Question Three...

The Best Aspect of Online Learning is...

I have found that the best aspect of online learning is the diversity of activities, resources and information that can be found from one machine. From one computer, students are now able to access the world wide web, meaning that they are now have an opportunity to be able to find and use information that would have never before been available to them before the creation of the Internet; they can also now do online lessons, through webquests, which are becoming more and more integrated into schools, which means that all teachers, new and old, need to be completely up-to-date on all the latest gadgetry and programs that are on computers; they can now become friends and exchange emails or 'comments' on MySpace with people they have never met. It seems that the world is literally at their fingertips. Resources that can be found on databases are an enormous help for assignments and where you once had to travel far and wide to find the single copy of one article written fifty years ago, now it can be on your computer screen in a few short minutes. The sheer volume of information that is available to students is overwhelming. But one important thing that has been brought to my attention whilst doing this course is to be wary of incorrect and false information. Especially when it comes to Wiki's. Absolutely anyone is able to access and put information on the internet and because of the sheer size of it, it is impossible to have someone checking that all the information on there is correct. Using reputable websites such as www.bbc.com.uk/history is a far better option when using a random site that was found off Google. Using the Board of Studies website (www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au) is also useful because it has links to several other reputable and proper websites.
There have been many new and interesting experiences from this ICT course but the main thing that I have taken out of it is the enormity and the way that, as a teacher, I have to be very specific when directing my students to websites. And very wary of the false information that is out there.