Public institution Information Technologies Institute (ITI) was established in 1997 and started as an organization which creates temporary professional working groups for projects on Information System design. Professors and lecturers from different Kaunas and Vilnius Universities were involved in temporary work groups as a part-time staff. The full-time staff of ITI includes administrative, financial and project managers (5-10 persons). ITI has strong experience in IT training/testing courseware design and development.
From year 2000 ITI started with ECDL (European Computer Driving License) Programme implementation in Lithuania. Now ITI is the official ECDL Foundation Sub-licensee for Lithuania. The National Licensee rights belong to the Lithuanian Computer Society. Currently the development and dissemination of computer literacy related training/testing systems have the major importance for the Institute. ITI has developed the Automated ECDL Test System which is authorised by the ECDL Foundation. The In-Application testing based version of the Test System has entered the official authorization process at the ECDL Foundation level also. In 2009 ITI has launched the ECDL Foundation Endorsed Partner Programme e-Guardian. Currently ITI is involved in development of Learning/Testing solutions for ECDL, e-Citizen, CAD, security and children safety subjects in Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Azeri and English languages.
ITI scientific research activities lie in customizable design of computer literacy tests. Some members of full-time staff carry out research of specific IT skills of people of various occupations considering find subsets of skills depending on test taker occupation. In2010 the dissertation of Renata Danieliene (Managing Director of ITI) “Research of Intelligent Computer Literacy Test Design Method” was officially defended at Vilnius University (Scientific supervisor – Dr. Eugenijus Telesius, Business Consultant of ITI).
ITI team has a high expertise in managing ECDL and e-Citizen training and testing. The staff of ITI has experience in teaching different IT disciplines at various Universities and high schools in Lithuania. We have also experience in distance teaching/testing of CAD concepts and software products. ITI was involved in Leonardo da Vinci Development of Innovation project called euCAD (Amplifying Skills for EUropean SMEs in Computer Aided Industrial Design), Project no. 142514-LLP-1-2008-1-RO-LEONARDO-LMP funded by Longlife Learning Programme.
ITI also was involved in LLP Leonardo da Vinci Transfer of Innovation project no. LLP-LdV-TOI-2010-LT-0071 called e-GUARDIAN (Development and certification of skills for European Educators focused on Safe ICT and Cyber threat prevention).
ITI was the hosting organization for two Leonardo da Vinci Mobility projects: ‘E-Learning Solutions in VET based on ECDL Syllabus 5’, beneficiary organization – Institute of Information Technologies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and ‘Evaluation of the e-Guardian Testing System’, beneficiary organization – Cyprus Computer Society.
Currently ITI is involved in the Tempus ENOTEs Project “ECDL National Operator and Testing Centers in Azerbaijan” (530340-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-AZ-TEMPUS-JPHES). The wider objective of the project is to set up ECDL National Operator and Testing Centres in Azerbaijan partner universities and to build computer skills capacity needed for the integration of key competencies of lifelong learning into the development strategies of higher educational institutions in Azerbaijan. To achieve this objective, this project will establish ECDL testing centers, train the trainers, improve computer literacy level, localize international certification and will promote recognition of certification in wider audience.
From the last quarter of 2014 ITI joined two new EU projects. The goal for ERASMUS+ Cross-sector Strategic Partnershipproject “Introducing online collaboration methods and tools in education” (Online4EDU)is to design, develop and implement an up-to-date curriculum, training materials, blended learning environment and certification scheme for teachers and e-facilitators. Project consortium: Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association (LIKTA), Latvia (project co-ordinator); ECDL Foundation, Ireland; Information Technologies Institute (ITI), Lithuania; BCS Koolitus, Estonia; Stiftung Digitale Chancen (SDC), Germany.
Second project is supported by a grant from EEA Grants scheme from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Project “Augmented Reality for Technical Entrepreneurs” (ARTE) aims to create a common structure, curriculum and content for the “AR for Technical Entrepreneurs” interdisciplinary teaching module aimed at Science/Engineering/Business Higher Education stakeholders. Project partners: University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania (promoter); University of Akureyri, Iceland; Information Techologies Institute, Lithuania; Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bistrita Nasaud, Romania; MECB Ltd., Malta.
From November 2013 ITI is involved as a stakeholder in the National Digital Coalition for the Promotion of Digital Skills for Jobs in Lithuania (www.skaitmeninekoalicija.lt/en/).
ITI has strong experience in IT training/testing courseware design and development.