The last decade has seen a boom in online education. Whether it’s driven by the desire to get a degree online, learn how to do something new without actually doing it, or learn how to survive a zombie apocalypse, people are flocking to the web to obtain the knowledge they need. And like all great technologies, the web is no exception. When we look back in fifty years, we may well remember this time as the era of Internet Googlization.
In an age of instantaneous communication, we can now send our opinions to the world with the click of a button. The proliferation of social media platforms has made it possible for anyone to keep up with breaking news, find out what’s on in the world, and communicate with others instantly. As a result, a new way of doing business, as well as a new way of learning, has been born: the ‘online course.’
The new year brings with it a new way of learning. The internet will help us learn about everything from the Middle East to how to make a killer cupcake. But what will it teach us about the education system? Will we be able to create a digital learning environment that can help us learn and grow?
It is impossible to imagine the world as it is today without the internet. It has connected us, enhanced our lives, and delivered knowledge into our hands. And it has also changed education forever. The internet has allowed us to access unlimited amounts of knowledge and information. We know that technology is infiltrating our classrooms. We know that it’s being used in a range of ways—to enhance the learning experience, enhance the teaching experience, and enhance students’ performance.
Life as we know it will change in the coming years, whether we’re ready or not. As a result of the unprecedented rate of technological advancement, the world today is unrecognizable from the one we knew five years ago. The Internet and other global communications are making it possible for anyone with a smartphone to influence the world every day.
The online world has become increasingly important in our everyday lives. Whether you’re shopping for your next vacation or looking to meet new people online, learning about the internet is at the root of many of our daily activities. While the internet has been around for a while now, we’re still in the beginning stages of learning to navigate it properly, which is a rapidly growing concern.
The internet has transformed the way we teach and learn. We can now search for answers to nearly any question, ask experts, and find the best-constructed ideas for any topic. But the internet is also a powerful tool for spreading misinformation, hate speech, and outright lies. For example, you can click on any topic on the web and be tempted into believing a lie that turns out to have no basis in fact. (That’s the power of confirmation bias and logical fallacies. Keep your wits about you!)
We live in a world where we can connect with people all over the world and share our experiences and knowledge with others. However, this raises a problem, which has been known for a long time: the people we discuss with, and the things we talk about, are often based on what we know from our own experiences and how we reacted to them. We have a natural predisposition to look for patterns, and our own experiences make up a large portion of what we observe. We all have a bias to believe our opinions are correct and know what is best for others.
With the same speed at which the internet has changed how we communicate, it has also changed how we learn. The profound impact of the internet on how we learn is not yet fully realized, so we are just starting to see its full potential. We must ensure that the next generation of students is equipped to carry its legacy into the future; we must make sure they are able to balance new world skills with the timeless skills they need to be successful.
