ACADEMIC MODELS OF EDUCATION SUPPORTED BY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Aldona Drabik, Lech Banachowski, Agnieszka Chądzyńska-Krasowska, Jerzy Paweł Nowacki Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology (POLAND) Abstract Information technology is successfully applied in education. The aim of this paper is to identify the main trends occurring in the academic level education especially concerning lifelong learning and integration of informal learning with formal learning. Keywords: E-learning, distance learning education, educational technology, lifelong learning, informal learning, e-learning systems in Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology. 1 INTRODUCTION It is crucial to use proper technologies to improve learning in the new contexts. Existing solutions need to be carefully assessed from the point of view of their potential in the academic level education. The present paper has the following main objectives: • To attempt to classify academic models of education which use information technology. • To identify models and techniques which can be used to support lifelong learning and continuous education at the tertiary level. The applied methodology consists in collecting experiences from different types of online courses conducted at our academy (e.g. [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]) and the analysis of results published by other researchers. The paper consists of three parts. The first part is the analysis of new education challenges. In the second part five education models which extensively use information technology tools are identified. Their essential properties are described from the point of view of new, non-standard education environments. The third part focuses on the needs of lifelong learning, and on the integration of informal and formal learning. 2 NEW EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES Universities accept students with varied levels of competence. That is especially true of second degree (graduate) programs, which attract graduates of different schools and different specializations, as well as those who resume higher education after a long break. There is a need to adjust details of the study programs to meet specific needs of students, so that they can cope better with course material, and reach the desired academic level. In order to facilitate the learning process it is necessary to tailor the material to the needs of students so as to assist them in catching up on the areas on which they need to work more to meet the academic requirements. Massive open online courses (MOOC) attract thousands of students. Teachers need assistance in performing tasks such as answering students’ questions, organizing repetition and consolidation of knowledge, generating and checking tests, home assignments and examinations. It is of prime importance for the society that all individuals seeking to further their education, irrespective of age, gender and social situation, find suitable study options. Lifelong learning should be personalized to cater for different situations and needs. Schools are increasingly involved in fulfilling their social mission of providing life-long education. Participants of such courses usually welcome individualization of the study program and online mode of delivery. Informal learning is gaining importance in the modern knowledge society. This type of learning should be supported by information techniques and integrated with formal education. Proceedings of EDULEARN17 Conference 3rd-5th July 2017, Barcelona, Spain ISBN: 978-84-697-3777-4 0804