Web-enhanced higher education : a tower of Babel

Abstract

The Internet has a unique number of qualities which can allow teachers at all levels to create and use new tools to introduce and personalize the learning experience for their students. This medium carries vast quantities of information in all different formats and modalities such as text, figures, video and audio (both downloadable and streaming). It is dynamic in that new information is being added and ‘old’ information is either being updated or removed every moment of the day and night. Much of this information is first-hand data which has been uploaded fromthe original sources. The information, finally, is constantly accessible (365/24) from anywhere where a telephone can be used. Making optimal use of this 'gold mine' for education means that educators must learn how to use it properly, otherwise it could become a 'Pandora's box'. This special issue presents seven articles dealing with Web-enhanced higher education fromthe competencies needed to design and develop it to the ways in which its use can best be evaluated and the barriers to its implementation.