My main focus within this essay is to compare the use of the internet with using conventional learning methods by listing some advantages and disadvantages of both and also to discuss one of the many implications that have an impact on it, which is the issue of Health and Safety.

I also enlisted the aid of an Open University postgraduate student, whose studies do not naturally rely on the internet but who has discovered its possibilities to improve the learning of what is principally a literary subject.

In the section on personal experience I intend to look at what teaching and learning on the internet has meant for me and in doing so will give examples of my own internet studying experiences and techniques, using the T171 course as an example.

Personally speaking I feel that there are currently more advantages than disadvantages with using the new technology available and with the following bullet points I aim to compare using the internet as an example and using the same method of finding information using the “customary method”.

The following are advantages of using a computer:

:     When you study part time and work all day, using the internet in the evening and at weekends from home is the perfect way to study, because it enables you the time to be able to keep up with all the other jobs that need doing also.  

:     To find information on a certain subject, it is easy to use a search engine to enter whatever keyword or phrase you want to search for.  For particular questions I often use Ask Jeeves which gives several options.  

:     Of course using the internet, you can search many different types of journal, from magazines to newspapers, books and also audio versions of information, which can sometimes be the authors own voice which can also help to visualise ideas better.  

:     The other advantage that the internet has, is having the ability to bookmark the pages that you most use.  Of course within the bookmark facility there is the ability to organise your references into some semblance of order.  

:     Cost wise, with the introduction of many internet free packages this information can now be sought at all times of the day and a lot more cheaply than previously.  This category would; several months ago been in the disadvantage category because the price of being connected to the internet used to be quite costly and also restrictive.

:     With a home computer, the information on the internet is available for you to use 24 hours a day 7 days a week.  

In conclusion of these advantages my opinion would be that use of the internet is by far the most extensive research tool that you can use and all with the use of any computer with a modem. The speed in which you can find information is a definite bonus and the fact that any piece of information you find can be bookmarked for future reference. Compare this with all the foot walking that you do whilst having to visit the library and it makes the internet seem a definite time saver. 

&   When you work part time and have to also find time to visit libraries, the pressures are greater bearing in mind the short hours that most libraries have to enable you to spend quality time there and being an Open University student some libraries ask for a payment to enable you to have borrowing rights to their medium.  

&   Using the original search mode it would be necessary to find all of the sources of literature within the library and scour them individually.  For the audio sources, which would be available within the library, it would be necessary to use an audio area specifically set up within a library.

&   Using the conventional method would mean either using a paper bookmark to mark your page (if the book belongs to you) but if the book is a reference book in the library it would mean photocopying the information required, or even copying the information out longhand.

&   Time wise, the ordinary method is more costly, not just because of the time spent in the library collating all the information but also costs connected with getting there.  

&   Libraries and other information places have set opening hours which means that your research information time is limited, especially if you are using reference books which cannot be taken out on loan.  

The following are disadvantages of leaning online:

:     If you are using a home computer, there are many technical problems that can be  experienced and once you have problems they can sometimes take a while to sort out.

:     Given that you are a local student, it is possible that you can get access to a computer at your School, College or University.  The disadvantage in using someone else’s computer is that your bookmarks are not available.  The way round this being that you would need to keep your references written down so that you knew where to access them from any computer.  

Compared with advantages of using the 'book' method:

&   If you have the books, journals, cassette or video tapes available, your information is always there without any difficulties.

&   This would not affect the student who uses the ordinary methods of research because they are used to the restraint on times when information is available to them.  

In conclusion of the disadvantages my opinion is still that the internet is a better research tool, due to the amount of “at your fingertips” information you can access.  Although there can be room for both methods because they can complement each other with some courses.

Education via the internet opens up more opportunities, both for distance learning and for any, disabled people who via conventional methods would either find it difficult to get to a place of learning easily or to find a course that they are interested in at a convenient place near to them.  Taking the T171 course as an example, with the whole course being carried out on-line with no tutorials, it is the ideal scenario for this group of enthusiasts.  Using the internet is not the only way of targeting these types of students but video conferencing is another method.  One teacher conducting a lesson with a massive audience.  This method has been used in some schools where teaching support has been either reduced or where there is a temporary shortage.  

In conclusion, there are many other implications that the internet has had on teaching and learning.  I have only touched on a couple that have interested me but the I feel that the advantages that I have listed fair outweigh the disadvantages in using the internet as a teaching tool.  

The Health and Safety issue is very much in the background although it is actually very important, as most companies know as they have to make safe environments for their staff to work in as a matter of course.  One of the problems with this issue is that it is not known what an effect the introduction of so much technology is going to have on our health in the future, although much research is being done on that very matter currently.

My own opinion is that this medium of the internet will never totally replace the conventional method of teaching in the classroom with a teacher or learning using books and other literature but it can be used alongside and as a compliment to other methods.  Despite the fact that some people are obviously exploiting the internet for other means, it is indeed a revolution which has limitless opportunities to enrich peoples thirst for knowledge.