Around the World in 80 Seconds
the Internet and Higher Education
We are living in a microwave world today: we all want things done in seconds without any wasted time. It seems that now, in the digital age, almost all classrooms in schools across the United States are able to access the internet. This does not necessarily mean that students and teachers are lazy and just want things to happen in seconds; on the contrary, it does gives teachers and students the ability to access different types of information from resources across the globe.
The internet does not only allow teachers, students, and anyone else the opportunity to access all kinds of information; it also gives people the opportunity to work wherever they are at any time as long as they have access to it. For example, here at Boyce College and at other colleges as well, students are now able to take exams online and write and submit papers online without having to print and turn in hard copies. What a comfortable life it is that the world of the internet has provided to us!
The internet is not helpful in every situation, but its usefulness extends far beyond the classroom; it connects the classrooms with the larger world. People from different classrooms, states, cities, and even countries can connect to each other on apps like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, FaceTime, and many others. Technology and the internet create many amazing opportunities from which students and teachers can benefit; it helps teachers to easily access important information to enhance teaching and learning more effectively. The internet has immense potential to improve the quality of education, which is one of the pillars of sustainable development.
What about online learning? The only way we are able to take online classes is through the internet. Think about not having to go to class to turn in an assignment, or not having to travel several miles to take classes! Online learning has a lot of benefits such as low cost, flexibility of schedule, etc. The internet has made it so easy that people from outside America can take online classes. My father, for example, graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and decided he needed another degree in Missions. Therefore, he's currently taking online classes at Concordia Theological Seminary, where he only needs to be in class for two weeks and completes the rest online.
He is currently in Nigeria, but able to work and submit his assignments and papers online through the help of the internet. In addition, the internet is a wonderful resource for classroom activities and research. Both students and educators can benefit from being able to research material for teaching, projects, papers, etc. on the internet. Here is a video of Dr. Bosch at Boyce College discussing how he, as an educator, finds the internet useful.
The internet also provides the opportunity to share the gospel online. This could be done through YouTube posts, websites, Snapchat stories, and a lot more. For educators in higher Christian ed, it is highly recommended that they teach their students the benefits and opportunities there are to utilizing the internet wisely to spread the gospel. Educators should, if possible, provide a video chat in classrooms with a missionary serving abroad to show students what other countries look like on video chat instead of just showing them pictures. This also gives students the opportunity to ask the missionary any questions they have about evangelism or missions. This exercise will help students prepare well for the journey that is ahead of them.
In conclusion, as Christians, we have a calling to serve. Although most people do not have the opportunity to travel across the globe to fulfill or respond to this call, the internet has made it easy to take on this assignment and obey the call. As mentioned earlier, one way to do this is through posting videos online, writing papers, or even posting videos on Snapchat stories, and all these can start from the classrooms.
by Williams Thomas