Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051

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Telematics and Informatics Reports

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/teler

Application of the convergent education model in the development of a

smart learning environment
Mikhail Deev a,∗, Alexey Finogeev b
a
Deputy Head of Department of Programming and Administration of Educational Resources, Center for Multimedia Technologies and Online Learning, Penza State
University, Penza, Russia
b
Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor of CAD Department, Penza State University, Penza, Russia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Keywords: The article presents a scientific and practical approach to the development and implementation of the concept of
Convergence convergent learning in the framework of building an open educational platform to manage the process of training
Model specialists. The presented concept of convergence education is based on the integration of educational programs,
Actualizing
learning content, competency matrices, methods and technologies for training specialists and personalized learn-
Educational resources
ing trajectories in smart learning environment. To implement the model and the convergent approach, it is vital
Smart learning environment
to make use of an information and educational environment with mechanisms to support convergent learning
based on regional labor market analysis, actualizing of educational programs and resources, harmonization and
synchronization life-cycle models thereof, adaptive customization and personalization of specialist training tra-
jectories. The article presents the developed convergence model of educational programs and employer vacancies
as a weighted graph to illustrate the relationship between competence requirement vectors of educational pro-
grams and sought-after employment. To isolate the convergence model components and evaluate the convergence
degree thereof, a graph clustering algorithm based on the Louvain method has been developed. A method for
synthesizing a convergence model of educational content organized as a fuzzy weighted graph has been pre-
sented, and sets of topics and sections of electronic learning resources being its vertices. Search and extraction
of convergence educational content sections have been implemented by means of an algorithm for extracting
fuzzy isomorphic subgraphs, and assessing the convergence degree thereof. The results of the study are used
to synthesize an information and educational environment with intelligent mechanisms for supporting learning
processes based on an analysis of the requirements of labor markets and actualizing educational content and
training programs, as well as adaptive customization and personalization of specialist training trajectories. The
architecture of the educational environment includes a set of software and tools for managing the components of
the information space of the university with support for mobile, cloud and blended learning technologies.

1. Introduction
Technological advance in electronic, mobile, cloud, immersion, and
blended learning for specialists has become a trend in the development
of education in the context of digitalization and intellectualization of
every sphere of human life. Special attention has been paid to novel ap-
proaches concerning educational process modernization, and the con-
vergence education concept and model being the one.
A number of factors affecting modernization and development vec-
tors of education are as follows:
(a) availability of online information and educational resources,
(b) topic-oriented open network information interaction between
people and communities,
(c) user distribution and anonymity in the process of learning and
communication,
(d) availability of any consultations on educational programs in the
learning process,
(e) likelihood of hiring specialists to perform educational tasks (lab-
oratory and practical tasks, course projects, theses, etc.),
(f) potential of online learning, testing and certification of trainees,
(g) shifting the perspective of the educational process from exper-
imental learning on real physical objects and systems towards
learning through virtual and augmented reality experiences,
(h) shifting the emphasis in learning from the perception and mem-
orization of information through verbal stimuli (written mate-
rial) to the perception of information through nonverbal stimuli
(graphic and animated visualizations),

∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: miqz@yandex.ru (M. Deev).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.teler.2023.100051
Received 20 October 2022; Received in revised form 7 February 2023; Accepted 1 March 2023
2772-5030/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
(i) transition from paper-based learning to electronic learning re-
sources in the information and educational environment,
(j) use of information and telecommunication technologies in any
specialty training,
(k) intellectualization of the educational process through computer-
ization; the use of mobile and computer modeling technologies;
virtual, extended, and hypertext/hypermedia formats of educa-
tional material presentation, etc.
The global penetration of information and telecommunication tech-
nologies (digitalization) into every sphere of life, the introduction of
methods of distance and open education, and network access to infor-
mation and educational resources (ER) have necessitated computer sci-
ence disciplines to be studied by any specialist. Educational changes
stemming from digitalization have become a system-forming factor for
the emergence of digital transformation in education [27]. Digitaliza-
tion relates primarily to the provision of educational services; synthe-
sis of electronic learning resources (ELR); creation of an information
and educational environment; use of distance learning and certification
technologies; automation of educational, organizational and adminis-
trative activities in educational institutions; teacher-student interaction
technologies; ensuring information security of the educational process
subjects, etc.
It is the processes of digital transformation due to scientific and tech-
nological progress and the growing demand for intellectual professions
in modern society that necessitate introduction and elaboration of a con-
vergence education model based on the intersection and mutual effect
of pedagogical science and digital technologies. Thus, the convergence
processes in the educational environment are due to digitalization of ed-
ucation and other spheres of human life, taking into account the impact
of the above factors. Therefore, methodological and pedagogical foun-
dations for the development of a convergence approach in education are
based on the implementation of modern education patterns in terms of
digitalization and informatization [24].
Nowadays, from our point of view, practical aspects of developing
tools for implementing the concept of convergence education should
come to the forefront.
The model of convergent education involves the implementation of
three main processes:
(a) the process of modernization and actualizing of educational pro-
grams and resources in accordance with the requirements of the
modern labor market,
(b) the process of harmonization and synchronization of educational
programs and resources of different areas of training specialists,
(c) the process of adapting training methods and methods to the
changing requirements of state standards and employers, as well
as personalizing the trajectories of training and retraining of spe-
cialists in accordance with the specific requirements of enter-
prises.
The convergent educational model is based on the convergence (con-
vergence) of educational programs and competence matrices, electronic
educational resources, methods and technologies for training special-
ists, personalized learning trajectories. The implementation of the model
with the support of convergent processes is possible only in an intellec-
tual educational environment, the tools of which are designed to syn-
chronize the life cycles of educational components, adapt them and har-
monize them with the changing requirements of professional and edu-
cational standards, as well as employers in the regional labor markets.
Artificial intelligence technologies in such an environment are a mecha-
nism for adaptive management of educational processes in a convergent
model. The intelligent components of the environment support the pro-
cesses of managing the life cycles of educational programs and resources
with adaptation to the requirements of regional labor markets and the
conditions of the modern digital and innovative economy.
The introduction of artificial intelligence technologies in all spheres
of human life is a modern trend in the development of society. Therefore,
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Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
educational systems of the new generation also cannot be built without
the use of these technologies [1,17,22]. Intelligent components in the
educational environment are used for various purposes, for example,
to organize and support open and ubiquitous learning technologies, to
work with electronic educational content (EEC) on the Internet, which
includes a huge variety of available electronic learning resources (ELR),
for adaptive customization educational programs on the level of train-
ing of the student and the choice of personal learning trajectories, for
managing the educational process, etc.
In our project, intellectual components are primarily intended to be
used to implement a mechanism for proactive management of the pro-
cess of training in-demand specialists in the regional labor markets. The
main tasks of proactive management are the collection, consolidation
and intellectual analysis of the requirements for specialists from em-
ployers, predictive modeling of trends in their changes with a forecast
of the number of specialists of appropriate qualifications in the medium
and long term, the necessary actualizing of educational programs (EP)
and EEC, coordination and synchronization of their models. life cycles in
the course of adaptive customization and personalization of educational
trajectories.
In [2] presents the results of research in terms of developing the main
components of the intelligent educational environment (ILE), which is
being implemented at Penza State University.
The ILE computing ecosystem includes modular tools for collecting,
processing and intellectual analysis of big data (texts of vacancies of em-
ployers on the Internet), a learning process management system, an EEC
actualize and modernization system, modules for the synthesis and set-
tings of personalized learning trajectories, a system for actualizing, coor-
dinating and synchronizing educational programs, a system for assessing
the quality of training of specialists, an information security administra-
tion system, cloud storage and a number of auxiliary subsystems. The
power of the ecosystem varies due to horizontal scalability and the in-
tegration of autonomous modules, and the functionality is provided by
software agents. The basic components of ILE are:
1. Learning Management System (LMS).
2. EEC management and publication system.
3. Learning Activity Management System (LAMS).
4. A system for searching, collecting and intellectual analysis of em-
ployers’ requirements in open sources on the Internet.
5. System for administration and storage of personal information of
participants in the educational process and electronic educational
content in the cloud storage and a system for providing secure access.
6. Auxiliary modular tools to support the operation of the ILE compo-
nents.
Ecosystem components work with a large number of digitized edu-
cational programs and electronic educational resources, which are used
both to modernize training programs and educational content, and to
implement the educational process of Penza State University (Russia).
The tools for analyzing the requirements of employers ensure the re-
sponse of the educational system to the changing requirements of the
regional economy and represent an innovative mechanism for intensi-
fying the process of training in-demand specialists.
Smart technologies open up opportunities to improve the learning
process efficiency due to the following factors:
1. The use of mobile devices and web technologies for widespread ac-
cess to educational resources to be applied in an interactive mode;
2. The use of cloud storage for educational content hosting;
3. Monitoring the requirements of educational and professional stan-
dards, and employers in the regional labor markets on the possibility
of adaptive configuration and actualizing of educational programs,
resources and teaching methods;
4. Implementation of personalized learning technologies in senior
courses with the possibility of synthesizing educational trajectories,
taking into account the competence requirements of specific employ-
ers;
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
5. Development of self-learning techniques using distance technologies
and open educational resources, consultations and online testing;
6. The use of immersive learning technologies based on virtual and
augmented reality, etc.
Earlier in the course of research, a hierarchical structure of the con-
vergence model of education includes five levels depending on the scope
of application [7]:
(a) educational and technological level to synchronize learning tech-
nologies and teaching methods;
(b) educational and methodological level to synchronize educational
programs and educational and methodological content;
(c) professional level to synchronize competence models for diverse
professions;
(d) organizational level to synchronize educational process manage-
ment systems in a single information space;
(e) social cognition level to synchronize cognitive and social tech-
nologies in order to stimulate and motivate students for indepen-
dent learning in an open educational environment.
2. Theoretical review of convergence education research
Transition to convergence models of education has stemmed from
advances in science related to the introduction of informatization, intel-
lectualization and digitalization technologies in all aspects of life, pro-
viding both lots of opportunities and challenges to the educational sys-
tem.
Robert [25,26] presents positive and negative outcomes of digital
transformation in education. The author introduces the concept of an
axiological approach to the development of education during digital
transformation and considers the directions for the development of in-
formatization of education in these conditions.
Katalin and Karoly [18] present innovative methods based on digital
games and mobile technologies that are integrated into the traditional
educational environment and have both advantages and disadvantages
with regard to applicability in traditional education. The generation gap
between teachers and students due to the information revolution, chang-
ing curricula and the requirements of an innovative economy, has forced
the emergence of novel alternative approaches. The key learning factors
are the ability of students to read and comprehend, the tolerance for
completing tasks focusing on attention, concentration and motivation.
A new generation of students with virtual and mobile learning needs is
a challenge for the current educational system, forcing the introduction
of new effective methods and forms of education.
A programming tutoring system providing smart and interactive con-
tent, personalization options, adaptive features, and learning analytics
as a support for users engaged in learning complex cognitive skills is con-
sidered by Vesin et al. [29]. The study shows that students find adaptive
learning systems to be useful in monitoring progress, promoting reflec-
tive practices, and receiving feedback to better understand their actions
and learning strategies.
The US National Science Foundation defines convergence as the deep
integration of knowledge, techniques, and expertise from multiple fields
to form new and expanded frameworks for addressing scientific and so-
cietal challenges and opportunities. Some authors [28] show that the
so-called third revolution in medicine is primarily associated with the
convergence of life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, and en-
gineering. According to Dzau and Balatbat [12], it is vital to reimag-
ine population health in terms of convergence. The authors show that
progress in population health cannot depend on a single sector and re-
quires scientific understanding of education, social services, economic
development, environment, nutrition and food marketing, urban design,
and health. Success will depend on effective partnerships across sectors.
Universities and academic health science centers must create the cul-
ture, ecosystem, and incentives to bring relevant sectors together and
establish frameworks that integrate knowledge from many disciplines
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Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
to provide new mechanisms to incentivize convergence research in pop-
ulation health.
Convergence research progressing at a rapid clip, it engenders a num-
ber of challenges/opportunities to education. According to Herr et al.
[16], the National Science Foundation, the Organization for Economic
Co-operation and Development; the US National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine, etc. sponsored a workshop, with global par-
ticipation, to explore actions that would facilitate convergence in edu-
cation.
There are few publications devoted to the convergence of educa-
tional environment components in the Russian Federation as compared
to those abroad. At most, the research outcomes are aimed at solving
particular practical problems and the concept of convergence is consid-
ered in general theoretical conceptual terms. Moreover, the lack of a
unified definition of the convergence education concept emphasizes the
research relevance and importance in this area.
Robert [24] considers the factors that influence the development of
convergence education conditioned by the achievements, challenges,
and the risks of modern society. The theoretical and methodologi-
cal and scientific and pedagogical foundations for the formation and
development of convergence education based on the realization of
modern education features are substantiated and presented. These de-
termine the essential changes taking place therein, being partially
and spontaneously implemented but having neither positive scientific
outcome. The definition of convergence education is substantiated
and formulated from a scientific and pedagogical point of view. The
methodological, scientific and methodical, and pedagogical and tech-
nological bases for the development of convergence education, and
promising fundamental studies of its implementation are described and
proposed.
Overall, interdisciplinarity is considered to be a methodological ba-
sis of the convergent approach in education, and scientific and prac-
tical problems being solved at the intersection of various disciplines.
Interdisciplinarity is perceived in the form of overcoming barriers that
separate different sciences by object/subject/method. The convergence
educational model is defined as a synthesis of complex academic dis-
ciplines that combine scientific knowledge and technological achieve-
ments based on general development patterns of natural sciences, and
nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive
science (NBIC).
The convergence of educational systems is increasingly becoming
a necessity in many aspects of everyday life. General and vocational
education should endeavor for efficacious modalities of convergence
among traditionally distinct disciplines. The harmonization of EP based
on a system ideology blurs the barriers among traditionally distinct aca-
demic disciplines and professional fields. The convergence in education
is viewed [9,14,15] as a process of integrating different disciplines to
achieve innovative goals of training specialists in diverse subject areas.
Integration processes are a reality in the labor market, in professional
research and development organizations, and at university level. The
concept of differential convergence, comprising five major convergence
modalities for education to be implemented in any educational environ-
ment, is proposed. The modalities determined through theoretical and
practical criteria are characterized by:
(a) pluridisciplinarity results from the convergence among disci-
plines in often the same academic field with a complex of ER
peculiar to one discipline;
(b) multidisciplinarity results from the convergence among related
disciplines;
(c) cross-disciplinarity results from the integrative convergence of
a number of disciplines coming preferably from different fields
with a complex of similar ER peculiar to two or more disciplines
is used;
(d) interdisciplinarity results from the convergence of a complex of
ER peculiar to different disciplines and learning methods;
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
(e) transdisciplinarity results from the convergence of a complex of
ER peculiar to different disciplines within a single educational
space.
Having attempted to implement the model-based convergent ap-
proach in science education, the authors highlight its advantages and
single out tools for harmonizing different disciplines within the model.
The convergence of models is provided by the proposed system tools
and methods for the development of coordinated EP and the use of ed-
ucational materials.
3. Materials and methods for the convergence of educational
process
3.1. The concept of convergence process in education
The convergence process in education is defined primarily as the
convergence of educational programs, resources, social and cognitive
technologies used to train specialists in various subject areas. Cogni-
tive and social technologies represent a system of methods that enhance
cognitive abilities of students in solving practical problems.
The convergence of educational programs and teaching materials for
different specialties is ensured by the convergence of professional and
educational standards. For example, competencies in the field of infor-
mation, telecommunications and computing technologies are required
for various professions. The convergence of educational programs en-
tails transformation of work programs of academic disciplines, funds of
assessment tools, and educational and methodological content. For dif-
ferent specialties, Common sections and topics are added and similar
teaching methods and learning technologies are used. Thus, in terms
of educational process, the convergence method determines the conver-
gence of competence matrices, acquired knowledge, skills and abilities,
taking into account the needs of the real sector of the economy and
employer requirements.
According to state academic standards for higher education under-
graduate programs, both student universal and general professional
and professional competencies are formed. Professional competencies
are divided into mandatory and recommended ones and are based
on professional state standards according to labor market competen-
cies of graduates. Such requirements are synthesized on the basis of
generalization of professional experience and consultations with em-
ployers or associations thereof. Despite major efforts in the formation
of such competencies to prepare state educational standards, there is
a gap between fixed standard competencies and the current market
realities of the innovation economy. New competence requirements
evolve along with the advent of new materials, technologies, equipment,
etc.
Search for new employer requirements, and selection and analysis
of new competencies should proceed in the operational mode and affect
modernization and actualizing of educational programs in professional
training of specialists. Thus, in our opinion, state academic standards
should only specify universal and general professional competencies
rather than professional ones. The convergence education model con-
ceptualize professional competencies based on system search and analy-
sis of employer requirements in regional labor markets rather than being
selected from quickly outdated professional standards. Moreover, one
should take into account numerous factors affecting the required spe-
cialist competencies, e.g., the emergence of new technologies, devices
and materials, changes in labor functions, new specialties, and modern-
ization of old enterprises, etc. In fact, constant actualizing of competence
requirements in the regional labor markets is imperative. Obtaining ac-
tualized competencies leads to the actualizing of educational programs
and resources to determine their life cycles.
Thus, to develop a convergence model of education, a set of methods
for managing the life cycles of competence requirements, educational
programs and educational resources is needed. These are aimed at syn-
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Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
chronizing and harmonizing the convergence processes, actualizing and
personalizing professional training for specialist and master programs.
There is a convergence of the required knowledge, skills and abilities
acquired by specialists within their own skill levels during the life cycle
of competence requirements of educational standards and employers. An
analysis of multiple federal state educational standards (FSES) has con-
firmed the convergence of educational programs (EP) due to the annual
growth in the number of similar competencies. Recently, the life cycle
of employer competency requirements has had an increasing impact on
the convergence and actualizing of the educational program during its
life cycle. As part of the convergent approach, the program is actualized
in accordance with the fixed changes in the employer competence re-
quirements, including knowledge and skills. Besides, EP actualizing is
influenced by:
(1) advent of new technologies, materials, equipment, etc.,
(2) emergence of new industries and enterprises and disappearance
of obsolete ones,
(3) origin of new professions and jobs and disappearance of odd ones,
(4) specialist oversupply or shortage in particular regional industries,
(5) identified shortcomings and flaws of existing educational pro-
grams in relation to regional features, etc.
To obtain the required competencies, specialists often have to mas-
ter additional educational programs within their own/related/ differ-
ent specialties. For example, a therapist has to master information and
telecommunication competencies for remote patient monitoring. Evi-
dently, additional programs should be synchronized and coordinated
with those of the basic specialty, and adjusted taking into account the
level of special training and the requirements of employers. To synchro-
nize and harmonize such educational programs, the following method-
ology [4,6] has been implemented (Fig. 1).
3.2. A graph model for the convergence of educational programs and
employer vacancies
The convergence model highlights the relationship between learn-
ing programs offered by educational institutions and the existing em-
ployer needs for regional labor market specialists. To identify relation-
ships and determine opportunities for training in-demand specialists,
tools for online vacancy search and analysis have been developed to
actualize and personalize educational programs [10]. Search robots are
used to deal with job search sites, labor exchanges, firms and companies,
bulletin boards, job databases, relevant groups in social networks and
instant messengers, job search forums, etc. Labeled geospatial data on
employer requirements and specialist competencies are extracted from
various sources and stored. To synthesize a convergence model, infor-
mation on the required competencies is extracted from the description of
vacancies, being converted into keyword vector models [11]. The vector
model represents competencies via a group of semantically related key-
words. Deev et al. [4] consider a method for synthesizing vector mod-
els based on the modified Word2Vec algorithm with the calculation of
a sampling logistic loss function during predicting and optimizing the
learning model. Time and geospatial labels are used to set geographi-
cal area and time frame for selecting vacancies to be analyzed during
vector representation formation. The selected geographic area is related
to the distribution of competencies of regional sought-after specialists
and allows either determining educational programs of regional educa-
tional institutions that meet employer requirements, or confirming the
lack thereof. An analysis of time frame is vital to assess the feasibility of
creating new or adapting existing EP and resources in the selected re-
gion or training specialists in neighboring regions, taking into account
the forecasting needs for specialists in the regional labor market.
The developed method and tools are used to extract data on com-
petencies from educational programs posted on the websites of regional
educational institutions. Ready-made competencies are presented in the
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
Fig. 1. Methodology for synchronization and coordination of educational programs.
educational and work programs of the studied disciplines, which are rec-
ommended by FSES. However, in contrast to the competencies presented
in employer vacancies, the analysis has evidenced that most competen-
cies have a generalized and non-specified nature or do not fully corre-
spond to the content of the program. Therefore, for the completeness of
the vector model of EP competencies, the procedure for analyzing the
content of work programs of the disciplines in the EP framework and
extracting keywords has been implemented.
Further, the relationship between the word vectors obtained from
the competence requirements of educational programs and vacancies of
sought-after specialists can be represented as a weighted graph with two
subgraphs G = (V1 , V2 , E), where: V1 is a set of vertices that represent
the word vectors of EP competence requirements; V2 are word vectors of
employers; 𝐸 = {< 𝜇(𝑣𝑖 , 𝑣𝑗 )∕(𝑣𝑖 , 𝑣𝑗 ) >} is a set of edges with 𝜇 ∈ [0.5; 1]
weights (Fig. 2).
When synthesizing the graph, the edges with weights less than 0.5
are excluded, since at the initial stage we do not regard educational
programs that train specialists with low-demand competencies in the
selected region. However, these programs may be in demand either dur-
ing a new search, while selecting vacancies for another region, or de-
veloping a new EP. Edge weights represent a normalized estimate of the
convergence degree of keyword vectors obtained from competency re-
quirements. The subset of V1 subgraph vertices is formed by extracting
competency descriptions from EP and professional standards, and sets of
keywords from the content of topics and sections of EP work programs
of the disciplines. It is urgent, since the descriptions of competencies
being added to EP are taken from federal state standards without spec-
ification. As for labor market vacancies, the required competencies are
commonly described in more detail and explicitly, which does not allow
establishing the necessary correspondence between the generalized EP
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Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
competencies and the competencies of a sought-after specialist. How-
ever, this can be achieved by analyzing the content of work programs
and specifying knowledge, skills and abilities acquired by specialists at
an educational institution.
To synthesize a convergence model of the educational process, it is
necessary to transform the graph in order to highlight similar (conver-
gent) educational programs and similar vacancies in the regional labor
market. It is important to establish and evaluate the relationship be-
tween the proposed educational institutions and the required vacancies.
Further, in the case of strong ties, one should move on to recommen-
dations for choosing an existing educational program, selecting educa-
tional resources and synthesizing a personalized trajectory for training
sought-after specialists. In the absence of a regional EP, it is vital either
to expand the search area for educational institutions that can prepare
a specialist for the required vacancy, or proceed to the development of
a new additional EP in accordance with employer requirements.
To achieve the goal at the first stage, it is necessary to execute the
graph clustering algorithm. According to the problem, a graph repre-
sented as an adjacency matrix, with elements being edge weights, will
be considered as the input and output data. A similarity criterion, a
metric space, and a metric function for each pair of graph vertices are
specified for vertex clustering.
The graph clustering algorithm represents the function 𝐹 ∶ 𝑉 → 𝑉 ′ ,
which associates the vertices of subgraphs V1i and V2i with the clusters
V’1 and V’2 . The edge weights 𝜇 will be considered as the distance metric
between vertices. The clustering result is the graph G’ = (V’1 , V’2 , E’),
where V’1 and V’2 are cluster subsets of EP competency and employer
competency vectors connected by edges E’ with integral weights 𝜇 ′ .
From a mathematical point of view, the vertices that are combined into
a cluster should have a minimum average intra-cluster and a maximum
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
inter-cluster distance. In our case, since vertices with the highest de-
gree of similarity of keyword vectors are combined into a cluster, the
procedure for minimizing/maximizing distances consists in choosing the
threshold value of μ weight for the edge ei . Wherein, edges with a weight
greater than the threshold value will unite the vertices of the same clus-
ter. Overall, vertices can simultaneously belong to several clusters, since
different educational programs can have similar competency vectors.
The algorithm is based on determination and optimization of the
vertex-clustering modularity coefficient. The modularity coefficient in
the original algorithm is the density of edges within a cluster in the
range of [-1,1] versus the number of inter-cluster edges. In fact, modu-
larity is the sum of weights of edges incident to a vertex within a cluster
minus the sum of the weights of the vertex edges associated with ver-
tices in other clusters. In our case, when determining the modularity
coefficient, only the weights of edges greater than the specified thresh-
old value are taken into account. Edges with lesser weights are not con-
sidered for clustering. In this case, the threshold value is selected itera-
tively, depending on the size of clusters. Initially, the value 0.75 is set
and, provided a larger number of degenerate clusters (those with one
vertex) being obtained, the threshold is reduced by 0.05. Conversely, if
all vertices are grouped into one cluster, then the threshold is increased
by 0.05, and the clustering process is repeated. The algorithm ends when
the optimal number of non-degenerate clusters is determined.
The modularity coefficient is calculated as:
[ ∑ ∑ ]
1 ∑ 𝜇𝑒 𝑖 𝜇𝑒 𝑗 ( )
𝑀= 𝜇𝑖,𝑗 − 𝛿 𝑐𝑖 , 𝑐𝑗 , (1)
2𝑟 𝑖,𝑗 2𝑟
where M is modularity; r is the sum of weights of subgraph edges (r >
p) having greater weights than a given threshold p; 𝜇𝑖,𝑗 is the weight of
the edge between vertices i and j combining into the cluster (𝜇𝑖,𝑗 > 𝑝);
𝜇𝑒𝑖 and 𝜇𝑒𝑗 are the weights of ei and ej edges incident to i and j vertices
(𝜇𝑒𝑖 > 𝑝, 𝜇𝑒𝑗 > 𝑝); 𝑐𝑖 , 𝑐𝑗 are clusters with i and j vertices; 𝛿(𝑐𝑖 , 𝑐𝑗 ) is the
Kronecker delta, being an indicator of cluster equality (if ci = cj , then
𝛿(𝑐𝑖 , 𝑐𝑗 ) = 1; otherwise, it is equal to 0).
The modularity coefficient for an individual cluster is defined as:
∑𝑛 𝑐
( ∑𝑘 𝑐 𝑜
)2
𝑖=1 𝜇𝑖 𝑖=1 (𝜇𝑖 + 𝜇𝑖 )
𝑀𝑐 = − ,
2𝑟 2𝑟
where Mc is the cluster modularity; 𝜇𝑖𝑐 is the weight of an inter-cluster
edge greater than the threshold (μ > p); 𝜇𝑖𝑜 is the weight of an intra-
cluster edge greater than the threshold (μ > p); n is the number of inter-
cluster edges; k is the total number of edges incident to all cluster ver-
tices.
Here are the key stages of the algorithm.
1. At the first stage, the search for minimum local clusters with the
optimal modularity function value is performed. Each vertex is as-
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
Fig. 2. Weighted word vector graph.
signed the number of its cluster, and the modularity of clusters is
calculated.
2. An arbitrary cluster with the vertex moving in turn to each neigh-
boring cluster is chosen. The modified modularity coefficient ΔM is
calculated before and after vertex displacement. The cluster having
the largest modularity change 𝑚𝑎𝑥 Δ𝑀 > 0 with the fixed displaced
vertex is selected. If none of displacements increases the modularity,
then the vertex remains in the same cluster. This stage is repeated
until the coefficient changes remain unchanged.
3. A graph with clusters is transformed into a multigraph. The vertices
of clusters are combined into one vertex with the transformation of
edges between thereof into loops, and the multiple edges between
the resulting vertices are replaced by one edge. The new weights
of loops and edges are recalculated as the arithmetic mean of the
weights of the former edges.
4. Stages 2 and 3 are repeated until the optimal value of modu-
larity coefficient is reached (when neither change in modularity
occur).
In our case, the Louvain algorithm is used as an optimization function
to determine the convergence of competence matrices of educational
programs and employers in regional labor markets. The mathematical
procedure for combining graph vertices demonstrates the convergence
process of educational programs of different specialties and existing va-
cancies in the labor markets, which allows quickly monitoring the list of
popular professions and qualifications of specialists. Wherein, the num-
ber of clusters of EP competence vectors and vacancy competence vec-
tors is not strictly determined in advance and can change during the
clustering process. In our case, the restrictions are the values of edge
weights, which can be varied, thereby changing the number of conver-
gent EP and employer vacancies.
3.3. Proactive management of the convergent model of the educational
process
In the process of research, ILE software and tools are being devel-
oped and implemented to implement the mechanism of proactive man-
(2)
agement of the convergent model of education. The complex of intellec-
tual tools is intended for the analysis and selection of educational pro-
grams and electronic educational resources of educational institutions
in the selected geographical area (region) for the training of specialists
of the appropriate qualification, as well as for assessing the degree of
convergence of competencies formed at the university with a matrix of
competence requirements of a sought-after specialist, which is synthe-
sized based on the results collection and analysis of the requirements of
employers in the regional labor markets. Here are the structure of the
toolkit (Fig. 3):
6
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
Fig. 4. Stages of proactive management of the convergent model of the educational process.
Intellectual means are necessary for solving problems:
• graph clustering in order to identify similar (convergent) compe-
tency requirements of employers and competencies formed in the
process of training for specific educational programs,
• synthesis of a formalized matrix of competence requirements of a
sought-after specialist in the region based on the analysis of vacan-
cies in the labor market, the requirements of professional and edu-
cational standards,
• automated formation of a set of actualized EPs for specific special-
ties in demand in the region, which correspond to a given integral
assessment of the degree of convergence with the competency matrix
of a sought-after specialist,
• automated generation of a set of actualized ELRs selected for actual
EPs with an acceptable estimate of the degree of convergence with
the competency matrix of a sought-after specialist.
The listed tasks are solved in the methodology of proactive manage-
ment of the convergent model of education, which includes the steps
(Fig. 4):
1. Analysis of competence requirements taken from educational and
professional standards for the chosen specialty. Transformation of
textual descriptions of competencies into a vector model of words
and the formation of a formalized competency matrix.
7
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
Fig. 3. The structure of intellectual tools for
the convergent model of education.
2. Setting/expanding the geographical area of the region under study
for the selection of educational programs offered by educational in-
stitutions, search and collection of vacancies for the required spe-
cialists.
3. EP analysis offered by educational institutions in a given area, ex-
traction of descriptions of competencies (knowledge, skills and abil-
ities), transformation into a vector model of keywords and synthesis
of a formalized competence matrix of a trained specialist.
4. Collection and analysis of vacancies of specialists offered by employ-
ers in a given area, and extraction of descriptions of competencies
(knowledge, skills and abilities) from vacancy texts. Transformation
of descriptions into a vector model of keywords and synthesis of a
formalized competence matrix of a sought-after specialist.
5. Synthesis of a weighted competency graph. Keyword vectors are pre-
sented as graph vertices, and edges simulate strong ties between ver-
tices. The degree of keyword coincidences in competency vectors is
at least 50% with the calculation of weights (the normalized degree
of convergence of word vectors is in the range from 0.5 up to 1).
This operation allows reducing the dimension of graph.
6. Identification of two subsets of vertices in the graph: the subgraph
of vertices of EP competency vectors and the subgraph of vertices
of employer competency vectors. Clustering of vertices in each sub-
graph is carried out by the modified Louvain method. In our case,
modularity characterizes the total density of edges within the clus-
ter, and the density of edges describes a given maximum weight. As
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
a result, sets of clusters of the most convergent EP in educational
institutions (according to the proposed competencies) and conver-
gent demanded specialties for employers (according to the required
competencies) are formed.
7. Graph consolidation by: a) combination of cluster vertices and edges
between the joined vertices in each of the two subgraphs (cluster
replacement with a new subgraph vertex); b) exclusion of edges be-
tween the vertices of each subgraph. Calculation of weights of re-
maining edges between the vertices of two subgraphs in the form
of integral estimates of convergence degrees (weights of connected
edges) between the clusters of vectors of EP competencies and those
of employer competencies. Ranking and selection of pairs of ver-
tices from two subgraphs according to a given convergence degree.
Checking for the determined estimate correlation with the required
one. If it does, pass to the selection and formation of a convergent
set of educational resources for training a specialist (Step 8); other-
wise, return to Step 2 with the expansion of the geographical area
and the selection of other educational institutions with EP that cor-
respond to the required vacancies. If there are no institutions with
the required EP, then a new EP synthesis is required, correspond-
ing to the obtained competence matrix of the sought-after specialist
(Step 6).
8. Consolidation of EP that fell into one cluster through the integration
of disciplines, topics and sections of work programs and the synthesis
of a consolidated competency matrix (EP convergence process) that
best meets the competency requirements of a sought-after specialist
in the selected region.
9. Consolidation of available educational resources (content) and tech-
nologies for the synthesized EP with an assessment of their conver-
gence degree according to the developed methodology [5]. In the
absence of the necessary resources, it is required to search or de-
velop educational content and technology.
3.4. Synthesis of convergent educational content for EP
ELR and learning technologies are the main element of the develop-
ment of EP in the intellectual educational environment. Each ELR goes
through a life cycle of development, design, operation, evolution, and
obsolescence. ELR includes educational and methodological material in
electronic form, many virtual laboratories and simulators, etc. When de-
veloping and actualizing all types of ELR, all competency requirements
should be taken into account, therefore, the life cycle of competency
requirements matrices, EP and ELR are connected.
A set of ELRs that are selected or created by teachers and used by
students to form the necessary competencies within the framework of
their chosen educational program form its electronic educational con-
tent (EEC), which is directly interconnected with the specialist’s compe-
tence matrix. Therefore, when actualizing EP according to the synthe-
sized competence matrix of a sought-after specialist, it is important to
implement an automated EEC actualize process.
The initial data for EEC selection and consolidation within the con-
vergence education program are as follows:
- information about the content of consolidated (convergent) EP,
- electronic learning resources and pursuant to EP available method-
ological materials integrated into the convergent EP,
- consolidated competence matrix of a sought-after specialist,
- content and functional requirements for EEC that affect its synthesis
and operation,
- funds of assessment tools for evaluating the EEC effectiveness while
mastering competencies of a sought-after specialist, being the basis
for making decisions on actualizing and modernization of its content,
- learning technologies (methods, techniques, technical and software
learning tools, including virtual and augmented reality tools and
technologies) based on the chosen EEC available at the educational
institution.
8
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
The output data are synthesized EEC and proven technologies for
working with electronic learning resources, updated funds of assessment
tools, support and content management tools.
Having been designed, developed, tested, verified and published, the
content is used in specific EP. While actualizing competency matrices
and EP, content synchronization and coordination is carried out accord-
ing to the following scheme [3] (Fig. 5):
At the first stage of the formation of the EEC, teachers create sets
of electronic educational resources available for learning in accordance
with the work programs of the disciplines they teach. It also searches
the Internet for new ELRs. The selected resources are checked for
complete or semantic identity of their parts. To automate the process
at this step, the Antiplagiarism system is used, which helps to find
a set of ELRs with identical text fragments on the Internet and col-
lect a set of open resources for learning. Paid and closed resources
are excluded from further consideration. This step makes it possible
to exclude duplicate fragments of texts in the future when synthe-
sizing the consolidated EEC. ELRs with duplicates removed are sent
to the module for analyzing and determining the semantic correspon-
dence of ELR fragments. To solve this problem, a method for cluster-
ing fuzzy isomorphic subgraphs in a graph model of word vectors is
proposed.
The convergent model of each ELR can be represented as a fuzzy
weighted graph in which the vertices are sets of keyword vectors. Dif-
ferent ELRs issued for the same specialty often have components with
identical or similar content. The degree of similarity of parts is given by
fuzzy coefficients, and the sets of related similar vectors of words can
be represented as fuzzy isomorphic subgraphs. In fact, the EEC isomor-
phism shows the identity of the parts included in it ELR. At the same
time, the same ELRs can be studied in different disciplines of the same
specialties and in the same disciplines of different specialties in educa-
tional institutions. The analysis showed that texts similar in context may
differ from each other.
It is advisable to represent them as vertices connected by edges with
weights in the form of a fuzzy membership function in the range [0,1],
which reflects the degree of similarity of the fragments. In this case,
completely identical fragments have a degenerate membership function
equal to 1.
Since completely identical or partially identical fragments of the ELR
should be further combined, then the problem of identifying fuzzy iso-
morphic subgraphs should also be reduced to the problem of graph clus-
tering by the Louvain method, as with identifying clusters of compe-
tence requirements. To reduce dimensionality, edges with weights less
than 0.5 are excluded from the graph model, i.e. fragments with a de-
gree of similarity of less than 50% are not identical. The algorithm runs
as follows: similar fragments are located in one cluster, changes in the
modularity coefficients are calculated, and the maximum changes being
selected, and further combined. While selecting isomorphic subgraphs,
the procedure for synthesizing a new EEC is performed simultaneously
with the integration of similar fragments and the assessment of conver-
gence degree of educational resources. Thus, determination of fuzzy iso-
morphic subgraphs or clusters of similar ELR fragments is a formalized
synthesis converged into a unified EEC in the information and educa-
tional environment.
4. Results
In the course of the scientific study, sets of educational programs,
resources and content were analyzed. Based on the developed models,
methods and techniques, an intellectual analysis and audit of the EP
and ELR used were carried out in order to determine the degree of con-
vergence and actualizing. When introducing the components of a smart
educational environment into the educational process of the university,
analytical data were obtained based on the study of big data related to
the educational process, including data on the convergent use of differ-
ent academic disciplines, programs and resources.
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
At the first stage, data on the possibility of applying academic dis-
ciplines in different subject areas were analyzed. Table 1 provides an
example of the general data collected.
In total, it was analyzed: disciplines - 42085, EP - 847. A box plot was
constructed, which shows the distribution of the degrees of convergence
of disciplines (Fig. 6). It should be noted that most disciplines have a low
ability to be applied in several scientific fields.
9
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
Fig. 5. Schematic for EP and EEC consolida-
tion and coordination.
The statistics of the box plot are presented in Table 2.
Based on the obtained values, pie charts were constructed that
describe the distribution of disciplines by number and different
subject areas (Figs. 7 and 8). General non-core disciplines taught
in the initial training courses have a great potential for con-
vergence. The use of a convergent approach will, in their case,
significantly reduce the burden on the teacher in preparing ed-
M. Deev and A. Finogeev Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051

Table 1
Data on convergent disciplines.

Name of discipline Degree of convergence Subject area of the discipline

Foreign language (English) 0,558 Humanitarian field of knowledge

Foreign language (German) 0,429 Humanitarian field of knowledge
Life safety 0,396 Technical field of knowledge
Philosophy 0,278 Humanitarian field of knowledge
Physical Culture 0,257 General scientific area
Jurisprudence 0,248 Humanitarian field of knowledge
Economy 0,227 Economic field of knowledge
Mathematics 0,215 Natural science field of knowledge
Modern information technologies 0,215 Technical field of knowledge

Table 2
Box plot statistics.

Characteristic name Value

Upper whisker 0.07

3rd quartile 0.04
Median 0.02
1st quartile 0.01
Lower whisker 0.01
Nr. of data points 478.00
Mean 0.04

Fig. 6. Box plot.

ucational material and reduce costs in organizing training for
students.
The analysis showed that out of 41% of the disciplines have a con-
vergent possibility of application in different areas (Fig. 9). Note that
disciplines were taken into account that showed the degree of conver-
gence above the value of 0.01 (in practice, this means the minimum
possible convergence in application in ten different EP).
A study of discipline-related EP was carried out in order to identify
convergent components for use in the educational process in various ar-
eas, specialties and topics. The analysis used disciplines with the highest
degree of convergence. The results obtained are presented in Table 3.
For identification, the average found number of convergent disciplines
in EP (more than 30%) was used.

Fig. 7. Distribution of found convergent disciplines.

10
M. Deev and A. Finogeev Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051

Fig. 8. Distribution of found convergent disciplines by fields of knowledge.

Fig. 9. Distribution of disciplines according to the prop-

erty of convergence.

11
M. Deev and A. Finogeev Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051

Fig. 10. Distribution of disciplines according to the property of convergence.

Table 3 Table 5
Data on the distribution of disciplines. Data on extracted fuzzy isomorphic parts of educational content.

Subject area of EP Number of convergent disciplines Number of selected fuzzy isomorphic

Branch of science parts for educational content
Humanitarian field of knowledge 4557
Natural science field of knowledge 2700 Humanitarian field of knowledge 70
Medical field of knowledge 433 Natural science field of knowledge 40
Technical field of knowledge 3005 Medical field of knowledge 15
Economic field of knowledge 852 General scientific area 44
Technical field of knowledge 85
Economic field of knowledge 14
Table 4
Data on the converged ELR.

Branch of science
Humanitarian field of knowledge
Natural science field of knowledge
Medical field of knowledge
General scientific area
Technical field of knowledge
Economic field of knowledge
Number of converged ELR The analysis was performed on a control sample from the presented
1695 scientific fields. The visualization shows the distribution of the obtained
1274 results of the algorithm with respect to subject areas (Fig. 12).
452 The results obtained indicate the correctness of the application of the
1215
developed models, methods and algorithms for supporting convergence
3783
700 and actualizing the educational components of a smart educational en-
vironment in the context of digitalization of education and the rapidly
changing conditions of the 4th industrial revolution.

Based on the data obtained, an analysis of educational programs was

carried out and the distribution in various subject areas and sciences was
determined (Fig. 10).
When analyzing convergent disciplines, we also searched and col-
lected data on electronic educational resources, the use of which is pos-
sible in related fields. The number of analyzed ELR is 9119. Based on
the proposed models and methods, information was collected on the
available ELR, provided in Table 4.
The collected data on convergent ELR sets are used in the generation
of EP in order to most fully integrate and synchronize and actualize
educational programs and content, their distribution by scientific fields
was analyzed (Fig. 11).
Part of the ELR sets were analyzed using the developed algorithm
based on the selection of fuzzy isomorphic parts. The results of the anal-
ysis are presented in Table 5.
5. Discussion
In the process of analyzing the results of research on the development
and implementation of the model of convergent education, the follow-
ing conclusions can be drawn. Basically, researchers consider the pro-
cess of convergence in education in philosophical and conceptual terms,
but there is also a part of the research aimed at the practical aspects
of the implementation of the convergent approach, as is done in our
case.
For example, in [23] the authors propose a theoretical conceptual-
ization of the approach to learning through a convergent model that
combines the common characteristics of the nature of knowledge and
the nature of research practice of each of the four disciplines of STEM
(science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

12
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
Fig. 11. Number of convergent educational resources by field of science.
In practical terms, the convergent approach is considered for: a) in-
tegration of several educational programs of different content in the
preparation of a versatile specialist, b) synthesis of comprehensive train-
ing programs that combine the content of two or more disciplines within
the framework of new specialties, c) creation of an educational environ-
ment for the implementation of convergent training programs.
An example of the first direction is the research carried out by the
authors of [19]. The goal was to study the prerequisites for ensuring
the convergence of professions by integrating several programs in the
process of continuing education for people with disabilities. As a result,
it was proved that the value of mastering several convergent qualifica-
tions is very important in the comprehensive support of the process of
lifelong learning.
As an example of the second practical application of the convergent
model, we note the work of [21]. Here are the results of the analysis
of the effectiveness of the synthesized complex convergent educational
program for the study of artificial intelligence technologies. For this, a
comprehensive educational program was developed to study machine
learning methods for school students. The authors proved the depen-
dence of the effectiveness of convergent learning on the attitude to arti-
ficial intelligence technology, the presence of scientific preferences and
"technical literacy".
The third direction is connected with the application of the concept
of convergence for the synthesis of a research or educational environ-
ment. In [30] examines the practical issues of convergence across multi-
ple disciplines to create a research environment in health research that
is necessary to establish close links between academic scientists, med-
ical practitioners, and industry experts in the development of software
and data science.
Another example in the field of creating a convergent educational
environment is the research in [20] associated with the creation of a
convergent operating model in the form of an educational system of
four universities through the integration of their areas of specialization
in the undergraduate system.
13
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
The results of our research also relate to the third aspect of the con-
vergent approach. In [2], the authors note that educational institutions
are faced with a lack of methodological guidelines and practical tech-
nologies for developing the concept of convergent education. There are
practically no strategies for solving emerging problems in the transition
to a convergent model, and there are no unified mechanisms to support
research in the field of convergence in education. There are also no com-
prehensive solutions in the form of a software and instrumental system
to ensure the functioning of the convergent model of the educational
process. The results of our research are intended to solve this problem,
since the main goal is to create an intellectual educational environment
and its complex of instrumental modules as part of its computing ecosys-
tem to implement the functionality of proactive control of convergent
processes.
The methods and tools of proactive management discussed in this
article are a logical continuation of research on the creation and devel-
opment of an intellectual educational environment. A number of compo-
nents of the intellectual educational environment and computing ecosys-
tem to support its functioning were developed and implemented to sup-
port convergent learning processes in the educational space of Penza
State University. In [13,8] shows the results of research on the project
of creating a typical intellectual educational environment of the univer-
sity.
As part of research at the present stage, new scientific results have
been obtained, which have made it possible to expand the scope of tools
and implement the mechanism of proactive control of convergent pro-
cesses in an intellectual educational environment. In particular, the new
advantages of the developed approach are the possibility of automated
problem solving:
• a comparative analysis of the competence requirements of employ-
ers, extracted from published vacancies on the Internet and com-
petencies formed in the process of training in specific educational
programs,
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
• synthesis of a matrix of competency requirements of a sought-after
specialist in the regional labor market in the process of consolidating
information from the vacancies found, professional and educational
standards,
• formation of a set of actualized EPs for specific specialties in demand
in the region,
• formation of a set of consolidated ELRs selected for actualized EPs
with the required degree of convergence with the competency matrix
of a sought-after specialist.
The developed models and methods can be evaluated in terms of the
following criteria:
1. Relevance and applicability for the subject area. The studies have ev-
idenced significance and relevancy of convergence education model
using the developed models and methods for the analysis of com-
petency matrices of educational programs and employers and the
synthesis of actualized training programs for specialists and consol-
idated educational content, based on solving problems of clustering
weighted fuzzy graphs.
2. Practical implementation. The developed methods can be imple-
mented using Python programming language with developed related
libraries containing functional modules for clustering and selecting
isomorphic subgraphs.
3. Efficiency of the proposed clustering method. The advantages of the
developed method are dimensionality reduction due to the prelim-
inary exclusion of edges showing a ‘weak’ relationship of vertices
and clustering of vertices with only ‘strong’ ties and weights greater
14
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
Fig. 12. Extraction of fuzzy isomorphic parts
in relation to the educational content of differ-
ent areas of training.
than the threshold value. Wherein, the latter can dynamically change
depending on clustering results. Moreover, the proposed method re-
quires neither specification of the number of clusters at the initial
stage.
4. Clustering quality and selection of isomorphic subgraphs. The qual-
ity of the resulting clusters and subgraphs is evaluated for the accu-
racy and reliability of assigning vertices to the corresponding frag-
ments. Quality assessment has been conducted on a test model of
the electronic learning space at Penza State University (Penza, Rus-
sia). It has been synthesized from 47 educational programs, includ-
ing 327 work programs and 2,389 vacancies in the Penza region. The
results of identifying similar components from 79 electronic learn-
ing resources used to train specialists in computing specialties were
evaluated by domain experts and showed their compliance with the
content.
5. Performance. The presented algorithms are efficient with computa-
tional complexity at best О(n) cost and at worst order complexity
O(mlog(n)), where n is the number of vertices, and m is the number
of edges in the graph. Combining clusters with a minimum number
of vertices even with a non-optimal modularity coefficient is a limi-
tation of the algorithm.
6. Conclusion
The model of convergent education in our project means support for:
(a) the process of actualizating educational programs and resources
in accordance with the requirements of the regional labor market,
M. Deev and A. Finogeev
(b) the process of harmonization and synchronization of educational
programs and resources for different areas of training of special-
ists,
(c) the process of adapting teaching methods to the requirements of
state standards and employers, personalizing the trajectories of
training specialists.
The implementation of the convergent model of education, in our
opinion, is possible only in an intellectual educational environment,
the tools of which are designed to synchronize educational components,
harmonize with the requirements of professional and educational stan-
dards, as well as employers in the regional labor markets. The article
deals with the development of methods for proactive management of
the model of convergent education.
The main goal and result of the research is the synthesis of methods
and tools of the intellectual educational environment for the proactive
management of the model of convergent education. The main tasks of
proactive management are the collection, consolidation and intellectual
analysis of requirements for specialists from employers, predictive mod-
eling of trends in their changes with a forecast of the number of special-
ists of the corresponding qualification in the medium and long term,
actualizing EP and EEC, harmonization and synchronization of life cy-
cle models during adaptive tuning and personalization of educational
trajectories.
In the course of research, tools are created that solve the prob-
lems of actualizing EP and ELP, harmonizing and synchronizing their
life cycles, personalizing the learning process, analyzing employers’ re-
quirements and predicting changes in regional labor markets. Mod-
ular tools have been developed and implemented for a number of
years in the educational process of the Penza State University (Penza,
Russia).
The main result obtained at this stage is the development of a
methodology for proactive management of the convergent model of the
educational process. knot The main results of research at this stage are
the development of new methods for solving problems:
• clustering graphs of word vectors in order to identify similar com-
petence requirements of employers and competencies formed in the
process of training in educational programs of a higher educational
institution in the region,
• synthesis of a matrix of competence requirements of a sought-after
specialist in the region based on the analysis of vacancies in the labor
market, the requirements of professional and educational standards,
• automated formation of a set of actualized EPs for specific special-
ties in demand in the region, which correspond to a given integral
assessment of the degree of convergence with the competency matrix
of a sought-after specialist,
• automated generation of a set of actualized ELRs selected for actual
EPs with an acceptable estimate of the degree of convergence with
the competency matrix of a sought-after specialist.
An approach to the synthesis of mechanisms for managing conver-
gence processes in open educational environments has been developed.
To collect and consolidate the initial data, a method for monitoring re-
gional labor markets and educational services has been implemented.
Regional labor market monitoring is premised on the automated data
collection and consolidation on regional vacancies, and data extraction
on sought-after competencies of specialists. Technologies for intellectual
analysis of the obtained data to model changes in the required com-
petencies in order to actualize and synchronize educational programs
and resources and to adapt personalized training trajectories for spe-
cialists have been applied. Personalized learning in a convergent ed-
ucational environment minimizes risks of training useless specialists
or poor-quality professional preparation for the regional labor mar-
ket. The environment and management components are used to sup-
port digital transformation of the educational process at Penza State
University.
15
Telematics and Informatics Reports 10 (2023) 100051
Availability of data and material
Not applicable.
Declaration of Competing Interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Funding
The research results were obtained with the financial support of the
Russian Science Foundation (RSF) and the Penza region (projects No.
22-21-20100).
Authors’ contributions
All coauthors contributed significantly to the research and this pa-
per, and the lead author is the main contributor. All authors read and
approved the final manuscript.
Ethics approval and consent to participate
Not applicable.
Data availability
No data was used for the research described in the article.
Acknowledgements
There are no acknowledgements to this paper.
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