1. Running head: DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 1
Does Internet Benefit Education?
Name
Institution

2. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 2
Does Internet Benefit Education?
Initially, the use of technology in education was a controversial topic in the society.
Policymakers, politicians, and scholars had different arguments regarding modernization of
education through the use of technology. There were both negative and positive views on the
utilization of technology in education. On the positive side, technology enhances the efficiency
of education systems by helping administrators and teachers to improve assessment and
streamline daily activities. Its use in the classroom ensures that students play an active role in
enhancing learning through research. Technology also extends learning beyond traditional
classrooms because students have access to information from any location. Because of the
benefits, online education is considered a perfect alternative to brick-and-mortar college
learning. While some schools or programs do not have an online option, those that have adopted
technology in teaching are regionally or nationally accredited. However, the existent of online
education has made it impossible for teachers and students to interact face- to -face. As such, it is
difficult for instructors to assess students’ feelings about what they learn as well as provide them
with feedback. Besides, updating online curriculum is time consuming unlike traditional
curriculum. Online education has also resulted into increased rates of drop out because students
who cannot learn on their own find it challenging to complete tasks. Despite the weaknesses,
online learning has a wide range of benefits, including minimization of costs of education,
increased student learning and building relationships, allows policy makers and instructors to
design instructions that satisfies the needs of the current generation of students, has resulted in
the development of personalized education program as well as inclusive learning.
The Importance of Technology in Education

3. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 3
The use of the internet such as the social networking sites enhances student learning
experience as well as in building relationships and managing their personal affairs. Young
people and teenagers across the world are using social networking sites such as Twitter,
Facebook, My Space, and Google + to learn, develop relationship, and manage their intimacy
and privacy. In the educational context, social networking sites provide students with an
opportunity to learn, build relationships, gain exposure to diverse perspectives and groups as
well as manage personal affairs. Additionally, the use of social networking tools extends
individuals’ learning experiences beyond conventional classrooms (Huffman, 2013). The use of
technological tools provides both the classroom teachers and other school personnel including
principals, school librarians, and counselor an opportunity to serve learners from any location.
The use of internet in education helps policy makers and educators to design instructions
that satisfy the needs of the current generation of students including interactive learning, co-
creation, originality, and collaboration. Most instructors across the world are using technology to
satisfy the needs of the current generation of students by designing teaching programs that suit
the interests of each learner. However, the instructors and policymakers are expected to ensure
that pedagogy dictates the decisions that they make while applying technological applications in
the classroom. According to Clayton, Hettche, and Dae-Hee (2014), attention span for students
is approximately ten minutes despite the fact that course schedules at the university level are
designed to last two or three hours. It is the responsibility of teachers to ensure that class
activities have a positive impact on each student’s knowledge acquisition ability. Technological
advancement has enabled them to ensure learning continuity throughout the year. However,
student participation is still restricted to class sessions and exam time. The challenges have
compelled college educators to adopt social media tools as a means of maintaining consistent

4. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 4
course work. Besides, enhancing student participation through online platforms permits learners
to associate course content with life experiences. Additionally, the use of social media provides
them with a forum to debate issues of their interest. In fact social media is evolving at a rapid
rate because of the growing domination of digital communication. It is important for educators to
take into consideration how they can take advantage of technological growth to improve course
outcomes and students’ learning experiences. Furthermore, the authors contend that the use of
technology allows students to gain knowledge, act upon it, and revise it whenever necessary. For
instance, social media platforms not only require individuals to engage, respond, and take
actions. On the contrary, it also permits co-creation, originality, and collaboration (Clayton,
Hettche, & Dae-Hee, 2014). Another benefit of technology in education is acting as an equalizer
by eliminating geographical barriers to access to information. It also provides shy students with
an opportunity to contribute to classroom discussions. Through asynchronous interaction,
learners have adequate time to premeditate on their contributions and be thoughtful.
Cost and convenience are the main reasons for the increasing enrollment for online
courses. McPherson & Bacow( 2015) state that online education increased from 10% to 33%
between 2002 and 2012. The authors note that online learning involves the use of various
resources to deliver course content. In particular, utilization of videos allows students to replay
recordings in order to grasp issues that they do not understand (McPherson & Bacow, 2015).
Equally, educational institutions find online courses appealing because they are cheap and permit
them to offer students’ credit-bearing courses regardless of their geographical locations. Distant
learning has enabled many individuals to acquire college certificates while working on a full-
time basis.

5. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 5
Technology permits the development of personalized education programs and inclusive
learning. According to Bulfin, Johnson, and Bigum(2015), technology plays an essential role in
the current education system. It enhances learning because it supports personalized educational
programs while promoting students access to useful materials. Additionally, the use of
technology in modern institutions permits instructors to deliver content in various ways and
identify ways through which students can present their research findings to tutors and other
leaners. According to Bulfin, Johnson, and Bigum (2015), many students do not enjoy using
tools such as pens, papers, and traditional libraries to complete assignments. Technology
provides them with a platform to perform a wide range of tasks without moving from one place
to another. The authors argue that the use of technology in education creates an inclusive
learning environment. In fact, students own the classroom technology resources since each
learner has a personal computer that is used for communication with the instructor. Besides,
technology enables tutors to access content that is presented to students and even designs video
footage to emphasize or creatively introduce concepts. In a study that was conducted by the
article’s authors on the importance of technology in education, one of the participants said, “I
like for students to have the freedom to work at their own pace and explore their own special
interests within an area of study” (Bulfin, Johnson, & Bigum, 2015). Such views from teachers
who are key stakeholders in the education sector emphasize the significance of technology in
learning.
Reasons why internet-based education is not useful
Despite the benefits of using social media in education, it is important for educators to
address risks that are associated with the student’s use of the platforms including increased
incidents of bullying, loss of privacy, and harmful contacts. For instance, the convenience and

6. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 6
speed of distribution of content can decline if institutions limit the use of the Internet (Huffman,
2013). Thus, technology is a crucial tool in the modern society where developments are driven
by information sharing and collaboration among different sectors. If it is utilized wisely and
appropriately, it transforms the experiences of both students and teachers to enhance learning
processes. Accordingly, the author notes the use of technology in education has a number of
disadvantages. For instance, some students fail to read the responses of their fellow learners
because they focus on understanding comments that are posted by the instructor on social media
sites. Additionally, others write responses with the primary objective of fulfilling classroom
requirements, especially participation in specific activities. In some instances, students make
anonymous comments to either criticize their instructors or whine about how difficult the
assignments are. On the other hand, professors compel students to respond to online educational
chats on a regular basis, failing to monitor the outcomes of the discussions. Addressing the
drawbacks requires course instructors to be proactive in promoting the vibrancy of the learning
environment. They should also use social media tools to facilitate interactions with students,
especially when dealing with learners who feel shy or uncomfortable to air their opinions during
classroom discussions.
Equally, internet has allowed instructors to use videos to enhance students’ learning
experience. However, the use of videos makes it challenging for students to receive feedback and
ask questions online. Learners often prefer teaching strategies that enable them to take part in
discussions or ask questions. While curriculum developers value the flexibility and standardized
frameworks that are offered by technology, a majority of students may not achieve the goals of
education without platforms to receive feedback from tutors, a reason for increasing rates of
dropouts among online students. In fact, most employers are unwilling to hire graduates who

7. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 7
have online degrees because they doubt the quality of training that is offered through virtual
training. Others believe online education is just an appealing exercise, but not a valuable or
rewarding process like classroom teaching. Besides, McPherson and Bacow (2015) argue that it
is harder to design a computer-adaptive instructional program compared to creating a classroom
curriculum. Additionally, the authors point out that updating online curriculum is time
consuming and cumbersome. The process requires the existing content to be edited, reshooting
of videos, and modifying the software. The changes should also involve the support of various
parties such as software engineers, web designers, editors, camera operators, instructional
designers, and even tutors.
In conclusion, technology plays a crucial role in transforming the education sector.
Despite the fact that brick-and-motor colleges, universities, and schools will continue to exist,
technology offers teachers and students more learning opportunities compared to traditional
classrooms. Besides, online courses save money and time. However, technology minimizes
direct interaction between teachers and student, limiting the capability of the former to assess the
attitude of learners towards content that is being taught.

8. DOES INTERNET BENEFIT EDUCATION 8
References
Bulfin, S., Johnson, N. F., & Bigum, C. (2015). Critical perspectives on technology and
education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Clayton, M. J., Hettche, M., & Dae-Hee, K. (2014). Moving participation beyond the classroom:
Who benefits from online social communities? Journal of Advertising Education, 18(1),
5-13.
Huffman, S. (2013). Benefits and pitfalls: simple guidelines for the use of social networking
tools in K-12 education. Education, 134(2), 154-160.
McPherson, M. S., & Bacow, L. S. (2015). Online higher education: beyond the hype cycle.
Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29(4), 135-154.