The internet and education

The internet has had a profound impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Whether it’s online shopping on Amazon, getting a cheap ride in minutes with Uber or making free international calls with Skype, a life without the internet and the inventions it has afforded is simply unthinkable.

However, while the above could be considered luxuries, the internet has also had a huge impact on education, one of the most important factors to achieving a more equitable world. In fact, it is hard to overstate the importance of education today.

Education is the theme of the United Nations’ fourth Sustainable Development Goal, which seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” Across the world, education is seen as one of the keys to eradicating poverty and can have a huge impact on infant mortality rates. Knowing that a child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5 or that teaching students in low-income countries basic reading skills can lift 171 million people out of poverty shows the very tangible benefits of education.

Fortunately, the internet is making education more accessible globally, allowing those who otherwise would not receive an education, to learn and chart their paths towards a brighter future.

We highlight a few ways the internet is becoming a force for good below:

Accessibility

One of the largest barriers to education in rural areas is the lack of easily accessible schools. In many cases, even if students are lucky enough to be enrolled in a school, they must walk miles just to get there. The internet allows students to learn without having to travel huge distances to schools. This means time spent commuting, is spent learning.

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High quality education

The internet allows any student, no matter where in the world they are, to access lectures given by the top academics in the world. Whether it’s a professor at Harvard giving a lecture on “Pseudorandomness in Computer Science” or a lecturer at Cambridge University holding a seminar on “The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia”, a student anywhere in the world can watch all of these and more online.

No need for classrooms

The internet provides the flexibility for students to learn from wherever they have an internet connection. This means dedicated classrooms are no longer needed. In rural areas, this is extremely important, as it means resources can be devoted to teaching and providing internet access, not building.

Multimedia

Whereas conventional classroom-based teaching relies on a teacher lecturing at the front of a classroom and handing out physical worksheets, the internet allows for a far more interactive learning experience.

Using a range of different learning media has been proven to improve educational outcomes for students, which the internet makes easy. Whether it’s interactive videos, flashcards or quizzes, the internet allows teachers to interact with students in fun and engaging ways.

Affordable

Online education is a far more affordable alternative to classroom-based learning. MOOCs (including Udacity, Khan Academy and many others) allow students to take classes from top professors for a far more affordable fee. YouTube, which contains a plethora of lectures and other educational videos, even allows students to learn for free.

Scalability

Teaching online means educators don’t have to worry about class sizes or having too many students in their classroom at any one time. Even in classrooms at some of the top educational institutions, overcrowding can be a problem; I remember one class at Wharton, where students would have to apply to get in and even then students were sitting in the aisles! The internet allows educators to stream, record and broadcast their lectures to many millions of students across the globe.

However, while the above highlights some of the benefits the internet brings to learning, it is worth remembering that over half the world’s population has never used the internet before. Only until we start getting internet access into the hands of the remaining 50% will its effects be truly felt.

Let us know your thoughts on the internet and its impact on education here.

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