Human resources development

Operator and administrator training

Introduction

With the increment of computing facilities and specifically the extensive use of networking techniques there is a mayor increase in demand of operation, configuration and administration knowledge.

Each of the six faculties will have to count with at least two persons actively involved in network maintenance and integration, and the computer rooms at the different locations, including the Library need supervisors and operators.

The network operation centres at both campuses will be equipped with teams of two to four operators and administrators, who will need extensive training in Windows 9x/ME/XPE and Windows NT/2000 in networked environments, as well as backup strategies and techniques and Unix System administration and network security.

Goals

• Both computing centres (UNIRED and CORC) count with highly trained personal for the continuous maintenance of the UNI network(s) and for the development of solutions to the continuous evolving demands of ICT.
• All faculties count with trained operators and administrators, capable of maintaining the availability of the computing facilities installed, as well as take part in expansion projects.
• Other facilities, like the Libraries computer rooms which are open for the public count with operators and administrators, which can guarantee their availability for the student and research population of the UNI.

Project components

• One administrator of each campus will be scheduled to training as a Certified Microsoft Engineer. Each of the variants of Microsoft's Operation systems have to be part of the complete training plan, which can be complemented by other courses.
• All administrators and operators of the university receive a training which enables them as operators of Linux and Sun's Solaris operating system.
• At least two of the administrators of each network centre receive a complete training program as system and network administrators for Linux.
• To guarantee continuous education, the training department of CORC has to be consolidated, equipped with educational material and fonds to generate own trainings programs at least up to operators level on the Unix systems and Network configuration on Microsoft systems, as well as to catch up with national acquirable courses and training opportunities.

Project organisation

OTIC will conform the training department of CORC contracting at least one person half time. The fonds for salary and working material for the first three years shall be acquired via the ICT project, time span within which the impact on the universities population is measured and the task is either taken over by other university institutions (Faculty of computer science, for example), or the department is consolidated and financiation taken over by the University.

Care will be taken, to make the training material and experiences available to the whole University community in form of educational material, programs and accompanying reports and evaluation.

The training department is responsible for the selection and scheduling of the training program of the operators and administrators of the network and the public computer facilities.

Technological requirements

• Office equipment and furniture, including Computer with multimedia and publishing capabilities. Connection to the campus network
• Access to training facilities on the Campuses, especially to computer training centres, to be able to organise the courses.

Activities

• Constitution of the training department, supervised by the director of OTIC
• Elaboration and implementation of short and medium term training programs for the OTIC staff, as well as for the faculty and public computing facility staff.
• Organisation of off-site training opportunities for selected personnel.
• Elaboration of proposals for long term and continuous education models for ICT on the University for the ICT personal
• Assessment of End User Training by assistance to the respective sub-project
• Continuous advance reports and evaluation of the project.
• Generation of a Library of training methods and materials specialised for the need of the network and system administration.

Project Costs

Office equipment and conditioning: US$ 2500

Salary for training department: US$ 1000 ×12 months ×3 years = 36000,-

Fonds for specialised training: 4 persons × US$ 1500 ×3 years = 18000

Fonds for educational material and local courses: 12 persons ×3courses ×3 years × US$ 300 = 32400

End user training

Introduction

The primary target group of the we hole ICT project are the end user with the goal to habilitate them to be able to integrate information and communication technologies into their every day routine.

The whole technical infrastructure is of no end, if the users cannot access to them with ease and skill. This is not only valid for basic thrills like tip-typing or mouse handling, but also for the use of Email, mailing lists, search tools etc. and for meta information like Netiquette and Jargon.

Even the lack of English language skill form a big obstacle to plain use of ICT infrastructure.

All of this leads to the conclusion, that end user training has to be assessed in a systematic and massive approach, if ICT is meant to unleash innovation and make technological development based on today's global standards a reality in our University.

The End user training sub-project is perceived as twofold - exploration of educational models adapted to the specific knowledge, economic and environmental conditions we find in our students, teachers and researcher population, as well as an initial and massive shock-wave upgrade of knowledge.

The university counts with capacity in educational science as well as computational science, so there should exist auto-sufficiency for the development and implementation of the programs and schedule to be developed. However, a dedicated project has to be formed to base end user training on a systematic and sustainable approach, both in methodological as in economic terms.

So the sub-project, by providing external fonds for massive training also provides opportunities of learning and research for the very own university teachers which have to be involved as far as possible. In cooperation with the training department of OTIC close supervision and evaluation, as well as gathering of research and educational material has to be accomplished.

Goals

• During the three years of the project, the whole student population will be covered with basic computer courses up to Word processing, electronic presentations (slides) use of Email and elaboration of Web-pages.
• In the third year, this courses have reached maturity and are only to be offered as regular courses for new students.
• All university teachers are trained in the same skill, and additionally have receipt courses in electronic publication and elaboration of multimedia and interactive educational material.
• All administrative and auxiliary personal of the university has receipt training in basic computer skills, up to word processing, use of Web-based interfaces and correspondence by Email.
• All trained users have additionally acquired knowledge about basic maintenance and handling norms, as well as environmental conditioning and econometrics required for sustainable use and care of computers.
• The University has encountered an organisational form to deal with continuous formation of these skills for students as part of the standard curriculae, as well as to cover continuous training of new personal.
• A study about the projects goals and contents has been elaborated, indicating impact, success and efficiency. The study has to give insight about the global improvement in scientific communication, research and education.

Project components

An interdisciplinary research and planning group has to be established, composed of members of the educational sciences, computer science, university management and the training department of the CORC.

Each faculty provides support and integration of it's ICT training activities via the delegated ICT member, and eventually additionally assigned personal. Close feedback and cooperation with the operators and administrators is required, as they are closest to the end users outside of the courses.

On each campus one or two public accessible computer facilities are rehabilitated especially for the basic computer training to students and personal.

To cover the initial increased training demand, in the first year a group of students is selected and involved actively in the training activities.

Project organisation

The Vice-rector for research establishes and coordinates the research group, involving OTIC's training department and the administrative area. One member of the group is named long term coordinator for the accompanying research and evaluation, and is responsible for the scientific organisation of data acquisition as well as analysis and presentation.

Each faculty determines and communicates training needs. Courses are organised as close as possible to the faculty and shall be integrated in the normal course scheduling of the faculty.

Training of teachers and administrative personal is organised and scheduled in coordination with OTIC's training department, by contracted trainers. A small training facility has to be created and equipped, with about 10 computers, this facility is designated to OTIC.

Technological requirements

• Habilitation of four computer facilities for student training.
• Conditioning and equipment of OTIC's training facility
• Equipment and material for the research and evaluation component.

Activities

• Consolidation of the research and planning group
• Acquisition, equipment and basic training material (different Operating Systems and Applications) of OTIC's training facility.
• Selection and training of the auxiliary training team.
• Planning of research data acquisition and first training approaches, constraints and policies.
• Coordination and Scheduling of regular training in the faculties.
• Coordination and Scheduling of training of administrative staff.
• Periodic evaluation and research data processing and presentation, culminating in a final Research paper.
• Systematic recollection and preparation of training material and corresponding publication and distribution to the faculties.
• Final long term planning and proposal to the university, taking into account the result of the research component.

Project Costs

Salaries of extra trainers: 4 students ×12 events ×US$ 400 × 2 years = 38400

Subsidiaries, material and equipment to research and evaluation component: 3 × US$ 3000 = 9000

Training facility for OTIC: 10 PC's + Network + Software + conditioning = 10 × (900+30+500+50) = 14800

Publication of training material: 3 × US$ 3000 = 9000

Systems designers and implementors training

Introduction

The adoption and implementation of a variety of software applications for administration and research is foreseen in the near and medium future. While traditional Software engineering indicates the building of one or more core programmer teams with a complete analysis, design and implementation cycle, the new approaches to Software application building are more open and leave more space for individual motivation and partial contribution. One of the greatest challenges of open projects is the formation of a large user and contributor base.

On the other hand, in Nicaragua Software production is intimly coupled to proprietary development tools, used to create proprietary software on proprietary operating systems only: MS-Access, Visual-Basic, etc. The enormous toolbox of Unix and Open Software development is largely unknown, less understood.

Too boost the understanding of modern software engineering and give basic tool knowledge to the biggest possible audience it is necessary to implement a training program which opens the opportunities of more accessible and robuster software to the University.

Teachers of the computer Science faculty will receive exhaust learning chances giving them the medium and ability to apply them in the educational process. Open courses at low cost to the general public have to be offered and a sufficient number of public accessible computing facilities with preconfigured development tools have to be offered.

As a side effect, this approach should also soon lead to improved Software production techniques outside of the University, as graduated students integrate themselves into the production process and business world.

Goals

• All teachers of computer sciences and similar careers have basic knowledge about the technological offers and organisational implications of Open/Free Software Development
• All teachers of Software Engineering and programming languages are familiar with Open Source/Free Software development tools and apply them systematically (but not exclusively) in their courses.
• All students of careers affine to Computer Sciences are put into contact with Open/Free Software and its production means.
• Any students desiring so has the opportunity to use Open/Free Software for learning, research and the monografic thesis.
• Broad contribution amongst ICT staff, teachers and students is achieved for all Open/Free Software development projects of the ICT project.
• The Software Application programming sub-projects are capable of exploiting Free Software techniques and tools wherever it seems appropriate to the process.

Project components

Intensive courses in the use of Free Software and programming tools for teachers and ICT staff of the Application Software groups are held.

It is desirable to invite major figures of the Free Software movement, preferably from Latin America and Spain for speeches and Workshops.

Involved faculties obtain relevant knowledge and re-program the curriculae of the respective careers to include Free Software production tools and techniques.

OTIC's subdepartments CORC, UNIRED and the Software Application Group acquire, prepare and install relevant Software and redistribution packages and Media for a homogeneous use and availability of the tools.

Two core programmer teams are formed on each Campus, to coordinate the dedicated Software development sub-projects. These teams receive special training in Software Engineering to be able to integrate the devised solution into the organisational structure of UNI.

Project organisation

For one part, OTIC's Software Application departments assumes selection acquisition, and maintenance of Free Software Tools and Applications and it's redistribution means and methods for the whole University, along with proprietary systems.

Training at subsidised costs is offered in coordination with OTIC's training department.

On the other hand, the computer science faculty assumes the role of introducing Free Software techniques and tools into it's plans and activities.

The faculties also assume the specialised training for teachers and programmers, actively supported by the trainings department of OTIC.

Technological requirements

No special Hard- or Software requirements are necessary for the implementation of this sub-projects, despite of Disk Space, distribution media etc.

Activities

• Acquisition of courses for university teachers and programmers about individual software development tools, and general concepts of Free Software Engineering, as well as Software and System Design and implementation.
• Design of training courses for Free Software design and implementation, which will be offered to the general public.
• Organisation of speeches and workshops with renowned Free Software programmers and thinkers.
• Coordination of all careers which involve computer programming to introduce contents with respect to Free Software in the curriculae
• Selection, acquisition and preparation of redistribution means and methods for Free Software Components.
• Installation of Free Software operating systems, applications and development tools in at least a 50% of public computer facilities.

Project Costs

Courses: 20 persons × 4 courses × US$ 400,- = 32000

5 speeches/workshops in three years × US$ 5000,- = 25000

Media for redistribution: US$ 2000