Wayne Boardman

wboardman@email.com

Introduction

The incredible explosion of the Internet is changing the way we work, play, and communicate. Virtually every college and university is being forced to come to terms with this phenomenon as well. Although computers have influenced what is taught at the post-secondary level and, to some extent, how knowledge is gathered and shared, the Internet is transforming education more than any technology since the invention of the printing press.

Most college faculty and students have become comfortable using computers as word processors and for such functions as automated library card catalogs. These applications have improved the speed and accuracy of some educational activities, but the traditions of pedagogy have remained largely unchanged for many decades. The Internet has the potential for accelerating educational innovations that will revolutionize schooling at all levels. In recent years, fundamental academic processes such as lecture-based, "mass-produced" teaching has come under scrutiny. The principle that true learning must be "constructed" by the individual rather than simply transmitted has led to the growth of a myriad of learner-directed, interactive, and collaborative strategies (Kerka, 1996).

It may be that the whole concept of campus-based, face-to-face education will eventually be overtaken by technology-driven variations of the distance education model. However, many still believe that such technology can never replace the experience of being at a college and interacting with other learners and scholars. While the debate will likely continue, a number of questions are posed for today's post-secondary institutions:

• What Internet tools are now available that could enhance instructors' educational goals without a huge commitment in time or resources?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of using some of these basic Internet strategies?

• What guidelines should instructors and administrators follow to maximize the chances for success?

In attempting to address these questions, I am proposing a simple, gradual approach to integrating Internet tools -- primarily the World Wide Web and electronic mail -- into the classroom. This approach does not rely on programming sophistication or technologies beyond what most colleges and many students now have at their disposal. Most of all, it does not abandon the best of today's education -- the interaction between a knowledgeable, caring instructor and a motivated learner. In fact, I believe it is possible to use relatively "low-tech" Internet strategies to enhance rather than erode the ideal of a "high-touch" education.