The Best Uses of the Web in the classroom -

Web-based Education

The uses of the Internet have changed our way of living dramatically.  In the education world, it has created many new benefits for creative learning and teaching.  Best of all, the classroom now can be moved online and students can learn in virtual classrooms. 

The advancing technology of the Internet has made distance learning more popular than ever.  It has created greater opportunities for people to pursue higher education.  With the Internet, learners now have the choice of taking courses at any university across the country, if it is not offered nearby.  Not having to be in the class physically saves people from the troubles of relocating, transporting, and adjusting to a new environment. 

Taking courses over the web is considered one of the best uses of the Internet.  Specifically, online instruction allows students to work at a pace and an environment that are more comfortable.  According to McCormack and Jones (1998), learning online is more effective because learners are now active participants, which is a more engaging and enjoyable learning process.   The other advantage of web-based instruction is the potential to meet the needs of a variety of students by presenting instructional materials to them in different ways, such as video clips, sounds, or interactive activities that students can review or move ahead through the content. 

        The development of WebQuest has provided both learners and teachers many practical uses.  March (1998) explains that a “WebQuest is an inquiry activity that presents student groups with a challenging task, provides access to an abundance of usually on-line resources, and scaffolds the learning process to prompt higher-order thinking.”  One of the best attributes of using a WebQuest is that it forces students to learn to use the Internet and enhance their computer skills. 

        The other aspect is that most WebQuest projects require teamwork that engages students to work together to complete the task.  In order to solve problems as a team, students might take on different roles such as researcher, teacher, and helper.  The opportunities for helping and teaching each other might improve individuals’ self-esteem and leadership skills.  This is also a great way for students to meet others.

Furthermore, Yelland (1999) has pointed out that the best learning experiences are when there are opportunities for experimentation, problem solving, self-direction, and cooperation.  She also found out that computer environments support a higher level of thinking because they help students to communicate easily with each other, to explore, develop, and share their work with others easily, and to collaborate on problem-solving projects easily.

        Delivering instruction via the web offers students a “virtual teacher” from whom they can get instructional materials, retrieve missed assignments, or obtain other assistance at anytime and anywhere.  Students have the freedom of sifting through the information and assignments at one’s own pace.  This solves the problem for people who feel time is always an issue.  Being able to access information at convenient times could be beneficial in many ways.  Also, since the instruction is delivered via the web, the teacher is free to spend time working with individual students or small groups who need extra help.

        In addition to the WebQuest, using a listserv in the classroom allows every student to participate in meaningful discussions and to connect with other involved learners (Watson, 1999).  It is an easier way to get students involved, especially for those who are shy and afraid to speak in front of everyone in the traditional classroom setting.  The listserv is a perfect tool for students to help each other out when the teacher is not available.  This challenges students to work together and to try their best to find a solution on their own.  Situations like this help students to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world experiences. 

The listserv can be another great tool for making announcements on new findings of using the Internet to others in the class.  There are still lots of new things that we as educators need to learn about the Internet.  Any person, even students, can access new information that has not yet been discovered by their teachers.  In others words, anyone in the classroom can be an expert on something.  Some teachers may not like the fact that students know more than they and may feel threatened, but it is amazing to see how each student’s tiny contribution adds up to facilitate our knowledge in the field.  Learning new things is a lifelong process and we should humble ourselves and not feel threatened about learning from our students.

        The uses of the World Wide Web as an instructional tool have opened up a new way of learning for many people.  For most educators, looking for new ideas or lessons to stimulate learning is a constant challenge.  With the Internet, teachers can do so much more with their students.  Educators can be exchanging information with other educators at their fingertips around the world to discuss the best ways of approaching their students.  One example could be the searching of best lesson plans others have published on the web.  Sites such as Blue Web’n, News In Education, and Microsoft School House offer well-developed lessons plans for various grade levels and subjects.

Taking full advantage of the potential of the web requires teachers to think about learning and teaching in new ways, as well as to master the technology itself (Mathew & Dohery-Poirier).  If educators are willing to get out of their comfort zone of teaching and learn to use the new technology that is available to them, the impact of using new instructional technologies in the education of world would be endless.

References

McCormack, C. and Jones, D. (1998). Building a Web-Based Education System. New York: Wiley.

Dodge, Bernie (1999).  WebQuest Taskonomy: A Taxonomy of Tasks. [Online].  Available http://edweb.sdsu.edu/webquest/taskonomy.html

March, T.  (1998).  Working the web for education: Theory and practice on integrating the web for learning.  Working the Web for Education. Retrieved October 15, 2001, from the World Wide Web: http://ozline.com/learning/theory.html

Mathew, Norman & Dohery-Poirier, Maryanne. http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue5_3/mathew/

Watson, K. L.  (1999).  WebQuests in the middle school curriculum: Promoting technological Literacy in the classroom.  Meridian: A Middle School Computer Technologies Journal, 2(2).  Retrieved October 30, 2001, on-line: http://www.ncsu.edu/meridian/jul99/webquest/index.html

Yelland, Y.  (1999).  Reconceptualising  schooling with technology for the 21^st century: Images and reflections.  Information Technology in Childhood Education 1999, 39-59.  Retrieved September 30, 2001, from EDUCATION ABSTRACTS FULL TEXT on-line database (Wilson Web): http://vweb.hwwilsonweb.com