Human history is an interesting thing – every bit of it. From the evolution of man from apes to discovery of fire and invention of wheels to the later inventions and developments in science and technology, we have indeed come a long way. And the most fascinating of these is the invention of the internet.
How astonishing it is, indeed, to think that with just an internet connection, the whole world is at your fingertips. Today, it is definitely impossible to imagine a life without the internet, as it has now become a part and parcel of our everyday life – both personal and professional.
From accessing news from across the world to saturating the business online to sending a simple ‘hi’to a friend, the internet does it all in a jiffy. The leading search engines such as Google and Yahoo! are always a go to for people with questions and curiosity. And it doesn’t end here, because we now have new media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and many more from where we can not only access information but also share it. Through the internet, we build connections that we never thought would have, as well. The internet has become a powerful tool whereby every other person seeks information, communication and entertainment.
INTERNET AS A MEDIUM OFEDUCATION
As much as it is an effective tool of communication, with the onset of pandemic, the internet is now considered a very crucial instrument of education, as well. Though there was widespread use of the internet for educational purposes such as gathering information for assignments, seminars/projects, doubt resolution, etc. it is the necessity that the pandemic posed for alternative methods of education that has boosted use of the internet in the field of education entertainment. Now, the internet has become an integral part of our life than  it ever was, and the field of education especially, owing to the many benefits that it poses. Many believe that the purpose of the internet has always been education, as it is basically a tool of communication, information flow and awareness.

Bush and Dawson, in the year 2013, have rightly noted that,
“The Internet isn’t just a powerful tool for communication. It’s arguably the most potent force for learning and innovation since the printing press. ”

And the following says, why:

1. Affordable and Economical: 

Offline education owes its high cost to the infrastructure required to house the students and the cost of maintenance of the same, year after year. The commercialization of education and the high costs that followed have become one of the stinkiest barriers of education.

The internet, however, provides easy access to education owing to the affordable prices and costeffectiveness. With just a smart phone and/or a PC with internet connection, students can access quality education. What more, the maintenance cost for these is much, much lesser than what was required otherwise.

2. Multimedia Access: 

Another plus of the internet in education is the access to multimedia study materials that Each individual is different in terms of thoughts, personality and capability. As such, the modes of learning also vary from one person to another.

While some are visual learners, others are auditory learners while others learn faster with both audio and video media in place; while others might require further assistance, too.
The Internet with the huge bundle of information that it stores, also provides for all these modes of learning. Also, this information can be accessed multiple times as and when required.

3. Up-To-Date: 

The internet is always updated. Anything new at any corner of the world can now be accessed by us within seconds. So is it about the information from the past. The Internet provides us with a plethora of options to choose from. From research papers, PowerPoint presentations, tutorial videos to question banks, study guides and platforms such as quora and many more educational websites, we can learn it all from one place.

4. Quality Education

This has now become a point of debate across the country whether online education is an effective tool for imparting knowledge. While it is indeed a point to ponder upon, we can owe its inefficiency to many factors such as novelty due to the changed environment, the lack of access to steady internet connection, the distractive surroundings, etc.
In this way, the internet has become to education, what fuel is to fire. And while we have discussed the benefits of online education, we must also acknowledge that this is not true for all. However, we firmly believe that if these issues are addressed at the right time, in the right way, these benefits would indeed prove for themselves. Excluding these factors and their subsequent impact, the internet with its resources and the endless possibilities that it possesses is the best mode for provision of quality education. It also improves the teacher-student and peer interaction.

5. Environment Friendly

The last, but a major benefit of the internet as a tool of education is that it is an environment friendly medium. Education over the internet significantly reduces the use of paper. Moreover it saves upon the many resources that would otherwise be put to overuse during offline education . With the preservation of these energy sources and reduced paper use, online education proves to be yet another method of sustainable development.

In this way, the internet has become to education, what fuel is to fire. And while we have discussed the benefits of online education, we must also acknowledge that this is not true for all. However, we firmly believe that if these issues are addressed at the right time, in the right way, these benefits would indeed prove for themselves.
We, at eGenius, being the frontrunners of digitally revolutionising the education system look forward for the same.