INFORMATIONAL SECURITY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION

 

D.M. Dzhusubaliyeva, d.p.s. (PhD), professor

The Head of Professional Education Informatization Research Institute KazUIR&WL

Almaty, Kazakhstan

Zhangissina G.D., PhD, Professor, Central-Asian University, Kazakhstan, Almaty(gul_zhd@mail.ru)

D.O. Oralbekova techniques and technology master

Programmer of Professional Education Informatization Research Institute

KazUIR&WL Almaty

 

 

Abstract

The Republic of Kazakhstan actively introduces new informational technologies into educational process, one of which is the technology of distance education. Distance education gives an opportunity for students to learn apart from educational centre and, thereby, widens the borders of education, being beyond limits of one state. This gives an opportunity to form unified educational space in world community and open educational model. Worldwide education is build on the principle of open world community, therefore, informational security of distance education is regarded as one of the most important tasks. The article shows basic directions and ways of distance education realization in the Republic of Kazakhstan, their advantages and problems, and possibilities to protect digital information from external force as well.

Key words: open model of education, distance education, informational security, module, unified educational space, distance technologies, tutor, the Internet

 

Nowadays more than ever, one of the most important educational issues in world community is the formation of unified educational space. This could be possible due to the development of telecommunication and introduction of new informational technologies into educational process. Open educational system building allows all members of educational community to engage into educational process. The Internet use allows creating global informational infrastructure, which corresponds to the “open model of education” paradigm, assuming:

·        Open-mind to future;

·        Ability to receive necessary information not only within own state, but in educational institutions of other states;

·        Free application of diverse informational systems, which nowadays play not lesser role, than a direct educational process;

·        Personality-orientation of educational process, own learning trajectory construction;

·        Informational culture of personality development;

·        Psychological motive of learners that education lies in the process of constant search and changes, all the time, forming new orients and aims;

·        Teacher’s role shifts in the educational process: a teacher becomes manager of educational process.

One of the most perspective technologies in open education is the technology of distance education, wherein subjects of education (learners, teachers, tutors) are remote from each other and from educational centers. And educational process is conducted with the help of telecommunications, including the use of the Internet.

With this organization, the educational process is quite obvious that it can go beyond one state. Distance learning is widespread in many countries, for example, in the UK - British Open University, Spain - National University of Distance Education, France - National Center for Distance Learning, USA - National Technical University which was to prepare the engineering staff at the beginning of the 80's and at the present time, has released about 500 thousand graduates.   Among the CIS countries most actively introduce to the educational process, the Russian higher education universities such as the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, Moscow State Technical University, Bauman Moscow Social Science and Humanities Institute, Tomsk State University, the University of World Economy and Finance (Astrakhan) and many other Russian universities are leaders in distance learning and citizens of the other states [1,2].

For Kazakhstan, with its large territory and in this connection weak information infrastructure, a large number of scientific and educational centers in remote towns, the possibility of vocational education and training without looking up from his place of work, is extremely important. The current system of full-time and part-time training for a number of reasons and circumstances are not able to meet the current demand for people to obtain the desired vocational education, while those wishing to get a second higher education and professional training from year to year.

According to statistics in retraining annually in Kazakhstan need more than 2 million people.

This problem on a national scale in view of its complexity can be solved by forming a system of distance education and open the possibility of creating virtual universities. However, the question arises - how to protect remote training from external threats and attacks on the information.

Today, distance learning thanks to the Government Resolution of January 19, 2012 ¹ 112 "Rules of the organization of educational process on remote educational technologies" was implemented in many universities of Kazakhstan. At the same time, the emergence of distance education as an innovative method is still in the development stage. Proof of this is the presence of a large number of different approaches to the implementation to the use of different technologies for its implementation, a variety of forms and methods of training, a variety of pedagogical schools and programs.

The mechanism of generalization and integration of all the best constructive that there is in the world community to overcome the contradictions in the ideology of development of distance education (DE) is not clearly defined. The reasons for this on the one hand in the fact that each country treats to their own way and there is no clear regulatory - legal framework is not enough research in the field to the other side to insufficient generalization of already existing experience in the form of scientific manuals, policy briefs, seminars, conferences, etc.

With the development of distance learning system of higher education to get up such important issues as:

1. Proper organization of educational process, which would allow to get a quality education.

2. Provide necessary training and educational material, allowing to conduct training in the mode of communication mediated by the teacher and the student with their quality. 

         3. The correct choice of technology for Distance learning, allowing uninterrupted learning and control in interactive mode.

        4. Language of instruction (Kazakh, Russian and English).

        5. Training of Tutors for the implementation of the educational process for Distance learning.

         6. The problem of equivalence of diplomas obtained through traditional and distance learning.

         7. The possibility of mutual exchange of information between universities of Kazakhstan and other countries of the world, and first of all with the CIS countries.

         8. The use of experiences around the world through Distance education and breaking it in the educational process of Kazakhstan.

These and many other problems require the development of theory, techniques, methodologies and technologies of the organization of the distance education system, and, first and foremost, the creation of a regulatory framework for its implementation [3-5].

Distance learning must have a corresponding informational, methodological and didactic content. At the organization of educational process in the technology of distance learning, it is necessary first of all to answer such questions [6]:

1. How to promptly deliver educational information the learner;

2. How to send feedback to the teacher;

3. Providing remote individual or group work.

As it can be seen from the above, an independent organization of educational activity of students is one of the conditions of Distance learning, in which students have the opportunity to use more sources of media (television, Internet and other). However, the media messages that are distorted scientific picture, negatively affects the learning process. This raises the problem of information security in Distance learning, without which it is not possible to make a full personal development of the student in the learning process. With the increasing introduction of modern information and communication technologies in all spheres of modern society increase information security issues. Studying the problem of security of e-learning, Russian scholars have identified the following threats to the normal operation of the electronic learning system [7]:

– an unauthorized access to digital content;

violation of the integrity and the inadequacy of educational resources;

disruption of the normal functioning of the services;

the breach of security testing procedures.

Along with other scientists, they argue that the sources of psycho-pedagogical risk factors are the information environment, its resources, and man himself. They highlight the threats posed with students and with faculty. According to the results of the author A. A. Zhurina informational threats specific to distance learning are the following [7]:

À) information threats against a student studying in the form of Distance learning:

informational pollution,

the incorrect information mismatch educational standards;

 - low speed channels and, consequently, loss of downloadable files(homework, tests);

pedagogically and methodologically unjustified use of hypertext and multimedia in the educational material;

-       to use unusual methods and technologies of distance learning, i.e. methodological incompetence teacher

-       lack of knowledge about the ethics and the norms of behavior in the network: the majority of students find information interaction in the internet anonymous and of impunity;

-       the ability to act on behalf of the virtual character (problem identification);

-       students’ lack of knowledge on the law regarding the information of their rights and responsibilities, copyright.

B) Information threats against teachers of distance education:

-        Information pollution, uncertainties and irrelevant information;

-        Low level of ICT - literacy of teachers;

-        Inadequate teacher training in the methodological sphere of using educational technology-specific to distance education;

-        problem of identification the students;

-        Technical problems: low speed channels, networks, no special software, unauthorized access to information about the students, their current progress, etc .

Since it is the teacher structures the information space around the student organizes its activities in this area; the teacher – is a first line of protection of students from information pollution, threats and risks that the student finds in distance education. [8]

Information security, as well as protection of information in distance education, is a complex problem, aimed at ensuring security, implemented by a security system. The problem of information security is multidimensional and complex and covers a number of important tasks. Information security problems constantly aggravated by the process of penetration into all areas of technical means of processing and data transmission.

Nowadays, three basic principles have formulated, which should provide information security in distance education:

-        Data integrity - protection against failures, leading to loss of information, as well as protection from unauthorized creation or destruction of data;

-        Confidentiality of information;

-        The availability of information for all authorized users. [9]

Information security - an expensive affair, and not only because of the costs for the purchase or installation of protective equipment, but also due to the fact that it is difficult to determine the boundaries of a qualified reasonable safety and ensure adequate maintenance of the system to a working condition.

Information security tools cannot be installed and designed until the appropriate analysis is made. For actual information security, distance learning must use a set of measures providing for the protection of the site, software, hardware and server protection.

All of the above shows that for the implementation of distance learning the correct and up-to-date information security of learning process is very important.

 

References:

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2. Tikhomirov, N.V. Legislative and regulatory support for e-learning industry, intensive development of the Russian economy // Economy and Education Today          – ¹19. – 2010.

3. Dzhusubalieva D.M. Effective use of distance learning technologies in the educational process: problems and prospects. // Proceedings of VIII scientific - practical conference «Efektivni modernich ved-2012», Praga, Publishing House «Education and Science» 2012 cnh/cnh/ 7-11

4.  Dzhusubalieva D.M. Didactic means of distance learning. // Proceedings of the scientific seminar on "the Day of Science of Kazakhstan", Almaty, 2012  -236ñ., C.21-32

5.  Dzhusubalieva D.M. Educational strategies of Kazakstan in the era of globalizasation. //International Jornal of Psychology( International union of psychological science), XXX international congress of Psichology. Cape Town, South Afrika,  July 22-27, 2012, P.320

6.  Dzhusubalieva D.M. The role of modern information technologies for quality training in high school. // Proceedings - a series of "Pedagogical sciences., Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages. Abylaikhan "1-2 (28-29)2013. C.44-49

7. Jurin A.A. Information security as a pedagogical problem. Proceedings of the joint meeting of the Bureau of the Department and the Academic Council of the Institute of content and teaching methods RAO. February 18, 2010

8. Polat ES The problem of information security education networks Runet. M., 2004. Ì., 2004.

9. http://all-ib.ru/