Technology and IT for Education

The study of technical and informational education opens the way for students to understand technology and informatics in the broader sense and presents technology and informatics as modern and society with a useful scientific discipline oriented on the latest technologies in the technical and informatics fields. He focuses on all the basic technical and informational disciplines he uses to link manufacturing technologies from the fields of engineering, electrical engineering, etc. with information and communication technologies. Emphasis is placed on acquiring knowledge and practical skills in workshops, computer classrooms, electrical and electronics laboratories. The structure of the study reflects the long-term focus of teaching focused on practical activities and machining, design and construction, 3D graphics, CAD, HW and SW, www and networks, programming and algorithmization, robotics and electronics in education. The study is focused on creating professional, pedagogical, psychological, communication and other personality culture competences as a precursor to the post-graduate master's degree in technical education and information science for primary schools.

Through studying for the Bachelor’s degree graduates gain the necessary competences that allow them to critically apply the use of their pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teaching assistant or other educational worker (e.g. free-time instructor in youth centres or after-school clubs, in various civic associations engaged in pedagogical activities) in an appropriate manner.

The degree develops students’ analytical and comparative skills, which enable them to understand the diverse pedagogical reality and to use subject-specific, pedagogical, and psychological publications in their work for planning, implementing and reflecting on educational activities. They develop communication skills important for communication and collaboration with pupils/clients, colleagues in the workplace, with parents of pupils/clients and with practitioners. An important benefit of the degree is the development of self-reflective skills that provide space for the development of attitudes towards one another, to educated individuals and to the profession: perception of the responsibility of the teaching profession, the acceptance of the moral obligations of a helping profession and its ethics.

The studies emphasise the principle of interdisciplinarity (interconnection of some pedagogical and psychological subjects); the principle of sequence and gradation of themes and courses, from the more general to the more specific. The concept is also characterized by the interdependence of theory and practice. An important part of the concept is the reflective teaching practice. The principles of reflection on teaching practice and self-reflection are related both to practice and to other experience-oriented subjects. An important part of the concept is also the promotion of inclusion, which is perceived as a cross-curricular theme (also supported by a separate course).

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• explain the theoretical foundations of materials - wood, metal, plastics and their processing technology, and can practically process these materials using good practices, including description and explanation of these processes and principles
• Read technical documentation and create it according to valid standards, including the use of suitable CAD software for this activity and explain the principle of operation of machines and machinery
• explain the principles of electrical circuits and elements in electrical engineering and electronics, including practical design and construction of circuits, connection and measurement, know laboratory procedures and safety principles
• explain the principles of operation and address ICT governance; process different types of data; be familiar with digitization, coding and data modeling; process study aids; computer thinking, algorithmization and use of block-oriented programming
• work as pedagogical assistant of technical and information education in the wider context of the world of work with the ability to apply knowledge, skills and abilities to the work of assistant teacher of technical education and informatics.
• to work with literature and professional texts and to create teaching aids and materials, is able to lead a professional debate, to create a professional text
• critically think about the use of pedagogical and psychological knowledge in practice as a teacher assistant or other pedagogical worker, read common pedagogical and psychological texts for educators and creatively understand them
• describe and analyse an educational situation using spec. terminology and rules of effective pedagogical communication and to propose a change; use their knowledge and skills in communication with pupils, parents and teachers in the school context
• cooperate with various teachers at school and under their leadership to plan, implement and reflect on the sequence of teaching and activities in relation to the appropriate school curriculum
• use self-reflective skills to reflect on their actions: for example, to better justify and evaluate their arguments, to give voice to their emotions and their connection to some behaviour or to critically review their own attitudes towards education
• use basic methods and tools of pedag. diag. in teaching to support differentiation and individualization in teaching, thus gaining data which is available for the support of an individual pupil/client.
• formulate their own concepts of education that they would like to apply in their future profession; this concept underlies arguments from theory and practice
• explain the basic principles of inclusive and special education; to reflect on their attitude towards diversity and its influence on their own teaching
• explain the basic concepts of developmental and social psychology and identify potential development difficulties or difficulties in social competences or pupil adaptation at school

By studying the program the graduate will acquire the necessary competencies which will allow him according to Act No. 563/2004 Coll., On Pedagogical Staff, as amended, to work as an assistant teacher of technical education and informatics and in educational and auxiliary education work. This education also provides full qualification for the work of an instructor at leisure centers.

• Teacher´s assistant

The obligatory part of the study program is reflected in the practice accompanied by supervision in the total extent stipulated by the study plan and further professional practice in the scope of 12 hospitals. Practice aims to create a basic idea about practical applications of knowledge and skills gained by the theoretical study of the field. Ability to interpret technical and informational technology to non-professionals (pupils, parents) will be part of pedagogical skills. Practice takes place at primary or special school (according to student study combination). The course of the field practice should also allow students to enter the current issues of our education in the field of integration and inclusion.

The system of compulsory teaching practice is aimed at developing the students’ professional competences and preparing them for the full-fledged role of a teaching assistant. The aim of the teaching assistant practice is to acquire the necessary skills for individual work with a pupil outside the process of teaching (tutoring at school in the pupils’ homes) and also when working with a teacher during lessons.

The teaching practice consists of a coherent system of consecutive subjects, which are taken from the third to the fifth semester of the degree. These are the subjects teaching assistant practice - tutoring 1, teaching assistant practice - tutoring 2, consisting of individual tutoring (60 hours), teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 1 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice - teaching assistant 2 (60 hours) and teaching assistant practice – teaching assistant 3. Overall, there 180 hours of teaching practice.

In the third and fourth semesters, the teaching practice is followed by the subjects self-experiential preparation for the profession 1 and self- experiential preparation for the profession 2, in which the students of the teaching assistant practice reflect (24 hours). Their aim is to enable students to have real experience with selected themes (see seminar topics) regarding personal and professional development through experiential learning with an emphasis on reflection; to encourage students to gradually take responsibility for their own learning process (self-directed learning); to enable students to become aware of and, if necessary, to revise their attitudes towards their future profession.

The system of teaching practice is regularly evaluated both through closed and open questions, both by students and the mentor teachers. The reflective seminars are also evaluated.

A standard scope of a Bachelor's thesis ranges from 81,000 to 130,000 characters including footnotes, cover sheet, content, index, list of literature, and annotations. A Bachelor's thesis does not have the character of an independent empirical research (potential exception shall be approved by the thesis supervisor). Students can work with already published texts and data accessible for secondary analysis. They should demonstrate the ability to work critically with specialized texts, process the concepts and theories discovered there, and find relevant answers to the given question. Instructions for Final State Examinations and elaboration of the Bachelor's thesis are regulated by PedF Directive.

The final work of the student demonstrates the ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of study in working on a specific professional-pedagogical problem. The type of final thesis corresponds to the content and level of the given degree of study. The student chooses from the following types of works: a) theoretical-applied, b) theoretical-empirical (research), c) theoretical. The types of work and recommendations for their implementation are further guided by the APA manual. The length of the final thesis ranges from 81,000 to 130,000 characters, including gaps, i.e. 45-60 standard pages.

The standards for the implementation of the final theses at different departments are in accordance with the Dean's Instructions No. 1/2015 on implementation of the final work (Bachelor's, Master’s, post-graduate non-PhD and final works for Life-long Education) in the version effective from 1.11.2015.

The thesis follows the following goals based on the profile of the graduate of the Faculty of Education of MU. Students:

- demonstrate an awareness of the current issues of their field of study, they can clearly and comprehensibly define the topic of the final thesis and its objectives, describe the initial state of knowledge and propose appropriate methods of achieving their stated goals;

- work with appropriate primary and secondary sources of information, cite them according to a valid standard (APA) and in accordance with the ethics of academic work;

- through the creation of their own text they demonstrate stylistic competence, and the ability to create an academic text;

- demonstrate the ability to ask questions and solve problems, to formulate new ideas and conclusions that bring at least some new knowledge about the phenomenon being studied, or enrich the methodological (in the area of research) or methodical (in the area of education) procedures in relation to clearly defined target groups (pupils at primary and secondary school, groups with specific educational needs, etc.).

A graduate of a Bachelor's degree program can (after fulfilling the conditions of admission) continue the postgraduate master's degree in technical and informational education at the Faculty of Education.