Internet Commercialization Effects on Learning
Internet commercialization has emerged over decades. According to Living Internet, a resource for Internet information, the first networking tests of Internet technology occurred in 1977. In the 1980s, the Internet's predecessor, ARPANET, a communication channel used by the military, employed this Internet technology.
By the 1990s, the Internet continued to grow in popularity. The emergence of Internet commercialization has changed many areas of society, including education. The growth of Internet in education happened during the 1990s when the Internet became more accessible in libraries and schools.
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Access
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The effect Internet commercialization has on learning varies depending on the access students have to the Internet. Access involves establishing regulations for acceptable Internet use. Internet in education can be both beneficial and harmful. Regulations help to reduce the harmful effects of the Internet in education, as well as preserve online safety. Schools tend to use acceptable use policies, which students and parents typically have to sign, in order to define rules of Internet use. In regards to children's use of the Internet at home, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends setting time parameters, such as time of day allowed online and for how long.
Benefits
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Academic benefits of the Internet involve creating new opportunities in regards to research and first hand learning experiences. The Internet has made information more accessible, in return making the research process more convenient. Additionally, by making connecting with people from other cultures easier, the Internet allows students to learn about different cultures directly from the people living in those cultures. An example of this includes international pen pal programs which allow students from different cultures to write each other through email.
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Warning
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While beneficial, the Internet can also poison a student's impressionable mind, or jeopardize a student's physical safety. Inappropriate content, such as pornography and graphic images, can leave a lasting impression on a child's mind. Such content can come in the form of websites intended for a mature viewing audience or pop-up advertisements. A student's online safety can become vulnerable to child predators, who utilize the Internet to gain access to children. Following certain precautions can help protect your child online.
Precautions
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Alachua Public Schools recommends not giving out personal information, avoiding meeting someone you met online in-person, and reporting suspicious online activity to adults. Personal information includes full name, phone number, address, name of school, and workplaces of parents. They only recommend meeting someone you met online after receiving permission from a parent, and to have a parent present at the meeting point, which should be a public area.
Filters
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Website filters serve as a security measure to help reduce exposure to inappropriate content. According to Stanford University, common types of website filters include blacklists, keyword blocking, and whitelists. Blacklists contain a list of inappropriate websites, typically organized by subject, such as "pornography" or "profanity." Keyword blocking filters websites based on a site's keywords. This can be a problematic filtering method, as the method doesn't take into consideration the context of the keywords. Whitelists work similarly to blacklist, except that a whitelist contains a list of websites okay to visit. Whitelists, while effective, tend to only give a limited view of the Internet.
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References
- Photo Credit school room image by Alfonso d"Agostino from Fotolia.com
