Internet Classrooms vs. Traditional Classrooms

張貼日期：Jun 20, 2011 8:33:17 AM

Momo Zheng

As the development of technology is so great, the environment of education is also changed. The most visible difference between Internet classrooms and traditional classrooms is that Internet classrooms provide the learners other chances to learn different things and the newest information; traditional classrooms provide the learners chances to discuss with teachers and classmates. For the better educational environment, I think that Internet classrooms can provide more opportunities for students to contact with more new, amusing, and diverse information and ideas. These novel and interesting things can increase students’ interest in the subject and make them concentrate on the class; also, these things can make students learn more different things than traditional way of learning.

First, most books cannot make students feel interested. These books may have no illustrations or have only colorless texts. However, there are numerous interesting illustrations or videos on the Internet, and these materials would increase students’ interests in a boring subject. If the Internet can interest the students who do not like the plain and unattractive typography of the books, it would be a better learning environment for students.

Second, talking with teachers or other classmates may be an uncomfortable and embarrassed thing for some students. These students may be unwilling to have such classes or they may hide themselves from the discussion time. But if they feel that interaction with others through the computer would be easier, an Internet classroom would be useful for them. Because they can choose when, how and with whom they want to discuss with on the Internet, they might have more interest in the subject. On the other hand, students can choose the way they want to improve their schoolwork; for example, they can search the answer to and information about their problems on the Internet and they can use the resources on the Internet freely.

Third, books are accumulation of experience and knowledge, and the Internet is the collection of the latest information and knowledge. If students can connect the latest information with the content of books, they would get more than just by reading books. They would feel more real and practical about what books try to tell them. In other words, the Internet can supplement the knowledge of the books, and it can also provide more chances for students to think more and combine the information on the Internet with the knowledge in the textbooks.

Though students may get less time to discuss with teachers and classmates in the Internet classroom, they can still solve the problems by resorting to some people who can answer their questions on the Internet. There is also some software on the Internet which is convenient for students to have discussion with others; furthermore, they can not only search the resources they need by themselves but also improve their abilities to integrate information from different sources.

Internet classrooms would create more opportunities for both students and teachers. And it is suitable for the students who want to learn more and discuss with the people who have the same interests with them.