New Challenges in Web-Based Education

The Web as a Powerful Data Bank of Information and Knowledge for Teaching and Learning

As a powerful resource, the Web is important for promoting independent learning. Reading materials include scanned articles from books and various forms of e-book. Search tools of various Web sites dealing with specific issues or topics provide learners with facilities beyond the traditional use of a library.

The Web can provide information in an interactive way, not as a linear process, so that learners can learn to build up their own knowledge. Knowledge includes not only information, but also most importantly how people make sense of it. The Web is a good tool for teaching and learning and there are things students could learn from Web-based teaching that they could not learn from face-to-face teaching. However, Web-based teaching cannot replace face-to-face teaching as each has its advantages and disadvantages depending on the specific educational contexts.