The Internet as a Source of Information in the Academic World - Essay Example

The Internet as a source of Information in the Academic World The world of Internet has brought about a lot of interests for the different segments of the society and we just cannot pinpoint any single one that represents and manifests its true purpose. In order to find out what the world of Internet, i.e. the World Wide Web (WWW) is all about, we have to examine where it all started, though in a very brief manner and the advantages and disadvantages that it gives to the students since this topic focuses solely on the academic world and its linkages. In the academic world, there has been a lot of help and facilitation which credits itself solely on the basis of the Internet and it is because of the Internet that we see programs like distance learning and e-studies coming up and having their rise with each passing day. Students are being taught through the Internet and there have been glorified modifications in the name of teaching which is done through the Internet. This has all added up to the thrill of studying and attaining education, which sadly was missing in the years before the Internet actually came about. What the best thing Internet has done is to inculcate the feeling of finding the best possible courses within the nook and corners of the world and then after getting enrolled on to them through this very Internet, the whole process of education and training starts. A student need not move to any other location in his quest of achieving more because Internet has made it possible to bring the very best and the most convenient of knowledge right at his doorstep. The presence of e-libraries and tutorials on the Internet is also a testimony that there has been a lot of development as far as the academic world and the Internet is concerned. Internet is basically a network of networks, which is connected through different telephone network companies that are themselves linked throughout the world. These computers usually connect through a device known as modem whereby computer signals are transmitted through it. More than 50 million people are making use of this service across the globe. The main content on the net is the “World Wide Web” or abbreviated as WWW. There are so many sites on this web that one can sit on the Internet for ages but the sites would not finish. Internet provides visits to different places as well as caters to what a user wants to know – just about anything. There are many search engines from where specific and precise information can be found easily and without any major complexities. It is all free on the Internet to this level but there are certain sites which ask for money in return of their services to the users. The domestic use of Internet is spreading at a fast pace. E-mail is the most famous of the net services that is being used by people all over the world. Other than this, chat programs and voice is also being used all over the world and is quite famous. Academically speaking, the Internet is used for conducting online classes as well as seminars, workshops and shows that can preview products before they are brought out in the market thus acting as a way of performing market research. It can easily empower a student’s prospects and set the tone for future accomplishments in his academics. The Internet is a very helpful tool for kids whereby they can learn much more they actually do from their books and school classes. It is all online, all real and everything at the click of your finger tips. Different sites that give them play coupons are easily the most hit-upon on the World Wide Web. The advantages of Internet in terms of attaining education are immense and they cannot be denied their due place. The interesting thing of note here is the fact that it has cut down on costly education expenses and the same have thus curtailed as a result. More than anything else, this education has forced its way to the masses and there are no class restrictions amongst the society when the talk goes out loud concerning the segmentation prevalent in just about every society of the world. The amount of information that Internet comes up with and that too in a very short period of time is something that is unmatchable. Even the age old libraries cannot compare themselves with the power of the Internet. Internet can literally find a book, author or even a statement printed in a certain book within microseconds. One such search engine that is considered as a favorite amongst the students is the www.google.com. Others which are made exclusive use of when the need is to find timely and relevant information are www.wikipedia.org and www.yahoo.com to name a few. There are a lot of similar websites, search engines and portals which really help when a student wants to attain more knowledge, seek relevant details or just look to quest his thirst for finding out specific information and data. On the other hand, Internet is very dangerous for the children as well. It can be much more disadvantageous than being gainful. The amount of cyber crimes and adult material, which is there on the Internet, is really harmful for young minds. Certain measures have been brought about by different Internet companies, which can restrict the child from accessing the above-mentioned kind of websites as well as preparing different programs, which can allow parents to monitor their kids when they are online. The disadvantages can also exceed down to levels like the cheating of published stuff which is used by students very easily now. They can easily plagiarize and pick out stuff without even quoting the exact source. This is indeed a heinous crime and one that needs to be kept a check in order to follow a more safe and sound educational policy when the relation is of Internet with the academics. More than anything else, we must make sure that the academic world gets more benefits than the other way round when one speaks of the uses and positive roles of the Internet. With this, we touch down upon the roles that the Internet world has brought to the vast amount of users, be them students, teachers or even the layman who wants to know more about the world around him and have an interest in finding out more and more. What Internet can do is diverse his vision and thought process which eventually would help in his own development in the long run. Internet is for the betterment of students and they have to understand the very fact that its proper usage can reap rich dividends. Falling short on the same count can have adverse effects, one which can lead to suspensions and even expulsions from the curriculum, university or college for that matter. The students must be taught their responsibilities when they make use of the information present for them on the Internet and it is duty bound on their part to come up with solid results and excellent research every now and then. In the end, it would be proper to suggest that the governments need to play their righteous roles when it comes to imparting education. This could be through the distance learning programs which are introduced time and again or the Internet studies which can consist of endless possibilities nonetheless. The quest is to explore the world of Internet and track down the significant aspects which are within it and when the same has been ascertained in entirety, and then only we can fathom that there has been a positive turn for all concerned. The students and more than anyone else, those related with the academic world are the actual winners and it is up to their respective domains as to how they employ the benefits and uses of the Internet. The Internet is a big platform for finding out just about every knowledge and information related with this world and even the whole universe. It can calculate the minutest of details, track down the subjects which are taught in an offshore campus or even bring teachers in close proximity with the students through the electronic means. The new generation of present times owes a lot of gratitude to the people who made this dream come true and they must show the same in the form of its correct usage at all times possible. All said and done, the best usage of Internet would only bring about the very best out of the students themselves and in doing so; they would ensure that the best of their skills and abilities are being used. Thus the justification is pretty much there when we fathom that the Internet is indeed a true source of information and knowledge for the academic world and it can bring the very best out of the students within a very short period of time. The need is to understand the correct usage and then employ the same in the search boundaries. BIBLIOGRAPHY HUNLEY, Sawyer A. (2005). Adolescent Computer Use and Academic Achievement. Adolescence Vol. 40 JACKSON, Charles L. (2001). The Origins of the Internet - A Research Effort in the Department of Defenses Advanced Projects Research Agency Led to Many of the Innovations That Power Todays Internet. World & I, Vol. 16 JACKSON, Linda A. (2005). How Low-Income Children Use the Internet at Home. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, Vol. 16 THOMAS, Charles F. (2002). Libraries, the Internet, and Scholarship: Tools and Trends Converging. Marcel Dekker Word Count: 1,524 Read More