Education is seeing a mass shift towards more digital platforms. While the internet’s role in academia isn’t new, the pandemic completely changed its level of importance. The pandemic led to greater online classes and resources, in the face of isolation and quarantine. This made education completely internet-based. And it was realized then, that without the internet, education under such circumstances would’ve been possible. But the importance of the internet in education is not only limited to the aftermath of the pandemic. Its advantages have been significant and evident ever since its role became more prominent in academia. Still not sure? Here’s a list of ways the internet has helped the education sector.
The Internet Saves You Money
Students once had to buy a large number of books for a lot of money. You just couldn’t get away with it. They were considered a major requirement for courses and classes. But there were many problems with this. Books are expensive and require a lot of money. But money is never a problem with Spectrum WiFi Prices. Plus, everybody couldn’t afford to buy books every semester and for every class. This is where the internet comes in.
It provides digital options and e-books which are mostly free. And even if they aren’t free, their cost is noticeably less than physical books. Also, when you take classes online, you save on fuel and food. You don’t have to take public transport or even your own car. Moreover, food can be prepared at home without having to go to the campus cafeteria. Costs are visibly reduced this way.
Allows Self Study
Gone are the days when you had to depend on teachers to make you understand subject materials. Today, it’s easy to understand classes without instructors even present. Good teachers aren’t guaranteed anywhere. In fact, most of them are the reason for the failure of students. The internet takes care of all this. It has a large variety of information available which you can easily understand yourself. Plus, there are also online tutors and learning centers with easy-to-understand. In fact, many students today use these resources as the only form of instruction. Here’s a list of the most popular online learning spaces for educations.
- Khan Academy
- Open Culture Online Courses
- Coursera
- iTunesU Free Courses
- UC Berkeley Class Central
- Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative
Provides Resources Online
There was a time when students had to spend hours at the library in search of study materials and resources. In fact, for research-based work, even libraries weren’t enough. They had to go above and beyond for academia. And even then, resources were hard to find. There was a lot of missing information and irregularities. But the internet solves all of this. It has a large number of resources available online. There’s no information you can’t find on the internet. In fact, a large number of documents and papers are now available to the public online. Also, digital libraries have also made information easier to access. Thus, everything is available with the click of a button.
Saves Time
Students don’t need to spend all day in libraries and classes. Previously, information was found only in places like libraries and schools. This was especially hard for students because they had to travel back and forth, and spend a lot of time there. Not to mention, the number of hours it took to find the relevant information. But the internet solves all this. Students don’t need to use up their time to travel for information. Also, because everything is available online, they don’t need extra time to look up information. They just need to turn their laptops on from the comfort of their bed. The internet truly has made life easier.
Improves Communication and Debate
The internet has a lot of online forums where anybody can engage in any discussion. And because people from all over the world can access the web, students get first-hand knowledge. They gain a greater knowledge of cultures all over the world. Apart from this, they can exchange information and ideas. Also, the internet improves communications. Teachers and fellow students are only a click away. This means that students can get both help and information easily.
Masab Farooque is a Tech Geek, Writer, and Founder at The Panther Tech. He is also a lead game developer at 10StaticStudios.
When he is not writing, he is mostly playing video games