How Has The Internet Changed Education?

I was in Claire’s a few weeks ago shopping with my daughter. For those of you who don’t know what Claire’s is, it’s a fun girl’s store that has everything teen girls like.  You can get anything and everything like make-up, jewelry, purses even hair extensions.  We always run into a very sweet college girl Heather (who is getting her degree in education at Loyola University) at Claire’s.  On our last visit, we got on the subject of school.  I asked her how her classes were going and if she liked her teachers.  We talked for a while about campus life and what she liked about her subjects. She described that in one of her classes, students were required to sign up for Facebook and interact on the Facebook social media site for a grade.  They would be graded based on how well they kept their wall and the interactions (posting and commenting) and relationships that developed through Facebook.

After talking to Heather, I thought about the computers I used in college.  First of all, I didn’t own a computer, and there was no such thing as a laptop or notebook for a college student.  We signed up to use computers at the library.  Remembering back, provided was a large room with 6-10 computers in it.  Do you remember computers with huge tube monitors? Anyway, we really only used computers to type and print out our papers. To write a research paper I went to the library and checked out books, or I would do some research at the library and take notes home with me. Back in the early 90’s, the internet did not carry the wealth of information it does today. I tried to look up some facts for papers on several occasions, but information was very limited.

What is the quickest way to tell all your friends you just saw Bulls player Derrick Rose at your favorite restaurant? You’ve got it! Facebook! Facebook and other social media sites have given us an easy way to share our news with everyone instantly. You couldn’t do that 15 years ago!

In the past decade, or so it is amazing how much internet has changed how students learn and live. Take a look at these astonishing statistics found on SEO.com.

Do you have any stories about how the internet has changed education? We would love to hear them.

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