The Internet and Education

In order for our educational system to be relevant, learning must include the knowledge and skills necessary for students to be successful in an ever changing technological society.  As Picciano states, multimedia literacy is required as a basic function in the evolving American culture.  Utilizing technology in education serves two purposes: technology promotes active learning which increases student understanding, and technology prepares students for the technology driven world we live in.  Through the emerging technologies such as the internet and mobile computers, knowledge is easily accessible.  Appropriate multimedia can assist instruction with almost unlimited resources which can accommodate any learning style with video, audio, graphics, and interactive learning models.  According to Koehler, Mishra, Kereluik, Shin and Graham, technology can transform content by make representations visual, multimodal, or interactive. 

With the advent of Learning Management Systems or LMS, educators now have a tool that can deliver instruction that is compatible to traditional lessons.  Per Picciano, on the internet, student have at their immediate disposal a resource that includes the teacher as well as other instructional materials such as videos, computer simulations, and reference works.  Asynchronous learning has become significant over the years because teachers can provide instruction at any place and any time.  This flexibility allows learners to engage in education in ways they have not been able to do in the past.  For example, distance learning is now available to learners of any age, learners of any educational level, and who have a variety of educational needs.  Although, learning experiences may be different for distant learners, learning outcomes according to Simonson, can be equivalent.  One point made by both Picciano and Simonson, is the need for distance learning courses to be based on common technological tools that most people have access to.  With an LMS, the internet is the greatest common factor between learners which makes it such a powerful tool for education. 

In Gwinnett County where I teach, distance learning becoming more and more popular with older students, especially high school students.  Online courses provide an alternative setting for some students who for whatever reason are not successful in a traditional classroom.  Being able to offer an alternative to struggling students is important in making sure every child has an opportunity to learn.  Additionally, many high school students take courses online to earn credits faster or for dual enrollment in college courses.  The flexibility that distance learning offers is one of the reasons why Picciano predicts that the participation in online education over the next decade will increase significantly.  Without it, I wouldn’t be sharing this post.  Online education is the only way I could have completed my degree and it is the wave of the future. 

References

Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T., & Graham, C. R. (2008). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In Handbook of research on educational communications and technology (pp. 101-111). New York: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Picciano, A. (2011). Educational leadership and planning for technology (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

Simonson, M. R. (2012). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.