Internet and Education

The Internet has become an increasingly important feature of the learning environment for teenagers. Research by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November and December 2000 shows that teens use the Internet as an essential study aid outside the classroom and that the Internet increasingly has a place inside the classroom. The Project surveyed 754 online youth ages 12-17 and their parents. Teens and parents report that Internet is vital to completing school projects and has effectively replaced the library for a large number of online youth. 71% of students report using the Internet at their primary source for their last major project, and they also report accessing online study aids like Sparknotes or CliffNotes. Beyond legitimate assistance with studies via websites, or email or Instant message communication with teachers, students also take advantage of the Internet to cheat, with 18% of students reporting knowing someone who used the Internet to do so.

Internet-Based Education: Some Guidelines

By Hilary McLellan

The Internet offers many powerful resources for implementing distance education. Internet-based education can take many forms, including: (1) tutorial, (2) virtual classroom, (3) correspondence course, (4) project-based education, and (5) event-based education. Internet-based education can also provide a valuable supplement to more traditional approaches to education. And as Internet technologies develop, more possibilities emerge. An overview of issues related to designing and implementing Internet-based education will be presented here.

One fundamental concept to understand is the contrast between synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous refers to communication that occurs instantaneously, in real time. The telephone is an example of this --- both participants in a telephone conversation are present --- at their respective locations -- simultaneously. Asynchronous communication refers to communication that does not take place in real time but is delayed at the receiver's end. A telephone answering machine is an example of asynchronous communication. Electronic mail is another example. The concept of synchronous versus asynchronous communication is an important fundamental parameter in Internet-based education since many patterns are possible, as we shall see.

Another essential concept for Internet-based education, one that requires a major shift in thinking is for educators to recognize and harness the vast array of resources that are now available on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In addition to selecting a textbook, the instructor should now consider incorporating a Web navigation guide tailored to a particular subject or at least some student exploration quests on the World Wide Web into many classes, especially Internet-based classes. Gaining awareness of these resources and facility in navigating them is a critical component of information literacy and basic technological competence for today and tomorrow. Related to this, Nicholas Negroponte, in his book Being Digital, reports: "Today kids are getting the opportunity to be street smart on the Internet, where children are heard and not seen. Ironically, reading and writing will benefit. Children will read and write on the Internet to communicate, not just to complete some abstract and artificial exercise. What I am advocating should not be construed as anti-intellectual or as a disdain for abstract reasonings --- it is quite the opposite. The Internet provides a new medium for reaching out to find knowledge and meaning. (p. 200)" Not only children, but adult learners should be encouraged to reach out to these resources.