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The rapid increase in the number of different strategies, methods, models, and tools for research and identification of digital competencies in recent years has fueled the growing presence and popularity of this topic in research projects and papers arguing for the need to assess digital competencies of higher education teachers and their students. Highly motivated teachers to improve their work have a publicly available EU tool "Higher Education SELFIEforTEACHERS" which allows them to self- assess digital competencies through 7 thematic areas, and which was used in the research "Digital Competences of Teachers - Higher Education" within the project "Digital.hr” (2020 - 2023) which addresses the needs of the development of digital competencies as one of the key competencies of modern society. The project is implemented in Croatia, co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund, and the University North participates in it as a partner of the Network for the Development of Digital Literacy under Objective # 2: Development of Digital Education. What activities, tools, and digital technology higher education teachers use as part of their digital competencies in working with students in order to enable the development and direction of students' digital skills, is the subject of this paper. Whether there is a harmonization of digital competencies of teachers, as one of the skills of the 21st century, and their teaching practice with the EU Action Plan for Digital Education 2022-2027 in Croatian higher education institutions, is the research question of this paper the aim of which is to design the information model of the development of digital competencies of higher education teachers. The research was conducted using the desk method and the standard tool "Higher Education SELFIEforTEACHERS" by applying the self-assessment test technique in the implementation of which 411 teachers from 75 higher education institutions teaching in different scientific fields participated. For the purpose of this paper, the results of research related to Area 5. Student empowerment and Area 6. Development of digital competencies of students were considered, the analysis of which determined the correlation between the development of digital competencies of students and the level of digital competencies of teachers. Most teachers consider themselves digitally competent enough to develop students' digital competencies, with social science teachers being considered more competent to develop students' digital competencies than teachers teaching technical, biomedical, and natural sciences. The results of this research will be used to create national recommendations in terms of structuring lifelong learning programs for higher education teachers in the field of developing and improving digital competencies, but also as an empirical starting point for the second phase of scientific research in which, in addition to teachers, their students will be involved, and the aim of which is to design a causal model for validating the impact of digital competencies on learning outcomes. more...

In the present-day age of information abundance, in which the rights and freedoms in the digital environment are strengthened, information transparency is becoming an integral part of them. The rights of individuals to their own choice are more consequential in the field of privacy protection and the process of digital transformation in organizations is increasingly focused on the protection of collected and processed personal data. The basic (ex-ante) tool of transparency is the publication of privacy policies to inform the individuals with the procedures related to the collection, sharing, use and storage of their personal data, making them active shareholders in decision making process. The aim of this paper is to identify the factors influencing the information asymmetry of privacy policies in the field of health services and to provide a conceptual model for evaluating their information transparency. more...

The Covid-19 pandemic shifted most schools from face-to-face teaching to distance teaching and learning resulting in the use of a variety of ICT tools. Different learning platforms for course management have been used in teaching and learning since the pandemic, especially at the beginning, in March 2020. However, later many teachers started using video calls through various ICT tools such as zoom, MS Teams, Google Meet etc. Different countries had different problems during the distance teaching and learning: internet access and connection, necessary devices, digital literacy. But motivation, communication and achievement of learning outcomes also proved to be a big problem. To investigate the impact of intensive use of ICT tools during the COVID 19 pandemic is the aim of this paper. As teachers have used ICT tools in foreign language teaching before, but not to such an extent, the aim of this research was to examine students and teachers how intensive use and online teaching and learning has an impact on communication and learning outcomes, and whether in the opinion of teachers and students’ communication satisfaction and satisfaction with their communication skills in foreign language and learning outcomes were achieved. more...

In contemporary society of digital economy, the ability of individuals to face and adapt to emerging environments largely depends on their attitudes, habits and knowledge related to the use of digital skills. The process and the outcome of acquiring such competencies, determined through application of information and communication technology, is known as digital literacy. The concept is close to comprehensive and general media literacy, an umbrella term for abilities to live in a new media environment, almost entirely characterized by digital media, where citizens should be empowered with critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills to become sensible consumers and producers of information. Media education is a part of the basic right of every citizen to freedom of expression and the right to information, and is crucial in building and maintaining democracy, as one of the key prerequisites for active and full citizenship. In 2018, Croatia launched an experimental program of curricular reform of primary and secondary education called "School for Life", which was carried out by the Ministry of Science and Education. The program is focusing on meeting the requirements of modern society in line with European educational trends. By analysing the learning outcomes in informatics syllabi in domains of Digital Literacy and Communication and e-Society by the Bloom taxonomy levels, the paper aims to determine the acquisition of key digital literacy competencies of Croatian students in the creation of e-portfolios and positive digital traces, as well as the use of various communication and collaboration programs, while adopting skills related to the protection of privacy and personal data in the creation of a digital identity. The results of competence evaluations can be perceived in a broader context in further research, aligned with evaluations from research on an international scale and/or reassessed on the population within institutions of higher education institutions. more...

This template will assist you in formatting your paper. Please, insert the text keeping the format and styles. The parts of the paper (title, abstract, keywords, sections, text, etc.) are already defined on the style sheet, as illustrated by the portions given in this document. Digital communication is actualized in the educational process, and its participants, which means professors and students, creators of new information practices, make an integral part of the teaching process by using modern digital technologies, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Their application can significantly improve the educational process and contribute to the development of active learning. Current research on the application of AR in higher education highlights the increased effectiveness of teaching, the development of digital literacy and digital competencies of students that have a great impact on learning and teaching in university education. The mentioned research partly provides an answer to the problem related to the application of active learning in the teaching process. However, they do not provide a solution on how to evaluate the learning outcomes achieved by applying augmented reality in the teaching of military defence students, and how to conduct practical classes in situations of unavailability of military equipment. Furthermore, these are precisely the research questions which this paper is based on. The research was conducted using the user experience method for the needs of which the augmented reality application of the PzH2000 combat armoured vehicle was developed, the content analysis method of software solutions and the survey questionnaire method. Cadets of military defence studies at the University of Zagreb were selected for the research sample as they go through the process of acquiring both theoretical knowledge and practical training at the same time. Based on the obtained results, an AR conceptual model was designed and it shows a complex realistic system of presentation of military equipment in the process of education and training of cadets. The development of the application prototype is described and the user testing of the prototype with cadet students is accurately elaborated. The created AR model defines a unique conceptual framework of learning outcomes using augmented reality. In this sense, this paper represents an initiative step in defining a standard AR information model for the needs of military defence studies. The obtained research results represent the basis for further development of technological possibilities and application solutions based on new AR technologies, indicate educational perspectives of their application not only in the presentation of military equipment but also in the presentation of other technical equipment necessary for acquiring manual skills in the training process, biotechnical and medical sciences. more...

Online education enables removing time and geographic constraints in educational environments, and introduces new paradigms of communication in e-learning. In addition to positive trends of online teaching such as accessibility, and reaching a wide audience, there are also negative ones related to the lack of verbal and nonverbal communication which have still not been researched in-depth. Due to the absence of verbal and nonverbal signs of communication such as gestures, body language, and facial expressions in e-learning, communication practices need to be carefully adopted. Research shows that students of online courses often drop out and score lower results if they are not actively involved in student to student communication, as well as if there is the lack of participation and presence of the lecturer in an online environment. The aim of this paper was to examine how the creation of an online social community in the form of small groups and collaborative tasks as well as technology-mediated communication between students and lecturers affects the participants of online classes. At the cognitive level, the contribution of this research was achieved through a sample that includes high school students, university students and doctoral students in order to examine communication practices and their effectiveness in online teaching and learning at various educational levels. Furthermore, at the methodological level, quantitative analysis of data through statistical processing was applied. The results show that methodological planning of teaching practices and interpersonal communication can significantly contribute to the success of online teaching and learning. Moreover, at a practical level the framework of effective communication practices for successful e- learning within digital curriculum has been established. more...

Due to COVID-19 pandemic teachers in Croatia went from face-to-face to remote learning within a week in March 2020. At the beginning teachers questioned methodology of ICT usage and dealt with many other dilemmas. The schools in Croatia began with asynchronous teaching methods using Moodle based platforms such as Loomen, but also Yammer, MS Teams and Google Classroom, which were mostly used. As the time passed, more and more educators, started using Zoom as a platform for remote learning, especially foreign language teachers. From March 2020 till March 2021 teachers in Croatia went on and off remote and face-to face teaching, according to situation with the pandemics. The aim of this research was to see how foreign language teachers (German and English) in Croatian middle schools (working with 14-19 years old students) managed the changes from face-to-face and remote teaching and vice versa, according to the changes of crisis management in Croatia, and everchanging decisions working online or in person at school. In this survey teachers and students were asked about their experience with remote teaching and learning, and switching from one model to the other. This research addressed how the teaching / learning methods changed in a year, and how the teachers and students assess the learning outcomes and knowledge they got during remote learning / teaching. The students and teachers also assessed synchronous and asynchronous learning and teaching, and ICT tools used in remote teaching. The results show that most students and teachers prefer synchronous teaching / learning both in remote and face-to-face classes. Therefor platforms, which allow synchronous teaching should be developed and improved, as well as methods which can make online synchronous teaching / learning more successful. Especially when it comes to classes making more interesting and better achieving learning outcomes during remote learning / teaching. Also new ways and solutions for staying as much as possible in person in classes should be developed and considered. more...

In a wider context of digital competence, digital literacy means the attitudes and abilities of individuals to appropriately use digital tools and resources to locate, access, manage, evaluate, analyze, create content, expression in the media and to communicate. According to Eshet- Alkalai, digital literacy is a survival skill in the digital age that significantly depends on the level of certain types of digital skills: photo- visual literacy, reproduction literacy, branching literacy, information literacy, socio-emotional literacy and real-time thinking skills. Whether, and how, does the level of digital literacy of school principals affects the management of digital transformation of the school is a research question addressed by the authors of this paper, the aim of which was to determine the strength of the correlation between variables determining management experience and their digital literacy using the Eshet-Alkalai model. The research was conducted in two phases on a sample of primary school principals from three geographically and economically related regions of the Republic of Croatia, which have similar educational policies, in order to examine management practices in the digital transformation of schools. The first phase of the research was conducted using a questionnaire method that contains original metrics of influencing factors of information and data literacy. The results show the need for incremental steps in the context of informatic literacy, which were used to design the reference framework and were the starting point for the second phase. The second phase of the research was conducted with the method of a focus group, created from the same sample, using the semi- structured interview method to examine the attitudes and opinion of principals on the importance of applying certain digital skills in the process of managing digital transformation of schools, by interpreting the latter a conclusion arises that information and photo-visual literacy, due to the specifics in which the educational system functions, are the most important predictors of the successfulness of the process of digital transformation of schools. The combined comparative analysis of the results of both phases of the research set the foundation for the conceptual model of systematic education of leaders in educational establishments in the field of digital literacy by using constructs contained in the Eshet-Alkalai model, since the level of digital literacy significantly affects the management of digital transformation of schools which represents a starting point for further similar research. more...

The role of education is to respond to the challenges of a changing world and prepare students to become fully integrated members of society. The potential of information and communication technologies, in the process of learning and teaching, opens new perspectives, provides new opportunities, but it is also a good motivational tool in teaching. In information and communication technology in the educational process, its stakeholders, professors and students, are the creators of new information practices that are an integral part of teaching using modern information and communication technology in teaching, which is the subject of this paper and these are innovative and effective tools and technologies which can transform education. They enable the creation of an environment in which training is in line with the needs and characteristics of digital students and today's society. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the potential of the effectiveness of information and communication technology for transforming education into smart education. The main goal is to research and determine the attitudes of professors about the use of information and communication technology, smart boards and the Internet in the teaching process. The research sought to answer the questions of whether professors use the aforementioned information and communication technology, in what ways and what are their opinions on the advantages and disadvantages of the use 42 professors at the Croatian military academy “Dr Franjo Tuđman in Zagreb were questioned using the survey method. In other words, they want to show the attitudes of professors at the military academy towards the use of information and communication technology with the corresponding tool in teaching. The results of the research showed that the respondents have positive attitudes towards the use of information and communication technology in teaching. Information and communication technologies and the Internet are used for most subjects, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic where all subjects are fully implemented through information and communication technology and the Internet. As advantages of this way of working, the answers emphasize the economy for professors who have adapted to information and communication technology and the motivation of students where there is still a reluctance of a small number of professors to information and communication technology. Improving the conditions of learning and teaching does not happen only by purchasing the necessary information and communication technology or using a certain medium. These are necessary conditions, but they are not sufficient. The key factor is a well-trained and professional professor in the information and communication field who is motivated for such work, who does not perceive technology as a factor that makes it difficult, but enriches the work by creating new opportunities for learning and teaching. This way of working is close to the students and the environment in which they are when they are not at school, which confirms that information and communication technology was used in full during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, research shows that teaching that uses information and communication technology is motivating for students, and the motivation is one of the important factors for successful learning in education, which in further research should work on professional education of teachers. more...

Information security in the context of digital literacy is a digital skill that enables safe and purposeful movement through virtual space. Due to rapid and unstoppable technological progress, multiplying opportunities and pushing the boundaries of digital technology and the Internet, the interest of the state and institutions within the state is to raise digital competencies of citizens, with special emphasis on children and youth as the most vulnerable groups of Internet users. The age limit and frequency of use of the Internet by young generations has been moved back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the concern for information security of young people is increasingly emphasized. If, and to what extent, knowledge of the issue of identification and authentication affects the information security of high school students aged 16 to 19 in the virtual space, the research question addressed by the authors of this paper was to determine which student behaviors pose a potential danger compromising their information security by establishing a correlation between the variables that determine student behavior and the variables used to examine their level of security in a virtual environment. The research was conducted using a questionnaire on a sample of high school students in the Republic of Croatia, the results of which showed that some students practice behaviors that are potentially dangerous, make them vulnerable and easy targets of cyber predators and attackers, which is why there is cause for concern and a need for a additional education of children of primary and secondary school age in the field of information security in the form of the introduction of the subject Digital Literacy. Based on the results, a model for assessing the level of digital literacy of adolescents that affect information literacy can be designed, but also further related research in the field of information literacy of children and youth can be conducted. more...

The Digital Maturity Framework for Schools in Croatia has been designed as a part of the e- Schools pilot project that is part of the “e- Schools: a comprehensive informatisation of school operation processes and teaching processes aimed at the creation of digitally mature schools for the 21st century”. It is based on the European Framework for Digitally Competent Educational Organisations. The School Digital Maturity Framework is structured in 5 characteristic areas of the Croatian education system: Planning, Management and Leadership, ICT (Information and Communications Technology) in Learning and Teaching, Development of Digital Competencies, ICT Culture and ICT Infrastructure. According to the 2016-2018 Digital Maturity Evaluation, schools have the lowest level of digital maturity in the areas of Planning, Management and Leadership. Therefore, it can be assumed that majority of schools are not ready for the upcoming digital transformation challenges. The purpose of this paper is to determine which core individual competencies defined by the information constructs, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, significantly set the degree of school management digital maturity. Thereby, the primary objective was to create a new information construct Experience and to explore the correlation between relationships of two constructs. Principals of primary schools in the Republic of Croatia were selected as the research sample (860). The survey was conducted using a questionnaire method that contains original metrics of the influencing factors Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Experience on the basis of which the information model was designed. By descripting the information model, it is possible to determine the impact of a particular construct on the school digital maturity in the area of planning, management and leadership. Therefore, this paper represents a contribution to the information and communication sciences field and opens initiatives for further interdisciplinary research related to the development of an original methodology for conceptualizing the management of school’s digital transformation. more...

Due to powerful technological development, information is more accessible to everyone today and communication is more intensive, but often not more meaningful, both in everyday situations and in the process of learning and teaching. This paper deals with the role of new technologies in that process, its importance in the creation, development and application of DTM (Digital Teaching Materials), as well as the advantages and disadvantages seen through the communication aspects of a wide range of teaching cadets in the field of military training. In addition to the previously presented problem, research questions were asked: How do modern technologies affect the process of teaching cadets? Did they distance the cadets from its essence or did they bring it closer to the process of acquiring knowledge and skills? What role do digital teaching materials play in this process? How important is it for the e-learning process and the quality of learning outcomes? The research in which 498 cadets of military schools in the Republic of Croatia participated was conducted using a survey questionnaire. The analysis of the results indicates a high perceptual role of digital teaching materials, which is evident from the attitudes of cadets, and which significantly correlates with their satisfaction related to the associated communication aspect of e-learning. Furthermore, the discussion of the results is aimed at explaining the significance and description of DTM information constructs by classifying which enables to determine the intensity of significance and legality between information objects of learning outcomes, thus making a contribution to the field of information and communication sciences, however, the paper also emphasizes initiatives for interdisciplinary research whereas in the focus are new technologies in teaching and learning. more...

Through digital communication in a collaborative media environment, not only do individuals create new information practices that are the result of their digital footprints, but also a digital identity by which each individual inevitably creates an image of themselves, which they predictably project into their own reality. The aim of this paper is to examine how digital literacy level of an individual influences the information aspects of digital self- validation, with the aim of exploring the types of discourses that determine digital literacy of adolescents in the digital intelligence domain. To what extent does sharing information about oneself through digital profiles influence the creation of an image of one's body, how it affects young adults' digital intelligence are questions that determine the scope of the research problem. Young adults were selected for the research sample as they build self-awareness and self- affirmation within the social environment, and simultaneously undergo education in the field of media and information literacy within the digital environment. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire containing original metrics of the influential factors of young adults' digital literacy. Based on the results, the information constructs Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes were designed to determine the informational aspects of digital literacy. In this sense, this paper provides an inn ovative approach to the study of digital literacy in the discourse of new media, an evaluation that can be carried out by complementary research relevant to determining the degree of digital intelligence. more...

Extremely important participants in the education system, who also represent the interested public, are the parents with whom school employees in complex processes that take place during the school year, establish collaborative relationships. One of the ways of communication with parents is digital communication through a website performed by teachers, professional associates and principals who do not have a formal education in the field of public relations. Observing the mentioned problem, a research question was asked "Do teachers influence the creation of parents' attitudes towards school based on digital communication?" Opinions on the information-visual aspects of digital communication were examined: content and size of publications, visual characteristics of the website, dynamics of publications, frequency of visits to the website and the impact of publications on the creation of parents' attitudes towards school. With the statistical analysis of the results of a survey conducted on a sample of 150 teachers and 483 parents, the hypothesis, which claims that teachers consider the information aspect of communication through the website more important than visual preferred by parents, was confirmed. Given that the area of the role of digital communication in shaping public attitudes, general and those of interest, towards the school is quite unexplored, this paper can serve as a starting point for further scientific research in the field of communication and public relations. more...

Curriculum planning for foreign language teaching is a complex process. Since 2000, with the introduction of the Bologna Process in higher education and the emergence of the Common European Framework for Languages, which aimed at multiculturalism and multilingualism, even greater emphasis has been placed on the effectiveness of curriculum design in foreign language teaching. In addition to curricular changes, technological changes in the educational landscape have been happening at a rapid pace, which suggests that educational institutions should integrate ICT (information and communication technologies) into teaching curricula in order to teach optimally since the use of ICT as a teaching aid helps in obtaining, exchanging, analysing and organizing information. The use of ICT makes it easier for teachers to use electronic versions of educational and teaching aids ; availability of additional materials ; performing tests and assessment ; and conducting practiceoriented language skills exercises related to research activities. The use of ICT in foreign language learning not only increases opportunities for effective communication but stakeholders develop not only their language skills but also a broader knowledge of the successful use of ICT for learning strategies, and 21st century skills. New directions in education not only include ICT but the process of learning and teaching is completely transferred online. The aim of this paper is to show which phases should be completed and which concepts should be included in the planning and design of the curriculum so that it converges from the traditional form to the online form of learning and teaching. Comparative analysis of theoretical sources and previous research, a conceptual framework for planning and designing online curriculum has been defined and the perspectives for further interdisciplinary research have been indicated. more...

The field of education implies the daily running of complex and layered communication processes in order to ensure the functioning of the system, and with the appearance of digital technologies, digital communication has become a part of everyday life in educational institutions. For schools, the most appropriate channel of communication with the public is a website, which also poses a legal obligation, in order to ensure visibility in the public space and improve the reputation of the school. The most important members of the public with which school employees interact are parents with whom relationships of partnership and collaboration are established. Since there is no established office or employee in the educational institutions in the Republic of Croatia in the field of public relations, it is teachers, experts and associates who take on this important role, despite having no formal education in the field of public relations. Posts on the website influence the parents' attitudes towards school, which is the subject of this paper that discusses which elements of the website are more important in creating the attitudes of parents towards school. The aim of the research is to determine how digital communication influences the creation of parents' attitudes towards school, whilst also examining teachers' attitudes towards the same elements for comparison purposes. The question "How do website posts affect parents' attitudes toward school?" raises the problem of the presence of sufficient awareness of the school staff about the impact of website posts on parents' attitudes toward school, given the lack of continuity and standardization of the task. The research questions of this paper focus on examining the impact of online posts on the creation of parents' attitudes toward school and therefore a parent survey questionnaire and a teacher survey questionnaire were created. Opinions about the content, visual characteristics of the site and the dynamics of publication were examined. The hypothesis that posts on a website have a significant impact on parents' attitudes toward school has not been confirmed, but research has shown that parents do have a positive attitude towards posts on a website, that they trust teachers and school principals, and that they place more importance on the visual component, while the teachers find the content that is posted on the website to be more important. The research has shown that teachers are taking a responsible and professional approach to posting on the school website in an effort to inform the public and build the school's reputation. This paper represents a significant scientific contribution given that the field of public relations in education is largely unexplored. The results open up the possibility of further research and extension of research to secondary education or the specific characteristics of web pages. more...

Teachers in Croatia went from face-to-face to remote learning within a week in March 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers found themselves faced with many questions about how to do it, which ICT tools to use, how long it would last. Croatian Ministry of Education called for all teachers to share their examples of good practice, free lessons, but also to record video- lessons for a YouTube channel and to create lessons on TV for primary school pupils. Although teachers were introduced to many different ICT tools and platforms they could use in the remote teaching, the schools mostly chose one platform. During remote teaching many problems were detected: problems with using the Loomen platform, Google Classroom, Yammer for classroom management and teaching, different and too many ICT tools used by teachers and learners, dissatisfaction with the tools they used, pros and cons of remote learning, proposals for making things better, learning outcomes when learning face to face and when learning online. The research sample included the three most frequently used platforms, teachers and students in secondary schools. The most frequently used platforms (Loomen, Google Classroom, Yammer, MS Teams) in remote teaching were analyzed, teachers and students were questioned in the survey about their satisfaction with the platforms chosen by the schools, as well as about the usage of different ICT tools in remote teaching, and which one was the best rated by Croatian teachers and students, but also whether learning outcomes were achieved in remote learning or not. The results of the research are being used as a recommendation for choosing the best platform(s) and ICT tools according to Croatian teachers and students in remote teaching and learning, as well as a recommendation for improvement of remote learning. more...

In today’s information-communication environment and the connected world awareness of and preparedness for digital threats is of utmost importance for organizational systems. It is not possible to fully guard against or eliminate all digital threats but with an educated and trained awareness and recognizing, acknowledgment and management of the risks along with appropriate policies, tactics, techniques, procedures and processes in place organizational systems are competent to become digital resilient. In this paper our aim is to investigate how digital threat awareness can improve digital resilience. Related to this the goal is to identify digital threat awareness components within cybersecurity and digital security. In this regard we used modelbased approach and methodology to create model scheme so the novel Cyber Resilience Model within digital resilience concept is created. Digital resilience modelling approach takes account components of digital threats within digital security and engagement. more...

The paper deals with the communication aspects of training cadets using serious virtual reality games and is an initial step in defining the framework of a standard VR information model in the military training aimed at defining additional categories of data that do not appear in any of the existing information models. The first part of the paper deals with the conceptual definition of serious games, and in the following, the process of simulating serious games in training cadets is elaborated. The research problem is primarily focused on examining the communication aspects of a theoretically designed serious game and its effects. For the purpose of designing the VR information model, a pilot survey was conducted with cadets of the Croatian Military Academy, using 113 questionnaires, with 113 of them from all generations of training. The obtained results confirmed the initial assumption about the correlation of serious game and simulation game in the domain of virtual reality. In addition, the results indicate a potential correlation between the frequency of performing a particular type of serious play and the selection of military service. All of the above implies the need for further systematic research into the subject matter. more...

Through digital communication in the educational process, its stakeholders, professors and students, become creators of new information practices, which in involve modern technologies augmented reality (AR) virtual reality (VR). The research objective was aimed at detecting AR and VR information concepts important for determining students' digital intelligence in the digital creativity domain. In the education of the cadets, some issues have been observed acknowledged, particularly the issues of defining the set of information which is necessary to be transferred to the cadets by AR and VR and the issue of detecting feedback expressed through the learning outcomes previously acquired. The main research challenge is correlation of information sets and how to structure them into a standard cadet training information model. The research was conducted by using the method of content analysis of software solutions and the questionnaire method. The cadets and expert at military academy have been selected as the research sample as they undergo through both the process of acquiring theoretical knowledge as well as practical training. The paper presents the research aimed at VR prototype development and its evaluation with two cadets generations and military professionals, who were introduced to VR technology in different ways. The obtained research results present basis for an AR / VR conceptual model to be further defined, that will contain set of abstract elements, relationships, and information that depict a complex real cadet training system. In this sense, this paper represents an initial step in defining the framework of a standard AR / VR information model in the military training that can be further developed by creating additional categories of data that do not appear in any of the existing information models. more...

In contemporary education, the convergence of digital literacy and digital communication are a part of participatory culture that takes into account the potentials of teenagers' digital intelligence and their interests, who as a result lack the motivation for learning and improvement in a teacher-centered classroom. High school students’ digital literacy is a prerequisite for their success not only in educational but also in the communication field. Using a story in a combination with communication and information technologies opens up numerous opportunities for improving learning and teaching processes with the aim of more effective adoption and reproduction of the teaching content. As teenagers spend more and more time using social and digital media, both during leisure time as well as for learning independently, the main research question was formed: Is it possible to influence the development of teenagers’ digital intelligence by creating a task where they independently select appropriate digital tools to create transmedia extensions of the given content? It was answered by a case study of transmedia extensions by 33 high school students during English language classes. Their task was to apply transmedia storytelling method and to select an appropriate digital tool and create digital content with the aim of extending the narrative of an authentic literary text, a short story Welcome to Mars written by Tom Hanks. The analysis of the results revealed a positive difference in the level of the acquired knowledge by using transmedia storytelling in the English language classroom in relation to the level of the acquired knowledge by using the conservative one-way teacher-student approach. During the research, the students' attitudes towards the use of the transmedia model of teaching as well as their evaluation of the reception of transmedia digital contents in relation to classical printed materials were analyzed. The apparent proportional effect of transmedia narratives on the development of digital literacy of teenagers and consequently on their development digital intelligence was noticed. The comparative analysis of the results of the study in comparison with the results of similar scientific research has led to a conclusion that the synergistic effect of the application of digital media and transmedia storytelling in teaching influenced the development of the digital intelligence of teenagers. Moreover, this comparative analysis has established the originality of the paper through idiographic approach towards the implementation of research based on case studies conducted in English language classroom. At the cognitive level, the scientific contribution is reflected in the creation of informational concepts of digital creativity, and at the methodological level through the development of the original methodology of qualitative compliance of the attitudes of high school students with the quantitative degree of the reception of the given teaching content adopted by the method of transmedia storytelling. more...

This is the seventh publication in the series of biennial international conferences, The Future of Information Sciences (INFuture) organised by the Department of Information and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Since its beginnings twelve years ago, the INFuture conference has been providing a platform for discussing both theoretical and practical issues in information organization and information integration through the explorations of how developments in information and communication technology influence the future of the field of information sciences. Education and research in information sciences and its interdisciplinary scope and application is of particular interest to this conference which is aimed at researchers and professionals from the broad field of information and communication sciences and related professions. The title of this year's conference is INFuture2019: Knowledge in the Digital Age. The conference explores the influence the information and communication sciences have on the society as a whole.The INFuture2019 conference consists of 26 papers from 58 authors from nine countries -Austria, Croatia, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, South Korea, Sweden and United States. more...

Digital technologies are an integral part of our everyday life, and new media have changed the way we communicate. New forms of communication are most evident among school children, whose upbringing and education is marked by the immersion in the world of social media and internet technologies. The authors of this paper aim to analyze the influence of new media on the development of school children’s social skills. It is based on a quantitative study of the impact of the length of daily usage of new media on elementary school students’ social skills (with and without disabilities), seen from the perspective of both parents and teachers. The results were gained by the survey conducted on a representative sample of primary schools in the Republic of Croatia in the school year 2018/2019. Comparative analysis of the results obtained with similar research results led to a conclusion of the synergistic impact of new media and new communication channels on the development of social skills of students. The authenticity of this research is established in the approach involving both parents and teachers and the material on which the research was conducted (students with and without disabilities). The scientific contribution was achieved at different levels: at the cognitive level through the development of information concepts of social skills, while at the methodological level through the development of original methodology of qualitative comparison of respondents’ attitudes by making a statistical analysis of dynamic ontological parameters. Finally, on the practical level through the application of defined information concepts in the study of the impact of new media on the development of social skills. more...

Digital security perspectives encompass cybersecurity as a broad range of practices, tools and concepts related closely to those of information and operational technology security. The aim is to investigate how digital security may lead to cyber resilience. In this regard the goal is to give perspectives for digital engagement aiming at achieving cyber resilience in today’s information-communication environment. Digital risk management is a business performance issue that requires business leaders to make informed choices ; it's not a technical problem buried in IT. Model-driven methodology and method have been used in the creation of the model scheme. Perspectives for digital engagement aiming to achieve cyber resilience in today’s information- communication environment are given and the novel Digital Engagement Cyber Resilience Model is created. The paper provides an innovative approach to the modeling of cyber resilience taking into account components of digital engagement and digital security for modeling of systems' resilience in digital security perspectives and engagement. more...

Internet technologies and services impose global information standards in the sphere of healthcare as a whole, which are then implied and applied in the domain of cytology laboratories. Web-based operations form a significant operating segment of any contemporary cytology laboratory as they enable operations by the use of technology, which is usually free of the restrictions imposed by the traditional way of business (geographic area and narrow localisation of activities). In their operations, almost all healthcare organisations currently create and use electronic data anddocuments, which can originate both inside and outside the organisation. An enormous amount of information thus used and exchanged may be processed timely and in a high-quality way only by integrated information systems, given three basic safety requirements: data confidentiality, integrity and availability. In the Republic of Croatia, integration of private and public healthcare information systems has been ongoing for several years but the private healthcare does not yet operate as an integrated system. Instead, each office operates using its own separate information system, i.e.This paper elaborates the argument that the sample private cytology laboratory possesses an IT system that meets current market and stakeholder needs of the healthcare sector in Croatia, given that private doctors' offices/polyclinics use IT technologies in their operations but make only partial use of Internet capacities in the segment of communication with their business associates and patients, implying the need to continue the research on a statistically relevant sample of EU countries. more...

Nucleus of the strategic planning of the integrated information system (SP-IIS) is determined by implication of mutual impacts of its four principal elements: information strategy, info management strategy, info technology strategy and change management strategy, based on which the subject of research is described in the paper, viewed from the aspect of social dimension alignment of the academic (elected) and administrative (permanent) university management with the aim of drafting a simulation model of strategic planning of the integrated university information system (SP-IIS- Uni). An analysis of the research results provided evidence indicating that, with respect to the strategic planning of an integrated business information system (SP-IBIS-Uni), university top management expresses the greatest interest in the planning of alignment between the business information system (BIS) and the academic information system (AIS). They believe the impact of using ICT is crucial for their future work and operation of the university, but also necessary for more efficient integration with university institutions in EU countries. In the context of investigating this domain, the nucleus of the strategic planning of an integrated university information system is viewed as an implication of mutual impacts of information strategy, info management strategy, info technology strategy and change management strategy, but also the social implications by which the SP-IIS-Uni nucleus strategy affects the information & organizational environment of the university. Elaborated premises, hypotheses set and a comparative analysis of results from similar research resulted in a conclusion on an inseparable synergic impact of nucleus particles on the strategic planning of integrated university information system development. more...

Information systems play a significant role in helping to improve health outcomes and decision-making at the point of care, as well as in the planning and funding of care. There is no doubt that new technologies, especially information and communication technologies, could dramatically contribute to achieve better results in our activities in general. The healthcare sector, one of the largest sectors of society accounting, is very complex with many different application requirements. There are also a number of different types of actors that need to communicate for various healthcare purposes (patients/citizens, healthcare professionals and organizations providing health care cervices, payment bodies, pharmaceutical industry, the national governments). Standardization is the first and the most important step in building an Integral Healthcare Information System. However, standardization has been recognized in most of the countries as an important tool to achieve some of the general goals in healthcare systems. The relationship between the participants locally, regionally and nationally requires that information is shared for planning, funding and treatment purposes. Health information standards are instrumental for the operation of healthcare organizations, the planning and management of the health sector, for electronic business transactions and the development of a national system of electronic health records as well. It is necessary to make relevant decisions on adoption of specific health information standards, to adjust them to local conditions as necessary, define in sufficient details methods the manner of their introduction and implementation. The successful implementation of each National Health Information Systems Strategy is heavily dependent upon the implementation of information standards. more...

Complex systems nowadays are usually supported by previously developed or inherited application systems, which have been developed on the basis of business functions standard model. Such application systems cover particular business fields, however, since they have been developed in an independent and uncoordinated way, there are modest possibilities of interacted automated data exchange because of heterogeneous data. Because of increasing data exchange needs, enforcement of development and upgrade of programmatic procedures is required. In this connection it is necessary to find ways and means to integrate all existing application systems in given circumstances and render possible exchange and usage of all needed data in a reliable and consistent way. The problem can be solved in different ways. Asynchronous message-passing and inter-application communication software appliance imply commencement of automated data exchange among existing organizations application systems, providing for full scale control and management of mutually exchangeable data, internally as well as externally. In this connection contributing model of the running application systems integrated by means of Message-Oriented Middleware (MOM) of the complex system has been created. more...

In research projects, information logistics is becoming an increasingly important link between all project phases and elements and their stakeholders, the implementation of which is unthinkable without using ICT. The answers to the question 'How important?' are elaborated in the paper, which describes the development of information logistics used in the implementation of the INTREPID project funded by the EU fund IPA intended for investing in knowledge and innovation. The importance of information logistics is supported by information on the complexity of storing documents and data, the extensiveness and complexity of reporting and communication between project stakeholders is analyzed through all project phases: from project idea development and implementation of project activities to project completion. The extensiveness and complexity of reporting defined by the EU rules, procedures and forms additionally indicate the importance of information logistics in successful monitoring and management of research projects. All this leads to the conclusion that information logistics is irreplaceable in all phases of the external and internal project cycle, the efficiency of which would be largely supported by an integrated information system developed and applicable on the level of all EU research projects. more...

Implementation of a sophisticated ERP system into a heterogeneous academic environment like universities is far from being a trivial task. The question of integration as a serious risk factor should not be neglected. That is why strategic planning of the integrated business- information system (IBIS) have a crucial importance as a link between academic strategy and business strategy. more...

This paper brings about the primary purpose of a research directed towards probing the insight into the presence of strategic planning at higher education institutions in the Republic of Croatia. The main conclusion of this paper sublimates the contribution to science and to the profession, and makes a new premise, that strategic planning of an integrated business- information system depends significantly upon long-term alignment of the management, which is in turn directly affected by common knowledge about the domain and funding. It therefore requires further in-depth research that needs to be conducted longitudinally, using an international sample, which would be as extensive as possible. more...

The emergence of the knowledge society, building on the pervasive influence of modern information and communication technologies, is bringing about a fundamental reshaping of the global economy. Knowledge has always been a factor of production, and a driver of economic and social development. However, the capacity to manipulate, store and transmit large quantities of information cheaply has increased at a staggering rate over recent years. The digitisation of information and the associated pervasiveness of the Internet are facilitating a new intensity in the application of knowledge to economic activity, to the extent that it has become the predominant factor in the creation of wealth. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are also facilitating a rapid globalisation of economic activity. In an increasingly global economy, where knowledge about how to excel competitively and information about who excels are both more readily available, the effective creation, use and dissemination of knowledge is increasingly the key to success, and thus to sustainable economic and social development that benefits us all. Innovation, which fuels new job creation and economic growth, is quickly becoming the key factor in global competitiveness. more...

Internet access has become widely available to almost every household. Using computers today is much easier than ever before, without need for special user knowledge. This means Internet today is available to all generations of users without special computer technology knowledge. In this work, we have presented more realistic functioning of the medium that largely confutes user perception of anonymity. The emphasis here is on content that can be found on the Internet, including potential lurking dangers, along with recommendations on how to protect from them. The business world nowadays cannot exist without the Internet, but even today there are large numbers of users, who do not use it in a proper way, which may lead to security problems for whole organizations and/or themselves. There are many possible measures for protecting users. There is education first, followed by various antivirus and other security tools which protect from malicious software, and tools that enable filtering of certain types of on-line content. These protective measures are presented in the paper, with emphasis on real-life use of certain tools for content filtering in some organizations in the Republic of Croatia. more...

Despite all the talk about new economy, higher education institutions still live by the old rules. Budgets are lean, yet agile enough to reflect changing requirements. With these realities, higher education institutions need proven solutions, the kind that only an ERP solution that integrates all financial processes: funds, financial accounting and managerial accounting can offer. The Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia was implementing an integrated financial information system of 6 universities based on lump-sum principles and supported by SAP ERP solution. Some experiences regarding this project are presented in the paper. more...

Principal application research goal was directed at detecting constructs and designing strategic planning of an integrated business and information system model, and defining parameters and activities based on which it is possible to repeatedly and continuously work on their improvement. The fundamental aim was directed at identifying interactions between constructs and determining the weight factor of each model construct. A modelling method was used by setting causal models derived by applying the PATH analysis1, as viewed from the aspect of the social dimension of short-term and long-term alignment, which were obtained by conducting research on a sample composed of 45 institutions from the higher education system of Croatia and their 218 managers in permanent and elective positions. Research results abstract the conclusion as novel premise that strategic planning of the integrated business and information system significantly depends on long-term management alignment, directly influenced by common knowledge on domain and financing. more...

Oncology is one of the most dynamic branches of medicine. As a result of numerous oncology studies, there has been a significant increase in scientific and clinical data that the human brain cannot store. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has led to its rapid clinical application. In this paper, we wanted to see the role of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in oncology. We conducted an unsystematic search of databases (Pub Med, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar) using the keywords: artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning, oncology, personalized medicine. From a large number of articles available to us, we singled out review articles and clinical trial results according to their clarity and innovation regarding the use of artificial intelligence in oncology. Of particular importance to us was the ability to apply their results in everyday clinical work. The possibilities of using artificial intelligence in oncology are innumerable. Thus, AI can be used for diagnostic purposes (malignant screening, histopathology, and molecular diagnostics), therapeutic purposes (personalized treatment, prediction of treatment side effects and response to therapy, treatment decisions) as well as for prognostic purposes (risk stratification, 5-year survival, monitoring). The implementation of AI in clinical practice presents new challenges for clinicians. Namely, in the era of evidence-based and patient-centered medicine, they will have to master statistical as well as computer skills in addition to clinical ones. Therefore, it is necessary to start educating future doctors about the importance of AI in medicine as soon as possible. more...

With the digitalization and relocation of almost all human communications to the online sphere, social networks have gained great importance and room for maneuver for influence in the domain of lifelong learning. Enabling the rapid sharing of a large amount of information, ideas, but also content in general, has an impact on every user of these networks. This paper aims to show the impact of social networks, that is, the consumption of social networks, on the cultural intelligence of the individual. The subject of this paper was to determine which digital competencies, defined by information constructs Knowledge and Skills, significantly determine the level of cultural intelligence of an individual during his lifelong education, formal and informal, and the primary goal was to create a new information construct. The research was conducted online, using a survey questionnaire containing original metrics of influencing factors on the basis of which the application of quantitative statistical methods designed a conceptual model, a description that can determine the impact of each information construct (Knowledge, Skills, Experience) on digital intelligence development and its impact on degree of cultural intelligence. In this sense, this paper represents a contribution to the field of communication and educational sciences and opens initiatives for further research related to the development of an original methodology for conceptualizing digital communication in the field of non- formal education. more...