Chapter 11 Reflection

     The Web’s history can be traced back to ARPANET, which was used by the Army to communicate to people in different locations.  Today the Web is used primarily as a means of communication among people.   We communicate via e-mail, listservs, bulletin boards, chat rooms, audio teleconferencing, and video teleconferencing.

      Many have argued the fact that the Web is a methodology for learning.  The book agrees that the Web is a methodology for course delivery or a method for developing a learning environment.   The book further explains that the best way to view the Web is an integrating medium for learning and teaching.  Use of the Web for learning can be divided into two main categories: support for on-site learning where students come to a classroom where learning takes place, and support for distance learning where students via email, bulletin boards, video teleconferencing, and audio teleconferencing can learn without being in a centralized location.

     The Web today is providing educators with opportunities for better and more convenient learning environments that are fast, accessible by many, and inexpensive. The book is most interested in the Web’s ability to be an integrating environment that unites different educational methodologies, distance learners with on site learners, and people of different ages and abilities and that enables designers the instructors to manage learning well and easily.