Internet and Education

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Internet and Education

• Internet
• Communication Services
• Lecture 2

Ruth Geer
March 99
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What is the Internet?

• A global network of networks
• An environment of software standards
• A medium for communication
• A major collection of electronic resources
• A new environment for social interaction

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Data Pathways to the Internet
The Internet
Telstra / AARnet backbone
2 to 10Mbps
PSTN Exchange
34K
128K
Access provider
Modems
Server
Internet Service Provider
Designed by David Curtis
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What is it used for?

• Sharing and communicating information that is
  both fast and cost effective.
• Recreation, education, academic research, and
  on-line commerce
• Current events (eg Olympics), traveling hints,
  shopping, etc

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Who governs the Internet?

• There is no single authority figure.
• However there is a body that is responsible for
  the technical management and direction of the
  Internet
• The Internet Architecture Board is responsible
  for standards - addresses.
• There is a common method of communication known
  as a protocol (TCP/IP)

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Internet services

• World Wide Web
• E-mail
• Newsgroups
• common interest groups
• FTP (File transfer Protocol)
• ability to download and transfer information

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Further Services

• Gopher
• information index and retrieval system
• Telnet
• allows access to another computer system
• IRC (Internet Relay Chat)
• MUDS MOOS
• multi-user simulation environment
• Video-conferencing

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Communication services

• Email (http//www.hotmail.com/)
• 11 text messaging
• Email discussion lists
• Group discussions
• News
• Information distribution and discussion
• Other services
• IRC, Groupware

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Email

• Email transmission
• Client / server - Post Office Protocol
• Text, voice, video or graphics
• Email addresses separated into 2 parts, separated
  by _at_
• New text genre
• Informal, brief
• Asynchronous

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Email

• Popular browsers can send and receive messages
• Dedicated applications provide more flexible
  management of messages
• Composition of email
• e-mail address
• subject
• body of message
• signature

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Impact and significance

• Provides high speed transfer
• allows arbitrary group of individuals to share
  ideas
• can communicate with more people using e-mail
  than with any other Internet service
• can send replies automatically
• can transmit text, graphics voice

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Email in the classroom

• How can email be used in classroom practice?
• As an instructional tool
• As a communication tool
• Building communities
• Integration with curriculum
• Changing classroom practice
• Intercultural E-mail Classroom
• http//www.stolaf.edu/network/iecc

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Discussion lists

• Facilitates group discussion
• Members have common interest
• Subscription to list is usually a requirement
• Program distributes e-mail to members on the list
• Lists may have a moderator

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Issues related to discussion lists

• Messages come directly to your account
• Great source of information
• May generate enormous quantities of mail
• Important to select groups wisely
• Check if list is moderated
• http//tile.net/lists/
• http//www.liszt.com/

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Usenet newsgroups

• A collection of computers that act like
  electronic bulletin boards
• Messages on Newsgroups are public
• Most are unmoderated
• Categorised into 7 primary heirarchies
• comp - misc
• news - rec
• sci - soc
• talk

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Newsgroups

• Access determined by ISP
• As a reader you can save an article or print it
• As a responder
• you can reply via e-mail
• post a reply to the article
• post a new reply
• Stimulate thoughts, promote dialogue,
• facilitate exchange

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Hints on participation

• Dont make assumptions about author
• Remember responses read by people from other
  cultures
• Take time to think
• Do not take insults personally
• If a novice, start by asking for help
• Use symbols to indicate feelings eg -)

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Newsgroup netiquette

• Be kind to your audience
• Tailor your response to audience
• Make it short and specific
• Dont participate in inappropriate postings
  (flaming)
• Dont devolve personal details
• Dont post personal replies

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Internet Relay Chat

• Provides a service for many users to communicate
  about a given topic using a keyboard
• User joins a channel and enters a nickname
• Exchange takes place in real time
• http//www.siec.k12.in.us/west/edu/chat.htm
• http//www.geocities.com/cgi-bin/search/isearch
• http//www.teachers.net/

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Characteristics of online interaction

• Anonymity
• Enhanced familiarity
• Crosses geographical, political social and
  physical boundaries
• Convenience
• Synchronous or Asynchronous