usual practice. For the least squares problem the procedure is to transform the linear system along the column to the frequency domain, generating a transformed system. The least significant portions in the transformed system are deleted as the whole rows, yielding a smaller, pruned system. The pruned system is solved in transform domain, yielding the approximate solution. The quality of approximate solution is compared against full system solution and differences are found to be on the level of numerical noise. Theoretical evaluation of the method relates the quality of approximation to the perturbation of eigenvalues of the system matrix. Numerical experiments illustrating feasibility of the method and quality of the approximation at different noise levels, together with operations count are presented.

Shannon information entropy measures were used as filters of different kernel sizes to detect edges in digital images. The concept is based on communication theory with splitting of edge detection kernel into source and destination parts. The arbitrary shape of the kernel parts and the fact that information filter output is a real number with reduced problem of edge's continuity represents the major advantage of this approach. The results are compared with traditional edge detection algorithms like Sobel to illustrate performance and sensitivity of the information entropy filters. Besides the well known test image Lena, the real life examples are taken from medical X-Ray imaging of knee joints in order to illustrate the algorithm performance on real data.

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) has influenced changes in various fields of science, economy and education as well as in the society in general. The objective of this paper is to put forward the importance of implementation of ICT in teaching at Department of Civil Engineering of Polytechnic of Zagreb and specialist civil engineering studies at the same school. The paper presents results of research involving students of the first year of expert and specialist study of civil engineering at Polytechnic of Zagreb on importance of implementation of ICT in teaching as a considerable and a basic precondition for overcoming current problems in future practical business operation.

Razvoj informacijsko komunikacijske tehnologije (IKT-a) i njezina primjena u nastavnom procesu iz temelja mijenjaju bit današnjeg procesa obrazovanja. Informatičke učionice i računala s različitim multimedijskim sadržajima kao i internetska mreža danas su stvarnost naših škola. U učionicama se sve više koristi odgovarajuća standardna informatička oprema (računala ili tableti s fiksnim LCD projektorom, interaktivne ploče i sl.). Uz takav standard i opremu u školama neophodni su sustavno pripremljeni, objedinjeni i primjereni multimedijski interaktivni sadržaji. Već danas je na tržištu dostupno mnoštvo elektroničkih nastavnih sadržaja (koji uglavnom prate školski udžbenik) ili elektroničkih materijala dostupnih putem Interneta. Međutim, još uvijek je mali broj sustavnog i metodički primjerenog materijala za samostalni rad i interaktivnu vježbu kao i za provjeru znanja učenika iz svih predmeta, a posebice iz predmeta fizike u osnovnoj školi. Cilj ovog rada je prikazati moguće pristupe nastavi fizike uz pomoć multimedijskih interaktivnih sadržaja.

Throughout history, the educational process used different educational technologies which did not significantly alter the manner of learning in the classroom. By implementing e-learning technology to the educational process, new and completely different innovative learning scenarios are made possible, including more active student involvement outside the traditional classroom. The quality of the realization of the educational objective in any learning environment depends primarily on the teacher who creates the educational process, mentors and acts as a moderator in the communication within the educational process, but also relies on the student who acquires the educational content. The traditional classroom learning and e-learning environment enable different manners of adopting educational content, and this paper reveals their key characteristics with the purpose of better use of e-learning technology in the educational process.

In times of poor economic activity, low investment, high investment risks and increasing competition, companies are turning to the remaining staff trying to achieve synergy as competitive advantage. Large corporate systems are reducing staff, shifting from rigid hierarchical and information channels to more flexible, creating new value with the knowledge of individuals in the middle. Information systems of the companies have been created primarily for disseminating information under the principle of top-down, with very little possibilty of personnel knowledge input into central database. Looking from information and communication point of view, software of the companies have not evolved according to the era in which we live - the era of social networks. The analysis of the current systems and comparing them with opportunities of public social networks, we point to the many possibilities offered by different components and types of social networking. Creating new information and communication channels through a corporate portal, we are opening up new challenges in business and organizational interaction

Starting with the academic year 2010/2011, the prerequisite for the enrollment in a study program is sitting for and passing the state graduation exam. This paper presents the analysis of enrollment conducted for the first year in Undergraduate professional course at Polytechnic of Zagreb. The analysis of success for the first time enrolled in Undergraduate course in civil engineering was carried out for the course called Mathematics 1 and results were compared with corresponding result that were obtained for the same course by students enrolled in this program in previous academic year, but according to the other criteria. Also, we have processed the results of questionnaire in semesters of relevance of the state graduation exam being a basic precondition for the selected studies registration, conducted on newly enrolled students in Undergraduate course in civil engineering.

Universities play a very important role in regional deveiopment as they contribute to regional economies and regional deveiopment. It is a generally accepted fact around the \vorlcl that human capital is a major tool for achieving competitive advantages in the global market. An efflcient society, which builds its competitive advantages on knowledge, must have a flexible labour market, adequate levels of employee security and protection, but also a system that continuously fosters and revvards investment into knowledge. People, their needs, motivation and satisfaction have therefore corne into the focus of human resource management. An autonomous universitv, vvhich is willing to adapt to changes and fulfil the requirements of the community, is a driving force behind overall deveiopment.

The Internet and online learning have proved to be extremely popular, not only among the young. However, focusing on these recent advantages of the modern media requires some evaluation and warning. Hoping to master a foreign language using your PC to solve exercises given on thousands different web sites is an illusion created by marketing and advertising. The truth is that one's language competences will be improved, but the evident problem is a lack of explanations and exercises which would help Croatian ESL (English as a Second Language) students. The differences between the two languages are enormous, Latin script being their only common feature. In spite of the disadvantages mentioned above, CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning) can provide numerous benefits. This paper deals with these benefits, motivation and a positive effect on students' approach to language learning and provides some hints regarding reservations about CALL. It also points out why learners' autonomy is an important issue, deals with massive resource of authentic language, and gives reasons why such learners are more likely to continue learning once their classical course/school attendance has been completed.

Although the Internet is the fastest way for acquiring information, people with special needs are faced with limited possibilities when it comes to using the Internet and IT technologies. Research in the Republic of Macedonia showed that only a small number of Internet resources exist which provide information about and for people with special needs. Therefore, a need exists for developing a web portal for people with special needs. In this paper the need for such a portal is researched and an outline of the services that it should offer is presented. The portal should represent an online meeting place for people with special needs, parents and relatives, special educators, scientists and experts in the field. It should incorporate several features, including a forum where people with special needs can exchange experiences and problems they’ve faced and are still facing. The web portal should also offer online consulting services by experts. The research showed that there is a significant number of highly educated special educators in Macedonia, but their unemployment rate is also high. In relation to this, the web portal should provide employment opportunities, i.e. recommend special educators to people who have a need for special educator services.

In addition to the classic method of teaching and practicing programming in university classrooms that has been in use for years, in parallel with the appearance of new technologies, new teaching methods have emerged which could greatly improve the quality of teaching. The paper researches the idea of combined teaching, using new collaborative technologies for distant teaching university level programming, such as Learning Management Systems, web conferencing systems, etc. A preliminary research has been conducted at the University of Rijeka in which 94 students who attended at least one programming course expressed their experience and opinions regarding e-learning and various e-learning systems. A blended learning model is proposed which will later be implemented in pilot programming courses at the University.

Trends in higher education show a wide usage of information and communication technology (ICT) in everyday education process. The paper points out a wide spectrum of possibilities provided by e-learning and LMS systems whose task is to facilitate the information flow from teaching staff to students and vice versa. In Croatia this is still a rather novel approach to learning, but it has been gaining pace. The possibilities offered by introducing e-learning system by far outnumber the obstacles. Nevertheless, the spread of the e-learning model has not reached the level encountered at similar foreign universities. In an attempt to establish the reasons for this, detailed surveys have been conducted at Faculties of Economics in the Republic of Croatia. These institutions are similar in terms of study programs, but different in size and geographical location. By comparing responses from different institutions it was attempted to find similarities and common ground, and to propose possible solutions.

Prijenosna računala su nedavno postala široko dostupna i tehnički vrlo dotjerana, što ih čini idealnim izborom među osobnim računalima. Potaknuto rezultatima e-učenja i planovima za daljnje unapređenje nastave na Tehničkom veleučilištu u Zagrebu, u radu se općenito razmatraju mogućnosti informatizacije nastave koje bi se otvorile kada bi se osiguralo da svi sudionici nastave raspolažu umreženim prijenosnim računalima. Radi se o primjeni postojećih tehnologija, koje se inače rabe pri učenju na daljinu, na klasičnu nastavu u učionicama. Paradoksalno je, naime, da učenje na daljinu u praksi može omogućiti intenzivniju i kvalitetniju interakciju između nastavnika i studenta, od one koja se postiže u klasičnim učionicama. Računalno podržanu nastavu karakterizira simultana i dvosmjerna komunikacija između nastavnika i studenata u učionici, te potpuna odsutnost potrebe za papirom kao medijem. Jedna od posljedica globalizacije mogla bi biti i naglo širenje jakih edukacijskih ustanova, ponajprije poznatih svjetskih sveučilišta, pomoću učenja na daljinu. Za mnoge lokalne visokoškolske ustanove moglo bi tada nestati interesa, ukoliko ne pronađu pravi odgovor. Jedan od načina opstanka u toj utrci jest oslanjanje na atraktivniju, računalno podržanu nastavu kakva je opisana u ovom radu.

Model of “ new school” emphasizes the acquisition of key competencies, which are necessary for successful participation in the knowledge-based society and economy based on modern (global market) production, as the educational outcomes. It prepares students for life, stimulates their curiosity, develops their creativity and prepares them for the competitive labour market. The work contains a review of characteristics of the “ new school and teachers for the “ new school” , as well as the importance of the contemporary media in the process of communication and education.

The aim of this paper is to elaborate and present the advantages of using Web Content Management Systems (primarily Joomla!) in e-commerce courses at universities. E-commerce is taught to many non-IT students who possess various previous knowledge in IT, which can often cause problems. Content Management Systems can circumvent those problems by avoiding the need for teaching HTML, PHP, SQL etc, and enabling non-IT students to focus on content management which is crucial for e-commerce. Characteristics of Web Content Management Systems are explained, followed by brief explanation of Joomla!. Examples are presented, along with experiences from the university.

BMS is a computer program for bond market simulation. With this computer program students can simulate the buying and selling of bonds in three different markets or scenarios, the bond market in the USA, Germany and Slovenia. By analyzing the results they can decide if passive, semi-active or active investment strategies are more appropriate for bond investments in mature or emerging financial markets. This computer software was carefully programmed in the mid nineties using CLIPPER v. 5.00 and several other utility programs so it is running on PCs with Operation Systems from MS DOS to Windows Vista

This paper deals with the concept of ICT culture in the school context in order to regard the problem of ICT integration in the educational system more completely. Analysing opinions and experiences of different authors, as well as through conducted research, the aim is to assess if teachers’ ICT culture influences the change of the standard pedagogical practice. Research results point to a connection between teachers’ ICT culture and frequency of use of ICT in teaching and the way in which they conduct classes when applying ICT.

Ovaj rad donosi teorijski uvid u mjesto i značenje informacijsko – komunikacijske kulture u kontekstu informacijskog društva. Uspješna primjena informacijsko – komunikacijske tehnologije u obrazovanju podrazumijeva određenu razinu informacijsko – komunikacijske kulture nastavnika i škola kao organizacija. Koncept informacijsko – komunikacijske kulture daje cjelovitiji pogled na poimanje i odnos čovjeka prema ICT-u i njegovu životu u informacijskom društvu, uspostavljajući ravnotežu između tehnološki usmjerenog i društveno – humanističkog pristupa. Temeljeći istraživanje na izloženoj teorijskoj osnovi utvrđeno je da su nastavnici osnovnih i srednjih škola Istarske županije najvećim dijelom na srednjem stupnju informacijsko – komunikacijske kulture, da ona ovisi o životnoj dobi, razdoblju života u kojem je nastavnik počeo koristiti ICT, o spolu i nastavnom predmetu, a ne ovisi o tome radi li nastavnik u osnovnoj ili srednjoj školi.

Ovim radom definiraju se različite mogućnosti ocjene parametara nelinearnih funkcija u programskom paketu Statistica. Pri analizi nezaposlenosti, uvažavajući temeljne makroekonomske ciljeve smanjenja inflacije i stope nezaposlenosti, u ovom radu ocjenjuju se parametri originalne Phillipsove krivulje kao i nekoliko njenih modificiranih oblika. Na kraju rada prezentira se i rezultat ocjenjivanja modela s aspekta njihovih analitičkih i prognostičkih dometa. Time se zorno pokazuje kako je na jednostavan i svima razumljiv način moguće koristiti programski paket Statistica. Posebno je to vidljivo pri postupcima ocjene parametara koje studenti ekonomskih fakulteta često koriste na širokom području kvantitativnih i kvalitativnih ekonomskih analiza.

U ovom radu se analizira rješavanje sustava simultanih jednadžbi kao ekonometrijskog modela. Između različitih mogućnosti ocjene parametara naglasak je stavljen na one koje su najprimjerenije pri rješavanju ekonometrijskih sadržaja. Kao primjer izabran je problem utjecaja financijskih varijabli uz ostale predeterminirane varijable na stopu rasta bruto domaćeg proizvoda. Na kraju se prezentiraju, interpretiraju i komparativno analiziraju dobiveni rezultati. Na taj način pokazuje se studentima kako mogu jednostavnije rješavati probleme pri ekonometrijskom modeliranju pomoću programskog paketa EViews.

Rad se bavi metodičkim aspektom nastave informatike, točnije jednim njegovim segmentom koji se odnosi na nastavnu cjelinu Građa računala. Prvi dio rada donosi, već poznatu, teorijsku pozadinu timskog rada i suradničkg učenja. Timski rad, kao oblik rada s učenicima, ima brojne prednosti koje se mogu iskoristiti u nastavi bilo kojeg predmeta. Takav oblik rada je veoma zahtjevan za nastavnika u fazi pripreme i organizacije nastave, a za učenike u fazi realizacije, jer se od svakog pojedinca zahtijeva uključenost i korištenje svih intelektualnih i socijelnih vještina. U drugom dijelu rada dajemo metodičku razradu i smjernice za pripremu, realizaciju i evaluaciju timskog rada i učenja, na primjeru nastavne cjeline građe računala.

U radu autor iznosi iskustva u praćenju rada studenata predmeta Osnove informacijske tehnologije Odsjeka za informacijske zanosti Filozofskog fakulteta u Zagrebu upotrebom statistike posjeta mrežnoj stranici predmeta. Najprije daje uvod u problematiku, a zatim objašnjava osnovne mogućnosti mrežne statistike. Nadalje, daje iscrpno objašnjenje prikupljenih statističkih informacija i mogućnosti njihovog korištenja. Nakon toga autor izlaže napredne metode dubinske mrežne analize rada korisnika, te zaključuje o njihovoj korisnosti i područjima primjene.

Although knowledge has always been important, today, due to the world market globalisation and with such strong competition, it is becoming the most important element in the production of goods. Knowledge has become so important, that we can easily say that in this Information Age goods are in themselves the products of knowledge. Therefore, if knowledge is the principal resource, if it is the very essence of the values through work materialized into produced goods, then the successful management of modern production is only possible if its basic resource - knowledge - is also effectively managed. Taking into consideration these changing conditions, the authors of this paper deal particularly with textbooks and other educational materials suggesting how easily and promptly make them dynamic, reusable, interactive, scalable, and flexible.

The impact of audio-video conferencing in educational process

Obrazovni sustav je zajednica u kojoj u procesu učenja i poučavanja sudjeluju učenici i učitelji. Inteligentni tutorski sustavi (ITS) su računalni sustavi namjenjeni potpori i poboljšanju procesa učenja i poučavanja u odabranom područnom znanju. Tutor - Expert System (TEx-Sys) je hipermedijska autorska ljuska koja se razvija na Zavodu za informatiku Fakulteta prirodoslovno-matematičkih zanosti i odgojnih područja Sveučilišta u Splitu, a služi za izgradnju inteligentnih tutorskih sustava. &laquo ; Živi&raquo ; učitelji kod ispitivanja učenika promatraju redoslijed učenikovih akcija pri odgovaranju (npr. učenik pogriješi, pa se sam ispravi i odgovori točno), zatim pamte broj i vrstu učenikovih pogreški, te broj pitanja ili neke druge vrste pomoći koja se koristila da bi pomakla učenika iz &laquo ; mrtve točke&raquo ; . Na osnovi ovakvih informacija učitelji ocjenjuju učenikovo znanje. U vezi s tim tutorski sustav koji promatra samo krajnji rezultat tj. odgovor učenika, ne može pravedno i potpuno ispravno ocijeniti njegovo znanje. Odlučili smo nadopuniti sustav ocjenjivanja praćenjem (eng. tracing) ovakvih situacija koristeći dijagnostičku tehniku model traganja (eng. model tracing). Ovisno o broju pojavljivanja određenih situacija kao i završnog stanja, sustav generira ocjenu i preporuku za daljni rad te pruža učeniku pomoć kada procijeni da mu je ta pomoć potrebna. Programski modul PomoćČvor temelj je strategije razrješavanja učenikovih pogrešaka. Sustav koji traži od učenika doslovno pamćenje pojmova neprecizno ocjenjuje učenikovo znanje jer ne može ispitati viši stupanj znanja, a to je razumjevanje pojmova, već samo doslovnu reprodukciju područnog znanja. Ponekad učenik daje točan odgovor, ali ga izražava na drugi način.

The European Union in building Europe as a society of knowledge, that is a learning society, among its priorities, besides the development of the democratic values, gives an important place to education. Stressing its quality as one of important guidelines of the learning society, it seeks its identity in the European cultural heritage and the stimulation of research, science and creativity. On the way to enter the European educational space, the Croatian higher educational system attempts to come to terms with the conclusions of the Bologna Declaration. Changes that the information era brings reflect themselves on the European educational space. The new century in the countries of the European Union pointing the importance of : knowledge of high quality, lifelong learning of the shaping of the future and common dimensions of the knowledge base.

In the process of EU accession the Republic of Croatia is endeavouring to meet the new requirements for improving the education system. This presents an opportunity to make certain changes in the education system, by embracing and conducting a process of strategic thinking aimed at enhancing all the segments in the Croatian education system. The ultimate goal is to help create a more efficient and more competitive economy. The majority of human resources should be redirected to knowledge-based jobs, whereby economic growth through innovation might be achieved. Current and future workforce should be trained to change jobs with ease, to manage their work environment, and to participate in life-long learning. Usage of ICT in education is a major strategic feature of quality education, development, and employment possibilities in a competitive market economy. All education systems face the challenges and requirements of the information society, and use ICT to make knowledge, information, and education more accessible, as well as to provide life-long learning and education. Primary education is the basis of the entire education system. Its characteristics will reflect on the efficiency of life-long learning, through which members of a community gain competence to live in a knowledge society and function in a knowledge-based economy. The paper aims to investigate the education system efficiency through the usage of ICT, and is based on empirical research.