THE INTERNET AND EDUCATION • Mosaic: The First Web Browser

It is very slow. Cannot handle loading pictures very well. Did not give
What is the Internet? an indication of the potential of this medium. National Center for
A worldwide system of interconnected networks and Supercomputing Applications’ (NCSA) Mosaic wasn't the first Web
computers. Short for “internetworking”. This is a system browser. But it was the first to make a major splash. In November
architecture that has revolutionized communications and 1993, Mosaic v 1.0 broke away from the small pack of existing
browsers by including features—like icons, bookmarks, a more
methods of commerce by allowing various computer
attractive interface, and pictures—that made the software easy to use
networks around the world to interconnect. Sometimes and appealing to "non-geeks."
referred to as a “network of networks.” The Internet
● In 1994, Tim Berners Lee developed the World Wide Web
provides a capability so powerful and general that it can
Consortium to develop standards for the Web. In this time, Netscape
be used for almost any purpose that depends on was founded.
information, and it is accessible by every individual who ● Netscape Communications was a computer services company best
connects to one of its constituent networks. It supports known for its Web browser, Navigator. Navigator was one of the two
human communication via social media, electronic mail most popular Web browsers in the 1990s
(e-mail), “chat rooms,” newsgroups, and audio and video
● Between 1994 to 2000, the Internet exploded during this period. The
transmission and allows people to work collaboratively at
first commercial site was Amazon.com In 1994 the World Wide Web
many different locations. grew by an astounding 2300 percent. Amazon saw that online
shopping was the wave of
What is a Network?
the future.
A computer network is an interconnection of a group of ➔ Netscape was mainly used until 1998. Microsoft Internet
computers. A network is a collection of computers, Explorer snagged
96% of the browser market. Today the most popular web browser is
servers, mainframes, network devices, peripherals, or
Chrome by Google Company.
other devices connected to one another to allow the
sharing of data. An example of a network is the Internet, IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION
which connects millions of people all over the world. From history, during the time of Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and
Networks may be used for: other great educators, do you think there is a formal education
system? Who has the privilege to become educated in those times?
 Communications such as email, instant messaging, chat
rooms, etc. In times of great people in history, there was no formal
 Shared hardware such as printers and input devices. education like today, sitting on an armchair, listening to the teacher,
 Shared data and information through the use of shared writing on notebooks or papers, or even answering examinations.
storage devices. In their times, formal education happened while they were walking;
 Shared software, which is achieved by running talking; and asking different philosophical and logical questions.
applications on remote computers. Evolution of the Thereafter, the education evolved. It became formal because people
Internet knew that education was the key to everyone's understanding of
the world and of their lives.
Evolution of the Internet

ARPANET - Was the world's first operational network, and the What is Education?
predecessor of the global Internet. Advanced Research Education is the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of
Projects Administration (ARPANET) was developed by the learning undertaken in the belief that all should have the chance
U.S. Department of Defense. One theory was that it was to share in life. Education is a process of inviting truth and
developed to survive a nuclear attack. possibility, of encouraging and giving time to discovery. (from
infed.org, 2015) “A process of living and not a preparation for
The World Wide Web future living.” (John Dewey, 1926)
The original Internet provided screens full of text. It is excellent
Education – cultivating hopeful environments and
for sharing information and accessing the Library of Congress.
relationships for learning
The text was all one font and size. By the name, the Web, the
leading information retrieval service of the Internet (the Learning is both a process and an outcome. As a process, it is
worldwide computer network). The Web gives users access to a part of living in the world, part of the way our bodies work. As an
vast array of documents that are connected to each other by outcome, it is a new understanding or appreciation of something.
means of hypertext or hypermedia links—i.e., hyperlinks,
electronic connections that link related pieces of information in “Teachers are losing the education war because our adolescents are
order to allow a user easy access to them. Hypertext allows the distracted by the social world. Naturally, the students don’t see it that
user to select a word or phrase from text and thereby access other way. It wasn’t their choice to get endless instruction on topics that
documents that contain additional information pertaining to that don’t seem relevant to them. They desperately want to learn, but
word or phrase. Hypermedia documents feature links to images, what they want to learn about is their social world—how it works
sounds, animations, and movies. The Web operates within the and how they can secure a place in it that will maximize their social
Internet’s basic client-server format; servers are computer rewards and minimize the social pain they feel. Their brains are built
programs that store and transmit documents to other computers to feel these strong social motivations and to use the mentalizing
system to help them along. Evolutionarily, the social interest of
on the network when asked to, while clients are programs
adolescents is no distraction. Rather, it is the most important thing
that request documents from a server as the user asks for
they can learn well.” (Lieberman, 2013)
them. Browser software allows users to view the retrieved
documents. The cultivation of learning is cognitive and emotional and social
activity (Illeris, 2002). Education is deliberate. We act with a
The World Wide Web Saved the Internet
● Hyperlinks were invented. In this time, the mouse was invented to purpose – to develop understanding and judgment and enable
click on hyperlinks. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) was also action. We may do this for ourselves, for example, learning what
invented. This allowed sites to be named. Tim Berners Lee brought different road signs mean so that we can get a license to drive; or
all of this together to form the World Wide Web in 1990. The URL, watching wildlife programs on television because we are
colloquially termed a web address, is a reference to a web resource interested in animal behavior. This process is sometimes called
that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for
self-education or teaching yourself. Often, though, we seek to
retrieving it.
encourage learning in others. Examples here include parents and
 carers showing their children how to use a knife and fork or ride wealth of information, knowledge, and educational resources,
a bike; schoolteachers introducing students to a foreign language; increasing opportunities for learning in and beyond the classroom.
and animators and pedagogues helping a group to work together. Teachers use online materials to prepare lessons, and students to
extend their range of learning. Interactive teaching methods,
Education – being respectful, informed and wise
supported by the Internet, enable teachers to give more attention
Education is wrapped up with who we are as learners and
to individual students’ needs and support shared learning. Access
facilitators of learning – and how we are experienced by learners.
to the Internet helps educational administrators to reduce the
In order to think about this, it is helpful to look back at a basic
costs and improve the quality of schools and colleges.
distinction made by Erich Fromm (1979), amongst others,
between having and being. The Internet plays a very vital role in education. It contains a
Approaches of Fromm: wealth of knowledge that can be searched at any time. The
1. Having is concerned with owning, possessing and controlling. In Internet has introduced improvements in technology,
it we want to ‘make everybody and everything’, including communication, and online entertainment.
ourselves, our property (Fromm,1979). It looks to objects and
material possessions. Five priorities for Internet and education
2. Being is rooted in love. It is concerned with shared experience
and productive activity. Rather than seeking to possess and Lessons have been learnt from experience with different
control, in this mode we engage with the world. We do not technologies and services in countries with different educational
impose ourselves on others nor ‘interfere’ in their lives (see systems. The rapid pace of change in technology and the availability
Smith and Smith, 2008). and affordability of access means that experience is not always a
good indicator for the future. The diagram below shows the five
Being Respectful: The process of education flows from a basic
priorities for education such: infrastructure and access, vision and
orientation of respect Mrespect for truth, others and themselves,
policy; inclusion; capacity, and content and devices.
and the world. It is an attitude or feeling which is carried through
1. Infrastructure and access
into concrete action, into the way we treat people, for example.
No strategy for the Internet in education can succeed without
Respect, as R. S. Dillon (2014) has reminded us, is derived from the
adequate infrastructure and access to resources. Networks and
Latin respicere, meaning ‘to look back at’ or ‘to look again’ at
services need to be affordable, for both schools and individuals, if
something. Educators, as with other respecters of truth, should do
they are to be used effectively. Schools need computers, tablets
their best to acquire ‘true beliefs’ and to ensure what they say
and other ICT devices that are integrated in a smart fashion in the
actually reveals what they believe (Williams, 2002).
educational environment to make the best use of Internet-
Being Informed: To facilitate learning we must have some enabled learning. These need to be maintained, upgraded and
understanding of the subject matter being explored, and the impact cyber-secure. They also need reliable electric power.
study could have on those involved. In other words, facilitation is
intelligent. 2. Vision and policy
Policymakers concerned with ICTs and with Education have the
Being Wise: Wisdom is not something that we can generally claim opportunity to develop a vision for the future which will enable
for ourselves – but a quality recognized by others. Sometimes when technology to benefit both students and national development.
people are described as wise what is meant is that they are Policies for the Internet in education should focus attention and
scholarly or learned. More often, I suspect, when others are resources on national development priorities.
described as ‘being wise’ it that people have experienced their
questions or judgement helpful and sound when exploring a 3. Inclusion
problem or difficult situation (see Smith and Smith, 2008). This The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aims to ‘ensure
entails: inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
 appreciating what can make people flourish learning opportunities for all.’ Policies should promote greater
 being open to truth in its various guises and allowing equality in access to learning resources for disadvantaged groups
subjects to speak to us developing the capacity to reflect within societies, such as those living in rural areas or in poverty,
 being knowledgeable, especially about ourselves, around ethnic minorities and speakers of minority languages, and those
‘what makes people tick’ and the systems of which we are a part with disabilities.
 being discerning – able to evaluate and judge situations
4. Capacity
Education – acting so that all may share in life Education is at the heart of capacity-building. It is through
Thus far in answering the question ‘what is education?’ we have education that people gain skills that equip them to find jobs,
seen how it can be thought of as the wise, hopeful and respectful start businesses, lead fulfilling lives, and provide for themselves
cultivation of learning. Here we will explore the claim that and their families. Success in the digital age requires digital skills.
education should be undertaken in the belief that all should have As they enter the world of work, individuals should be able to
the chance to share in life. This commitment to the good of all and make use of computers and other digital equipment. Digital
of each individual is central to the vision of education explored literacy is the ability to use online applications, find information
here, but it could be argued that it is possible to be involved in online, assess its quality and value, and make use of it in daily life.
education without this. “Reconstruction or reorganization of It is crucial to living in the digital world, particularly for the
experience which adds to the meaning of experience, and which growing number who will work in ICT-intensive industries.
increases ability to direct the course of subsequent experience.” Teachers need to learn new skills to make effective use of
(John Dewey, 1916) Internet resources.
The Internet and Education
5. Content and devices
One of the most dramatic differences the Internet can make lies
The Internet has immense potential to improve the quality of
in opening access to a broader range of content for teaching and
education, which is one of the pillars of sustainable development.
learning – content that is explicitly educational in purpose and
Education is both a basic human right and a core element of
the much more comprehensive range of online content that can
sustainable development. Education enables individuals to build
supplement curricula. Instead of relying primarily on textbooks,
more prosperous and successful lives and societies to achieve
teachers can direct students to many different sources, and
economic prosperity and social welfare. Access to the Internet is
students can develop research skills by exploring online content
fundamental to achieving this vision for the future. It can improve
on their own.
the quality of education in many ways. It opens doorways to a