This 3-day, hands-on course is intended for beginners who want to quickly become familiar with the Internet and it's main applications. A novel interactive method of instruction is introduced that is designed to make use of the full power of the Internet. By the end of the course, the participants will have learned: 

• What the Internet is and how it works.
• The benefits that use of the Internet brings to the work of NGOs in Jordan.
• How to navigate and utilize some aspects of the World Wide Web (WWW). 
• How to extract information from the World Wide Web and use it to prepare, edit and present reasoned reports and studies (Mini-project).
• How to set up an e-mail account with Hotmail (Free e-mail service provider).
• How to communicate via e-mail.
• How to access news groups and post messages (Optional). 
• How to use available simple tools to build basic web sites (Optional).

Course Curriculum

• What is the Internet (NET)? 
• History.
• How it works (This is for the technically minded).
• Benefits to NGOs in Jordan.
• What is the World Wide Web (Web)? 
• How it works (This is for technically-minded people).
• The Web - a graphical, interactive, hypertext information system. 
• Web Browsers (Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, America On-Line). Are all commercial browsres the same? Conrasts and comparison.
• "Surfing" the Web - hands on 
• Navigating through the Web.
• Using Search Engines (AltaVista, Excite, LookSmart, Yahoo, Lycos, etc.). What differences are there among the various search engines? How do I choose the best one?
• Finding "stuff".
• Focusing one's search: How to filter the piles of information? 
• Using the Uniform Resource Locator (URL): Finding specific Web pages.
• Downloading, saving, and editing information: Preparing a good report/study.
• Discussing copyright issues: What information am I permitted to use, and how? What is plagiarism?
• The luck, experience and persistence factors in finding required information.
• E-mail 
• What is e-mail and how does it work?
• Advantages and disadvantages of e-mail.
• How to apply for free e-mail service (Hotmail, as an example).
• Sending and receiving e-mail (The participants shall send one another well-formed messages with relevant content).
• What are mailing lists? How does my Institution prepare and utilize these lists?
• Web Pages (Optional)
• How to design a simple Web page.
• How to organize an effective Web Page.
• How to create internal and external links.
• How to include images (Bring your favorite photo to include on your page during the class - depends on availability of a scanner).
• What it takes to put it all on-line.
• News groups (Optional)
• What are news groups? 
• Accessing news groups and posting messages. 
• Questions and Answers as the programme progresses. Please feel free to ask any question at any time. The Internet is so vast that no one person could grasp all its intricacies. This is your chance to embarrass your instructor!
• How can I learn more?

  Handouts will be given out that cover the syllabus and give those who want to know more about the Internet additional information. On the first two days of the course, an optional extra hour (4-5 p.m.) will be devoted to practice acquired skills and to augment the knowledge of the participants in further Internet issues. The adage "Practice makes perfect" is apt in this context.
 

Prerequisites: Basic computer knowledge. Reasonable proficiency in English.