Using the Internet in Vocational Education :: Technology Telecommunications Essays

Using the Internet in Vocational Education "It is an exciting time in education. The Internet offers new opportunities for students and teachers a link to learn in interesting ways" (Ellsworth 1994, p. xxiii). "Telecommunications truly is one of the most exciting educational tools I have encountered in my teaching career" (Watson 1994, p. 41). "The Internet's usefulness is limited only by our level of commitment. We first have to get plugged in before we can get turned on. Then we can help our profession by using our imagination to create a vocational educator's Dream Net in the years to come" (Seguin and Seguin 1995, p. 33). The Internet is a vast computer-based network of networks that includes listservs and newsgroups-discussion forums on specific topics-as well as electronic mail and electronic journals. It is used in education, business, and leisure, and students must be able to navigate it to become prepared citizens. This ERIC Digest does not pretend to be an exhaustive list of vocational education resources on the Internet-the list changes daily. It offers suggestions for using the Internet in the vocational classroom and lists newsgroups, World Wide Web (WWW) sites, listservs, and electronic journals of interest to vocational educators. It also serves as a supplement to an ERIC Key, Locating ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career, and Vocational Education Materials on the Internet. Much of the material for this Digest was received as a result of a message sent to the VOCNET listserv asking how vocational educators were using the Internet in their classrooms. Responses varied widely. Many of the respondents indicated that they were just getting started with the Internet and using it primarily for sending messages. Some students have joined listservs and newsgroups; others have surfed the 'Net for information and materials from all over the world. Examples of Current Use The director and associate professor of vocational-technical education at Dakota State University uses the Internet primarily for e-mail. He requires students to send queries to AskERIC; in his "Technology in Voc Ed" course, graduate students have to use the WWW and sign up for a listserv. He is considering offering a course for vocational education personnel entirely through the Internet (A. Seguin, Internet message, June 20, 1995). Cognitive Training Associates, Inc. develops and uses networks for large corporations. They use the Internet to distribute technology-based training applications-mostly core skill acquisition and reinforcement, knowledge transfer and sharing, and use of job-specific smart applications that perform lower-level tasks and provide on-demand expertise (M.