Topic 5: Use of internet as a learning resource
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1. What is Internet?
If someone ask what the Internet is, we maybe do not receive the specific answers. The general answers for the meanings of Internet are, namely 1) a large computer network which creates the peer-to-peer computer network from the users around the world by communicating through the “Protocol”- TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), 2) a large information resource functioning as a tool for searching all required information/data. It is considered one of the communication tools for all nations using different languages around the world, and 3) One of media platform that functions itself to publish various kinds of information contents, such as publications, TV channels, radio channels mobile media, etc.
Source: http://www.montfort.ac.th/mcs/dept/computer/Internet/whatinet.html March 7, 2552.
2. Why the internet is important?
Information Technology in many countries around the world are considered one of important factors in terms of economic and social. It is abbreviated as “IT” which means the competence of the data processing, storage, collect, retrieve, and present that information through electronic communication networks. The important devices for IT work are such as, computers, communication devices, telecommunication infrastructure, and basic IT communication networks - telephone line, satellite or fiber optic. Internet is considered one of important tools to apply with IT work. If the daily information is necessary for our work or livings, internet is the gateway to allow all of us to access that information quickly, and currently is considered a biggest learning resource that has collected almost data in the world. It is easy to use and also includes search engines in many formats. So, we can say that internet is one of important tools to apply with many IT work in both personal and organizational levels.
3. Definitions of the Internet
Internet (UK: Internet) refers to a large network with multiple connections between networks around the world. Those computers are communicated through the “Protocol network”. Users can communicate to each other in many ways, such as E-mail, Web broad, Chat Room, and search engine used for searching news and information, as well as copying files and programs for personal use.
Internet as an important learning resource in the present world
Currently, it is not wrong to say that the Internet is an important r e s o u r c e of learning, with various abilities more than whatever we have anticipated. So, let's see how the Internet is important in today's world.
1. Main reasons that learning through the internet has been widelyrecognized, and are described as follows:
Learning through the Internet is not considered the limited learning resource because it is currently applicable to all operating systems.
Learning through the Internet has no restrictions in terms of distance whether the users are in the same building or the different corners of the world. Information can be quickly passed through.
Internet is not limited to the data formats. We can access such data in the forms of both text, image, or multimedia, including animation and sound effect as well.
2. Functions and importance of learning resource through the Internet
At the present, we have stepped into the digital age and globalization with communication that enables to quickly reach the mass target audiences with low-cost investment as required by all organizations. It is very necessary for all of us to pay great attention of this technology and adapt ourselves to such change to create the maximum socioeconomic benefits of the country.
Internet is considered a universal computer network that connects each user under the same communication standards, used as a communication tool and searching engine tool for seeking information from various networks around the world. Conclusively, Internet is therefore a resource of information around the world in all disciplines and in terms of both entertainments, academic, and businesses.
3. Importance of learning through the Internet toward our workin terms of various aspects
Education
Internet can be used as a learning resource to explore information in terms of academic, political, medical and other interests.
Internet network can be virtualized as a large library.
Internet users can connect to other learning resources and explore the information in the forms of text, sound, and animation, etc.
Business and commerce
Internet is a tool to explore information necessary for business operations and decision-making.
Internet is a tool for users to purchase products though the e-commerce platforms.
Internet a tool to support customers of the organizations through the network, such as counseling and inquiries by distributing shareware or freeware to customers, etc.
Entertainment
Internet is a tool to create leisure and recreation for users, such as searching online magazines, online newspapers, and other online news, with the same formats as seen in the printed magazines.
Internet is a tool for users to listen to the online radio channels.
Internet is a tool for users to download both new and old movie trailers for personal entertainment
From these the aforementioned reasons, the importance of Internet is describedas follows:
Applications of modern information technology.
Quick and easy communication.
As the world's largest information resource
Internet is used as necessary tools for IT work to create quick access to the enormous data that helps the users make decisions and manage business in terms of both individual and organizational.
4. Importance of learning resources through the Internet
We are always aware of the importance of learning resource through the Internet and they are as follows:
Data Storage from learning resources through the Internet. The data from online learning resource is quick and easy to be stored in the form of electronic data. Moreover, more than one million characters can be stored in the memory card. Users can transmit the learning data through the internet network with the speed of 120 letters per second. Meanwhile, the data containing in 200 pages can be transmitted just within 40 minutes. In which the learners do not have to waste time in sending page by page.
Learners can verify the accuracy of the received information through the internet network: Typically, the data is sent by electronic formats from our location to another location through digital system. The transferred data is automatically verified by the programs. If an error is recognized, the program will find a solution. If there are only few mistakes, the recipients may use their program to correct the information.
Internet helps users work quicker: Typically, the speed of transferring electronic signal/data is equivalent to the lightspeed. So, it makes the data transfer of learning resources from another part of the world done quickly, although, that file contains large data. The fast speed of the Internet makes the learners more comfortable, such as people can make the new identity card any time because the population database is connected all over the country to facilitate the users.
Learning through Internet network is a cost-saving: When we connect the computers with the internet network to send, receive, and copy the data from the online learning resources, the cost is economical compared with the other methods. Moreover, it is fast and accurate.
The Office of Trade Commission (B.E.2549), technology-based learning text book for upper secondary students, based on basic education curriculum, B.E. 2544, Bangkok Metropolitan Authority, the Printing House of the Teachers' Council (Ladprao), page 201.
5. IP addresses of learning resources through the Internet network
The IP address functions itself as an identity of every computer across the world when they are connected through the internet network and it must be unique and different in numbers. Moreover, it has been set as the rules for each organization to follow. The purpose is to easily identify each operating system’s identity and conveniently manage the IT network. So, the domain name has been set to replace the IP address for an ease of users. Each computer has its name on the computer network, such as setting www.nfe.go.th to replace the IP address of 203.172.1420, for example.
The domain is in the form of hierarchical format.
http: //www.nfe.go.th
Number 1 means communication standard through internet network
Number 2 means network or World Wide Web (www.)
Number 3 means the title of company or website
Number 4 means business types of the organization
Number 5 means abbreviation of country’s name where hosts the Domain name. In this case, it is Thailand
ac (academic)
co (company)
go (goverment)
or (organization)
in (individual)
mi (military)
net (network)
com (commercial)
Services through the Internet network
1. Search Engine: We can explore the information from various websites by typing the keywords from the content or the titles of the contents we inquire. Once, it is done, there will be many lists from the search. The users can choose according to their needs, such as orchid, reserved wildlife, today’s hot news, gold price, weather forecast, and exchange rate, etc. (The learners can practice using the Internet from the public library or self-study from the book).
2. Electronic mail, also known as an e-mail. It is the new text communication that replaced the letter in the form of paper. We can send and receive e-mail very fast and it becomes popular nowadays.
3. Online conversation or chat room is the two-way communication channel through the Internet network which creates the immediate interactions and knowledge exchange spontaneously.
4. Webboard: The users can share various information, provide feedback, and interact with the interesting topics by posting comments. Meanwhile, service provider will perform duty to verify the contents. If it is not appropriate to be published, it will be immediately removed from the web board.
5. Advertisement and Public Relation (PR): Typically, most of the organizations will create their own websites to promote their organizations or entities to the public. Users can access these websites to explore the information such as the location of libraries, the museum ‘s missions, locations of the zoos, the places serving as the learning r e sources, or downloading the NFE students’ final exam schedule, etc.
6. To update news: There are many news websites, such as CNN, New York Time, and various local online news.
7. To read journals and publications: Many publishing companies provides readers with the online magazines, such as MaxPC magazine, Interment Today magazine, and Dichan magazine, etc.
8. To send greeting on special days: The users can easily send an electronic greeting card or E-Card with free of charge through the Internet network.
9. To purchase goods and services: The users can purchase the desired products through online platform. We can select, view the product’s details, confirm the orders, and pay by credit card. Many companies have launched various advertisements and promotion campaigns through online platforms. So, it is popular and well recognized in many countries.
10. Online Radio and TV channels: Nowadays, there are many online radio stations broadcasting through the internet network. The users can select the desired channels on demand. Meanwhile, the video is also broadcasted through the internet network. But, the speed of the internet is still a major cause of problems. It still cannot transmit large data, then the picture’s quality is not good as expected.
Advantages, disadvantages, and netiquettes when using the Internet as a learning resource
1. Advantages from using the internet as a learning resource
Internet is considered a new global community. This has created new various services through online platform at all time. Here, we are required to discuss the advantages of the Internet as follows;
1.1 E-mail (Electronic mail): It is an online service tool that allows users to send and receive electronic mail over the Internet network. The sender must send the message to the address of the recipient which is in the form of an email. When the sender sends an e-mail to the desired email address, the recipient will receive an e-letter within a few seconds no matter it comes from which part of the world. It is also possible to send a file or an attachment with an e-mail as well.
1.2 For remote login or telnet: It is one of the internet service tools that allows users to log in anywhere and anytime by another computer which are in the different places. For example, normally, we use computer to work at school. After the school, when we are at home and we also have a computer connecting to the internet network, we can continue our work by retrieving the desired data from the computer at school.
1.3 File Transfer Protocol or FTP: It is another internet service tool. The users can search and retrieve data from various online information resources and store that data in the forms of text, image, and audio formats on their own computers
1.4 Exchange of information and ideas (Usenet): It is another internet service platform to exchange information and experience with the users around the world. All users can express their opinions and give suggestions to the topics that they are interested by managing them into a group or a new group to discuss in various topic categories, such as books, pets, trees & plants, computer, and politics, etc. Currently, there are over 15,000 Usenet groups. It is considered one of the big online platforms to express opinions for everyone around the world.
1.5 Online conversation through message service (Chat, IRCInternet Relay Chat): It is another internet service platform that allows users to chat to each other by typing text which is one of communication means that is very popular among the chat ters. This online platform provides the chatters with a sense that they are really sitting together in the same room at the same time, although, they are living in other countries or even in different time zones.
Source : http://www.geocities.com/useng_9/33.htm March 9, 2522.
1.6 E-Commerce or Electronic Commerce is an electronic shopping service platform, such as selling books, computers, and tourism packages, etc. Currently, many companies have applied the online platform to conduct business and serve customers on a 24-hours basis. In B.E. 2540, the value of ecommerce has excessed one hundred thousand million baht with the increasing trend to be over 1 trillion baht in the next five years. It is considered a new interesting business but trading transactions are still low, not likely as expected.
1.7 Entertainment: Lots of entertainment programs are available in various platforms, such as games, music, TV programs, radio channels, etc., Therefore, we can access the entertainment programs on demand with 24-hours services from various sources around the world, such as Thailand, America, Europe, and Australia, and more.
2. Disadvantages from using the internet as a learning resource
Many people say that things always come up with two sides like a coin. It depends on which coin-side is chosen by that person and then it becomes the advantages. Certainly, the internet also provides us both advantages and disadvantages. But the outstanding disadvantages are as follows;
2.1 Internet addiction disorder (Webaholic): As known, internet is not defined as an addicted thing. But when comparing with the drugs, it is not different if you are always online and it ruins your work and health.
2.2 Internet makes you obsessed with it. You may need to use the internet for a long time and cannot control yourselves from not using it or you feel frustrated when you are required to lessen the use of internet or you may think that to stop using the internet is just the way to avoid such problems, or to use the internet makes you feel better. Many of us have tried to deceive the family or friends about their actual needs of using the internet. Using internet in an inappropriate way always causes the potential risks on losing a job, failing a study, and making relationships among the surrounding people broken. Moreover, internet also causes us the increasing household costs and also affects the mental disorders, such as feeling nervous when discontinuing the use of internet or unconsciously using internet with the time longer than what we have intended.
2.3 The indecent immoral: The information contained, or contrary to morality, with pornography and erotic contents, are available on the internet for a long time, but it is not obvious due to certain restrictions of website development in the past. But at the present, these images are explicitly posted on certain websites which are easily accessible by children and youths without the fully parents’ control. Conclusively, the internet is considered a virtual world without borders and open for everyone to post what they need. Therefore, these inappropriate things can be published quickly and we are not capable to accuse anyone upon this action
2.4 Trojan virus, cyber worm and logic bomb: They are all cyber threats that hold the duties to destroy the stored data and cause damage to the computer.
Trojan virus is a malicious software or malware which can increasingly reproduce itself and cause the efficiency of your computer to slow down by consuming more memory.
Cyber worm has been created by Robert Morris, Jr. and it has widely been known throughout the world. It is a simulation program that can reproduce itself by increasing domination of one system resources and slow down the system.
Logic bomb uses the malicious code to harm the computer system. It will trigger an attack when specific conditions are met such as it is defined to destroy all files on 31 July 2542 (B.E.), etc.
The seven cybercrimes toward the children are described as follows;
The publishing of pornography: It is related to all kinds of pornography including the partially edited pornography.
Deception toward children: it is the actions related to deception toward children or youth, such as children and youth are invited to the chatroom aiming to mislead them to fall under the situations that are prone to be raped, or conduct the illegal actions.
Prostitution: It is an action related to the online adverts of prostitution services or invitations to jointly conduct such services.
E-commerce of hazardous goods such as anesthetic drugs, aphrodisiac, guns, radios and electric gun.
Homemade bomb-making/explosive device. The explanations of the process on how to make a bomb or explosive device published thoroughly on the online platform.
Online gambles: Various kinds of gambles on online platform.
Online games: Games that contain violent and sexual harassment contents.
3. Netiquettes for the use of internet as a learning resource
Today, internet has played a major role on economic conditions and has affected the people’s ways of livings in almost every aspect. It also has caused the social problems in terms of privacy, security, freedom of speech, integrity, and awareness of social values to treat each other in the online community with netiquettes. It can be concluded that internet allows people around the world to communicate and conduct social activities together through online platforms, no matters they are from a small or big social community. So, we can say that internet is a large online platform that gather the people around the world, which is not different as living in the real world that needs the rules (Codes of Conduct) to serve as a mechanism to monitor the ways they behave and interact among its social members.
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