The Effect of Cyberspace Issues on Education in the 21^st Century

ABSTRACT

Much has been written about the effect of technology on education. Certainly, issues such as copyright, legitimacy of the institution, right of lecture ownership, and the proliferation of online courses and schools are true concerns as we search for a viable 21^st century secondary educational system paradigm. In this paper, the author intends to show how those issues have affected and will continue to effect education. However, we must not forget that the whole nature of computing has changed. Where once computers were regarded as an isolationist instrument utilized and understood by individuals who did not fit into society's mores, computers now offer alternative lifestyles. Where once computers were incorporated into education because of the ease with which word-processed papers could be edited and graphs analyzed, today's computer systems employ simulation. Where once teachers were regarded as the "knowers" and the students as the "need-to-knows", teachers now need to recognize and accept that today's Net Generation is different in all aspects, from perception to intelligence to goals, and, as such, deserve to be educated in a system that understands the differences and accepts the responsibility of changing the bureaucratic parameters to help deal effectively with these students. In other words, computing has changed our conception of what is meant by work in the first place. To remain effective, the secondary education system must now accept that teaching must change because the learner has changed. Teaching has traditionally been of a linear nature; it must now become non-linear if we are to succeed in educating responsible citizens of the 21^st century.