Information Literacy
Introduction
Information competency involves the ability of an individual to tell when information is required. A person should be able to search for such information, analyze and efficiently employ the required information. When people can understand the moral questions that are connected to information technology, then they have attained information literacy. Most institutions have incorporated the notion of information culture in their curricular in order to prepare their students with the needed information. Learning institutions are advised to enhance maximum utilization of the learning wherewithal available through employing approaches that have been created to assist the learners to expand on their information knowledge. In most classrooms today, learners use the web to access information on the various subjects they are studying.
Advantages of using internet in the classroom
They are able to present their research work to their instructors either as a group or individually. Using the internet as an instruction tool plays a role in motivating a majority of the learners. The youth are usually fascinated by technology and for this reason the teachers ought to take advantage of this curiosity and eagerness for the web as a way of enhancing learning. The internet offers a quick way to pass information across regional obstructions. Consequently, learners can come up with joint tasks that involve students across nations or continents. Both scholars and educators would have contact to a wide variety of information across the globe.
If a majority of the learning institutions are connected to the net and the instructors are given directions on the use of internet culture, then the gap that exists between the learners in underprivileged and affluent institutions would be lessened. Besides this, there are a myriad of interrelated activities that learners across all ages can get involved in via the net. Learners could have fun and study simultaneously and yet these activities are usually free. An access to the internet has in away helped the students acquire diverse skills and knowledge in writing. The skills acquired helps the students in presenting their work on the internet and this helps the students to be well acquainted in non –chronological writings. The internet has abundant resource materials that help the students in the research work. Therefore, apart from getting communication knowledge the students will be able to perform quality research which will also be presentable.
Challenges encountered in using the internet in the classroom
There are certain problems that both learners and instructors face while using the internet in the classroom. There are times when learners log in to improper cites such as pornographic ones which may cause them psychological stress. Other times, learners may plagiarize their research work resulting in poor grades. Students also face the problem of lack of confidentiality as criminals, dealers and other unauthorized individuals can effortlessly access their research work when the learners are online. When instruction in the classroom is given via use of the internet, the institution has to employ acceptable guidelines on evaluation, as well as training both the instructors and the students on the various technologies they are going to employ. Use of internet may ruin student’s progress in class. It is difficult for one to evaluate how the student is moving ahead in his or her studies. As opposed to normal learning where internet is not used, one may not be able to supervise the work being performed. Also a great deal of time is used in teaching students how to effectively use the internet and this should be comparative to the much the tutor gets in offering the service.
