For all learners, research points to the importance of learning environments which are active, social, and learner-centered.
however, information technology's power rests in its ability to enable this traditional communication mode to take on a bidirectional character.
Examples
Examples from K–12 and higher education illustrate how education can be made more interactive, resulting in better engagement for the Net Generation and other learners.
In cyberspace, the whole thought process is laid open in the building of understanding through much richer conversation.
Students can find material that challenges the faculty member's worldview and expertise; they can uncover stories and research results that the faculty member has never heard about
original documents and fresh research data are readily accessible on the Web.
In simple terms, students can do history, not just hear someone talk about history; they can do
In cyberspace, can we foster some of the fundamental qualities of a prepared mind, such as
the ability to learn, not just to memorize the rules of a particular task but to be able to discern or discover what the rules are or should be from a study of situations that are unfamiliar to us;
the ability to recognize when we do know something and when we don't;
the capacity to make sense out of an infinite world of images, assertions, words, and "facts," as well as act responsibly and wisely on that knowledge; and
the ability to apply knowledge resourcefully and ethically.