ASHLEY wcta's List: worldonline

• Internet offers a vast amount of resources that are otherwise not available in any one geographical location
• nhances various skills of its users. Communication skills and writing skills can be directly affected through its use.
• may also contribute to the improvement of skills related to critical thinking, problem solving, and group work.
• One major advantage of the Internet is the amount of resources it makes available to its users. College level students are used to having significant library resources on location, not to mention the vast amount of library resources available to them through interlibrary loans.
• the Web offer children a very diverse look at a subject.
• they can browse numerous sources in one sitting. Collecting information from various resources
• they can access information in a timely manner means that they can get to the core of information relatively quickly, a point especially advantageous for children who have little patience and quickly lose interest in topics.

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• As more and   more students gained access to the internet in the 1990’s,   they soon saw it as a tool for the advancement of learning. Textbooks   in some schools were out of date, computer-based courses were often   called monotonous, whereas research on the internet moved quickly,   was up to date, and included a wide variety of international sources.   Students were among the first to realize the impact of the internet   on their education—barriers to learning had been removed. Computer-literate   teachers, researchers, and scholars saw the opportunity at the same   time. Online education was born.
• greater reliance on information   gained from the internet than on his textbooks. Fortunately, his   progressive teachers and principal saw learning online as an advantage   and encouraged his study habits as long as he achieved the course   goals.
• nearly   888,631,131 users on the internet in 2005, 13.9% of the world’s   population (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm),   reliance on this tool has increased exponentially.

• There are several   key advantages to using the internet for education:

   

   

  • Flexibility   and variety in mode and appearance

   

  • Ease   and low cost of access for learners worldwide

   

  • Ease   of putting student information online

   

  • Ease   of updating course information.
• lectures were not the most successful way to impart information   to students. Trying to “…replicate classroom teaching   in the online environment…” would cause educators to “fail   to take advantage of the capabilities of the medium. Some situations   may call for video, but not simply to replace the face-to-face lecture.”
• a student in a rural area can stay at home and learn online
• Working professionals,   by far the majority of enrollees in online course enrollment, continue   to work full time, raise families, and take necessary courses and,   if desired, earn the degrees or credentials they need for advancement   and/or salary increases at work.
• Unlike revising a textbook, online course changes can be easily   made or new material added to existing online courses. Online class   enrollees may receive instantly the results of their exams instead   of having to wait for days to know how they did.
• Online   education has a flexibility that enables those enrolled to learn   and earn, never missing a meeting, a class, or time with families.   Working professionals are motivated to learn and to earn online   degrees essential for on-the-job advancement, particularly single   mothers with children who might have found it impossible to move   ahead two decades ago. Gone is the stress that attending night school   used to create.

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