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Academic Research on the Internet : There Is a Better Way

The internet has become one of the best learning tools of the century.  No matter what we need to know, there's someone in this world who has that knowledge, and the tools online make it easier and easier to find.  We can learn through online courses, get college degrees, study for exams, do research for projects and a myriad of other tasks, ranging from business to pleasure. In this issue, we've expanded on the roll of the internet on education.

 

Online Education Has The Power To Transform Lives And Fulfill Dreams

By Terry McDermott
 

Online education is a dramatic development in the advancement of distance learning. A century ago, a person without access to a school or training program could sometimes get the information that they desired through a correspondence course. It was not a particularly efficient way to get an education but it did open doors that might otherwise have been closed. The quantum leaps in technology during the latter part of the 20th century have altered the profile of distance learning.

Students that cannot attend classes at a traditional college campus can now participate in the same course of study as those attending day or evening school. Online education programs are structured such that a student can integrate lessons into their unique daily schedules. Participants have the flexibility to complete their work when it is convenient but communicate with instructors whenever it is necessary. You can now pursue a college degree at your own pace with a course load that is appropriate for you.

Online education is rapidly evolving and courses are available for a variety of subjects. It is possible for someone to finish their high school studies and obtain a GED online. Courses and certifications are also available in a variety of technical areas. An ever-expanding number of degree programs are available. Students can earn a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree for an impressive list of disciplines.

The Internet is moving well beyond e-mails and e-commerce. Predictions of an Information Age are proving prophetic as the information superhighway carries more and more vehicles transporting ideas opening the door to an education that may have been denied to many. Online education has resulted in thousands of virtual classrooms that offer the possibility for accomplishment and advancement for all.

In an age where everyone and everything is stretched too thin it is refreshing to know that the Internet provides legitimate resources that allow almost anyone to learn about almost anything. You can now feel confident that life and opportunity are not passing you by. Higher education is now available to any person with the drive, the desire and a personal computer.
 

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Terry McDermott is the administrator of the Lifelong Learning Center at http://www.lifelonglearningcenter.com , a website that supplies resources for those seeking information about educational opportunities online.

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Academic Research on the Internet : There Is a Better Way

By Jason McKormick

Students nowadays start their research projects by looking up information on the web. And they are very right to do so, as there are libraries of useful information available. And the best thing about it is that the access is almost instant. With the plenty of articles, research reports, and statistics out there, a new challenge pops up: how do you find the really useful and relevant information among this never-ending abundance? These easy-to-use tips and tricks will greatly improve your online search speed and effectiveness.

Ready? Let's begin. While reading these lines, please glance over to the top right corner of your monitor. You see something like "Microsoft Internet Explorer", right? You probably know that more than 90% of the internet users browse the web with this browser that comes by default with every copy of Windows. But did you know that it is very inefficient for online search, causing billions of clicks to go down the drain every day? Luckily, there are other, better online research tools.

Please welcome Firefox to the scene, the speedy red-taled beast who can run circles around Internet Explorer. Firefox is the new web browser that is rapidly gaining popularity because of its intuitive and expandable search features.

If you haven't met FireFox already and don't know how to start, head over to Firefox download page  to download and install a copy right now. Trust me, this is one piece of software you will not regret. All done? Alright...Let's tame the beast.

Look over to top right corner of your FireFox window. The input box with a big "G" is a built in gateway to Google.com search. What this means is that now you can search Google without having to go to the Google homepage every time. So what's the big deal about it, you ask? Well, if you search Google once a week, this may not be a big advantage, but if you are a serious internet researcher, you will save close to an hour of your time by the end of the week. Whenever you have a question, it now takes a zip to find the right answer. Not only this saves time, the built in search window is very convenient and comfortable way to search.

Ok, so now you know that you can search Google without actually going to the Google search page, but rather have the search results feed in to your window. Your not limited to Google search only, you can use other search engines and services as well. To see what I am talking about, click on the big "G" in the top-right text box. Did you see the drop down list? By default you can search Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Creative Commons, Dictionary.com, and Ebay. Doesn't that make you feel like you are in control of the web?

To see just how useful this is, consider the following scenario. Say you have to do a research paper on greenhouse effect. Within 30 seconds you can know the term's definition on Dictionary.com, find related articles on the web through Google, find books on related subject on Amazon, and look up available deals on this book on Ebay. Now imagine how much time it would take you to accomplish all that the old fashioned way.

Don't just jump in to using these tools thinking that you have all you need to be a super-efficient internet researcher because we have not tackled the best part yet! And the best part about the FireFox search feature is that you can add as many search services as you like. How would you like to be able to translate from one language to another, find comprehensive information on a movie or writer, get in-depth information on dozen of academic topics, see latest business headlines and tech news without ever having to go anywhere?

You can do all that by adding free search plugins to the FireFox' search box. To download and install them, go to search plugins page. You will see the search plugins categorized (i.e. Literature, Reference, Business and Economy and others). Click on the category you are interested in, then on the actual category plugins page, simply click on the search plugin you like. Now pull down the top-right search text box in FireFox. The new search plugin icon appears at the bottom of the list. See how easy it is?

By now you should be convinced that FireFox browser is the internet searcher's best friend. The research process for your college and university papers has just become easier.

Have fun surfing!

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Jason McKormick is professional educator and an online education evangelist. He is the driving force behind Tailored Essays  custom essay  writing service that helps students improve their analytical and writing skills.

http://www.tailoredessays.com/

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