Chapter 2 Internet and Education

The internet has been vital to my education, utilized in high school for research projects in particular, all the way through now with this course being taken across only the internet. Currently I have two FLO classes, courses taken via the internet, as well as one course that is taught in both campuses, at the same time, by the same teacher. The teacher is at our campus one day, and the other the next, but each class gets to see what is happening, and hear what is being said in real time. The internet is used to project the video image of the class on the other campus, as well as an extra screen to show our class, or an overhead/computer screen for notes. So the internet has been used as a research tool, as a vessel to make learning easier and more effective for a class divided by a long drive, as well as the means to teach entire classes.

The future for the internet and education lies in more video conferencing, I theorize that one day physical classes will be the exception instead of the norm. As the chapter discussed, internet cuts down on costs for transportation, and paper, saves time (and time is money) is better for the environment, as well as safer. If the publishers of textbooks find a way to curb their hitherto unchecked greed, they will be able to publish entire textbooks entirely online, saving paper and thus the environment as well (and hopefully saving us some money to boot).

As for connecting nations of the world in an academic setting, the tools already are present today. For instance, every Friday morning, I log onto World of Warcraft and play games with friends from around the world, including folks in Australia, Singapore, Japan, China, as well as closer places such as Canada. We also speak in real time (well, with a second or two delay) as easily as if we were in the same room despite the ten thousand miles that separate us through a program called Ventrilo. All that is needed is a microphone, and a server for people to join. As long as someone pays for a server (or someone knows the information to one already being paid for) the program download and connection is entirely free. With a little orchestration, classes all over the world can benefit from oral lectures via the internet, and leaders of any field can be guest speakers able to speak to a class, as well as hear students responses. All while everyone is still in their pajamas, in the comfort of their own home.