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Computer science teachers constantly need to improve their competencies as information technology evolves rapidly. Today, most such trainings are holding online because of the obvious advantages over in-classroom training such as lower costs and a comfortable environment. Therefore, it is important to investigate the results achieved by computer science teachers in online training with in-class educations when the training has the same learning outcomes and maintained by the same instructor. As part of this research, computer science teacher’s training conducted within the Oracle Academy program in the Central and Eastern Europe region were analyzed as they are held online and in-class, with the same teaching materials, with equal knowledge tests and maintained by the same instructors. The analysis found that teachers enrolled in traditional education received similar grades as those who participated in online training. However, the dropout rate for midterm and final exams was higher with online training. Teachers' feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of both types of training has recorded, with the major conclusion that they prefer online learning for their training.

Today’s students have been surrounded by information technologies since birth and most often have no patience to learn programming as it is commonly defined in the traditional curriculum. The modern Croatian Curriculum of Informatics in Elementary and Secondary School defines the learning outcomes and (with certain recommendations) is giving complete freedom and responsibility to the teacher in the design of teaching during which the students will achieve the anticipated learning outcomes. However, today’s society and the national economy expect a growing number of educated professionals in the field of information technology, but it is unfortunately not happening. In addition to motivating students, different extracurricular activities can be provided by the teacher, as well as other stakeholders who may not specialize in teaching in cooperation with the school (parents, volunteers, sponsors…). Taking into account the already implemented examples of good practice in Croatian schools, this paper lists examples of globally successful curriculum from Oracle Academy program, which are better known under the name Workshops in a Box. The paper also presents a short survey on the current implementation of computer science extracurricular programs in the Croatian schools.

In the field of European and Croatian education, it is especially emphasized the objective of digital competences development for all citizens. In achieving this goal, the key stakeholders are teachers of informatics and theirs teaching competences. Rapid development of information technologies poses great challenges to teachers in the field of their vocational training and appropriate curricula. This paper describes the experience of training them within the Oracle Academy program. Certain quality indicators of the conducted trainings have been collected with self-assessment of teachers in the field of programming and database competences.

The web-based system for online knowledge testing (WbeTS) is a hierarchical and modular autonomous system for remote knowledge assessment whose autonomy is based on remote video surveillance as one of the testing validation mechanisms. The main problem facing the system is the physical implementation of the video surveillance unit for remote monitoring of a student, as well as development of a decision making mechanism based on such monitoring. The monitoring would need to take place in conditions of widely available broadband Internet access and the use of a webcam. A possible solution is a model of the remote control described in this paper, which could solve this problem and make the system more reliable. The model is based on built-in elements and algorithms for visual recognition and motion tracking of the student, sound tracking, user (teacher) interface for assessing the validity of testing and of the system’s kernel responsible for assessing the validity of the tests and reporting. The model is envisaged to be implemented accordingly to the wishes and needs of users, and can be integrated as a part of an integral e- learning environment. Although the model described is in principle technologically feasible, its practical realization requires professional refinement and experimental validation. Only by in-depth testing and experiences gained from the actual application of the system will be possible to identify all deficiencies and requirements that currently cannot be predicted.

Nastava tehničke kulture, kao dio posebnoga tehničkog i informatičkog odgojno-obrazovnog područja, suočena je s problemom nedovoljne i/ili neprihvatljive ostvarenosti ishoda učenja i ciljeva nastave. Problem se često očituje kroz izrazito neobjektivnu i nestručnu percepciju postignuća nastavnika. To za posljedicu ima formalizam u nastavi, neprimjeren odnos učenika, roditelja i javnosti prema tehničkom nastavnom području te, u konačnici, negativno utječe na izbor zanimanja učenika i njegovu daljnju karijeru. Zbog nedostatka posebno obrazovanih nastavnika za ovo područje, uzroke takvom stanju moguće je pronaći i u utjecaju njihova formalnog obrazovanja na percepciju postignuća, odnosno, utjecaju razine nastavničkih kvalifikacija na pristup evaluaciji postignuća učenika. U tu svrhu provedeno je istraživanje i analiza formalnoga obrazovanja nastavnika koji izvode nastavu tehničke kulture, te njihova percepcija razine postignuća učenika. Istraživanjem su obuhvaćene sve formalno stečene kvalifikacije nastavnika i raspodjela ocjena učenika u redovnoj nastavi tehničke kulture u osnovnoj školi. Analiza podataka indicira značajno različitu percepciju razine postignuća učenika između nastavnika s primarno nastavničkim kvalifikacijama i onih čije nastavničke kvalifikacije nisu rezultat primarno formalnoga akademskog obrazovanja. Rezultati istraživanja upućuju na nužnost ujednačavanja nastavničkih kompetencija i mehanizama za procjenu razine postignuća učenika. To zahtijeva sustavnu provedbu permanentnoga obrazovanja nastavnika u smislu razvoja nastavničkih kompetencija, uspostavu prihvatljivoga mehanizma za vrjednovanje ishoda učenja, te intenzivnije obrazovanje novih nastavnika u tom nastavnom području., Technical education, as a specific educational field, is faced with the problem of insufficient and/or unacceptable achievements of learning outcomes and objectives of teaching. The problem is often manifested in teacher's very unprofessional and non-objective perception of student achievements. This results in formalism in learning, inappropriate attitude of students, parents, and the public to technical education, and, finally, adversely affects the further student career. Due to the lack of specially trained teachers, the causes of this condition can be found in the impact of formal teacher education on the perception of achievements, that is, the impact of the level of teachers' qualifications to access the evaluation of student achievements. For this purpose a research was conducted and the analysis of formal teacher education of teachers who teach technical education, and their perception of the level of student achievements. The survey includes all formally acquired qualifications of teachers and distribution of students’ assessments in regular teaching of subject Technical culture. Data analysis indicates a significantly different perception of the level of students’ achievements between teachers with formal teachers education and those whose teacher qualifications are not the product of formal academic education. The results indicate the necessity of equalizing the competence of teachers and mechanisms for assessing levels of student achievements. This requires implementation of the continuing education of teachers in terms of developing teacher’s competences, establishing an acceptable mechanism for evaluation of learning outcomes, and more intensive education of teachers in the technical educational field., Der Werkunterricht als Teil eines spezifischen technischen und IT- pädagogischen Bereichs sieht sich mit dem Problem der unzureichenden und / oder inakzeptablen Realisierung der Lernergebnisse und Unterrichtsziele konfrontiert. Das Problem äußert sich oft durch eine extrem voreingenommene und unprofessionelle Leistungsvorstellungen seitens der Lehrer. Dies führt zu einem Formalismus im Unterricht, einem unangemessenen Verhältnis zwischen Schülern, Eltern und der Öffentlichkeit zum technischen Bildungsbereich und hat letztlich einen negativen Einfluss auf die Berufswahl des Schülers und seine weitere berufliche Zukunft. Aufgrund des Mangels an speziell ausgebildeten Lehrern für diesem Bereich lassen sich die Ursachen dieser Situation auch auf den Einfluss ihrer formalen Bildung und auf die Leistungsvorstellungen zurückführen, d.h. die Wirkung des Qualifikationsniveaus der Lehrer auf den Ansatz bei der Bewertung von Schülerleistungen. Zu diesem Zweck wurde eine Untersuchung und Analyse der formalen Bildung der Lehrer durchgeführt, die den Werkunterricht abhalten, sowie deren Vorstellungen vom Leistungsniveau der Schüler. Mit der Untersuchung wurden alle formal erworbenen Qualifikationen von Lehrern und die Notenverteilung im regulären Werkunterricht in der Grundschule umfasst. Die Analyse der Daten zeigt eine deutlich unterschiedliche Vorstellung vom Leistungsniveau der Schüler zwischen Lehrern mit primär pädagogischen Qualifikation und denjenigen, deren pädagogische Qualifikation nicht das Produkt in erster Linie formaler akademischer Ausbildung ist. Die Umfrageergebnisse verweisen auf die Notwendigkeit der Harmonisierung der Lehrerkompetenzen und der Mechanismen zur Einschätzung des Leistungsniveaus der Schüler. Dies erfordert eine konsequente Umsetzung der Weiterbildung der Lehrkräfte im Hinblick auf die Entwicklung von Lehrerkompetenzen, die Gründung eines akzeptablen Mechanismus zur Auswertung von Lernergebnissen und eine intensivere Ausbildung neuer Lehrer in diesem Lehrbereich.