The role of informational teaching and learning environment in the system of training future economists

-set an effective feedback;

-organize a complete systematic control and objective record of progress.

The use of informational teaching and learning environment improves the mechanisms of education management and increases the quality of knowledge. The application of informational teaching and learning environment includes several interrelated possibilities. The first is methodological possibility with the main problem to work out basic principles of educational process that correspond to modern level of information technologies. The second is technical possibility with the huge amount of software and hardware that have led to creation of different approaches to informatization. That, in its turn, makes certain difficulties in the process of learning while shifting on the new level. So, it is necessary to work out a typical informational model in the frames of educational process. Technological possibilities generate economic growth and create conditions for free circulation of huge massifs of information which lead to considerable social, cultural and economic transformations and, in the long run, the formation of informational society. Methodical possibilities of modern information technologies include visibility and opportunity to use combined forms of information presentation, to give access to international information resources which should become the basic support in the process of education. Economic possibilities cover active process of the formation of informational economy and allow using the world informational, technological and telecommunication markets which encourages the creation and development of electronic trade. It is important that the use of informational teaching and learning environment should be considered as a constituent part of a unified educational process including economic, organizational, didactic, theoretical and methodological activities [4].

The efficiency of using informational teaching and learning environment in the process of education directly depends on the quality of technical means and software which put in high demands for the organization of process of education. It should be easy, well-thought-out and effective. So we need a complex approach while using informational teaching and learning environment in order to train a specialist of the new informational society.

Let us outline the tendencies of development and use of informational teaching and learning environment in the system of training future economists. It is reasonable to start with the development and spreading of computer-oriented means of education that are a part of the environment. This tendency becomes apparent due to creation of resource centres that collect, register, systemize and disseminate modern computer educational resources via the Internet. This way of introduction of computer-oriented means of education makes the process of education more public, flexible and mobile. With the development of this tendency it is possible to forecast that the use of computer-oriented educational environment will become significantly open.

Another important tendency is the change of the role and application of computer systems of educational purposes with the elements of artificial intelligence as a part of the environment. If earlier the systems of educational purpose were created to carry out some functions of a lecturer and to manage education, today in the conditions of open environment the aims of their development are changed. The individual work of a student comes on the first place where a lecturer provides necessary support and directions. That is why the role of the systems of artificial intelligence also changes. They are used to support education in different aspects - to find information, to master new course, to assess knowledge etc. To a certain extent the systems of artificial intelligence transform from means of management to the means of support of communication and individual learning.

The next tendency is based on the increase of the role of specialization while creating and using computer systems for educational purpose.

Computer-oriented means become more specialized and their usage acquires systematic character. For example the environment software may include: the software which tracks the process of thinking of a student on the basis of a model, provides with and corrects educational tasks; one or several knowledge database; a knowledge control system which can be used by a student for self-testing as well as by a lecturer to assess a student; simulation software etc. All the software may be localized at the server of a university or at a student's computer or at a remote computer with a public access.

Integration role in creation computer-oriented means of education is another important tendency. There is a trend in forming integral means that bring together functions of different means. In this case certain modules are used which may be a part of one or several means of education [9]. On the basis of a module we may create different configurations of educational teaching and learning environment taking into account certain didactic aim. Such environments will include, for example, a model of the subject sphere together with powerful means of presentation and representation of educational objects including visualization and virtual reality; subsystem of computer support for installation of new regularities; interactive study of notions and symbols; subsystem for tracking problematic situations and assessing the results of education.

Another tendency lies in the growth of efficiency and multilevel of the used educational models. Educational models that are the basis of the systems for educational purpose become more powerful and detailed. That leads to the creation of more effective models of lecturer-student activity. Due to the improvement of a student's models computer programmes become more individual and adapt to the peculiarities of thinking and personal characteristics of a user. Modern models of a lecturer give possibilities to communicate the usual language, procedure and context support, tracking the plans and strategies of a student's judgments [12].

The next tendency is the development of interactive educational teaching and learning environment. The essence of interactive educational environment goes through some changes. Earlier, this term meant programmes for educational purpose that provide means for individual work of a student and has a corresponding system of methodological instructions and recommendations [10]. Now the environments of the kind become open. They anticipate communication among groups of students and teachers in the process of education. This may take place while studying foreign languages when educational process is organized on the basis of interactive environment [11].

Another important tendency is the formation of virtual learning societies. The characteristic feature of education in the informational teaching and learning environment is the formation of learning societies that are united according to their interests while working on an educational project or problem solving. This tendency shows that participants of the environment may not belong to a certain training group or class, or educational establishment. They may be teachers, students, experts, specialists that are interested in solving a certain problem in the sphere of their interests. Thus the education process becomes open at its full and is not limited by educational establishments. That in its turn, suggests free communication and realization of new ideas.

One more tendency puts forward the appearance of powerful storages and electronic libraries of expert knowledge. Improvement of methods of knowledge representation will lead to the creation of more powerful hierarchic and multilevel knowledge databases. They will unite into libraries or storages of expert knowledge of different scientific spheres. The usage of the storages gives students possibility to have access to several interdisciplinary subjects to solve the arisen problem.

Thus the aim of learning is not only to master certain amount of knowledge but to direct the acquired knowledge to solving definite practical and theoretical problems.

A great role in the creation of informational teaching and learning environment is played by educational portals. They may carry out several functions: creation, transmission and control of knowledge; confirmation of the received qualification; provision of information services etc [7]. The role of the portals in the development of teaching and learning environment is to help solving different problems in the system of education. The use of portal's resources can stimulate solving the problem of information accumulation, analysis, research and dissemination of computer-oriented means of education. Although there are numerous up-to-date means are being created they do not have corresponding systematic character. This work has just started. The information on available resources, ways of their usage, and conditions of dissemination may be shown on the portal.

The next very significant step is the approbation of computer-oriented means in education. In this context educational portals are not only the tool of giving information but also a tool for scientific research. The information about the quantity of addressing the portal concerning certain means of education will reflect the efficiency of its usage. And such kinds of data in most cases are reflected on the servers of educational services.

Development of criteria and expert assessment of computer-oriented means of education is another complex problem concerning the working out assessment criteria. It is quite difficult to forecast which type of activity will be used while working with certain means of education [10]. So it is important to create conceptual grounds for testing and approbation of the means. The results of expert assessment may also be reflected on the portal.

The collection, analysis and dissemination of educational experience in using computer-oriented means of education in the informational teaching and learning environment could take place through organization of forums and creation of resources.

So, informational teaching and learning environment brings possibility and necessity to change the model of educational process: transition from reproductive education when a teacher simply represents information to a student to creative model when with the help of classroom equipped with the newest technical means students can simulate real life professional situations. Specialists think that development of traditional and new technologies should adhere to the principle of complementarities and mutual correlation which will lead to absolutely new educational environment - global educational environment which exists in real time and has complete aggregate of educational technologies.

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