Using the Internet to Study Literature
In their article “A recommendation for a new Internet-based environment for studying literature,” Erdogan Kartal and Arda Arikan examined the effects of technology on the practice of studying and teaching literature. These researchers determined that the Internet provides its users with many advantages, such as the ability to utilize audio, text and visual content while it also allows for the user to uniquely adapt their virtual environment to fit their individual preferences. Written in very recently in 2010, Kartal and Arikan propose a new avenue for the study of literature using Internet technology. The article also discuss the current connections between literature and the Internet and those issues that both students and educators must keep in mind when participating in Internet-based studies of literature.
In examining the current state of the connections between literature and the Internet, the article looks at the pros and cons of literature on the Internet in comparison to traditionally printed literature. While traditionally printed documents are very stable (both in terms of content and consistency), easily project their authority and open the possibility of long term reflection – digital documents offer flexibility, interactivity and, most of all, speed. Yet while digital documents have their pros, we must keep in mind that there are drawbacks. Readers are often presented with grammar and spelling errors because documents are rarely professionally edited. Additionally, the stability of digital documents becomes problematic when we think in terms of the difficulties of consistent document archiving and web hosting services. Even with these pitfalls, digital technology offers things the printed text does not – the ability for the user to interact with the writer/text and a huge array of multi-media experiences (images, sound and text).
The authors state that using Internet tools allows students to become actively involved in their own learning processes as they navigate the many ways to obtain information and construct knowledge in evaluating the information they find. A number of digital technologies work as educational tools for studying literature – web pages, wikis, blogs, podcasts, search engines, video-sharing sites, forums, web-based software, among many more. And in using these new systems in education, a new definition of literacy must be imaged. This new literacy should include the ability to understand technological tools and access information resources. It should also consider an understanding of the social situation and production of information while critically evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of both digital technology and digital information. Finally it should allow for a practical ability to produce and publish digital text and media and to continue to adapt to the new innovations as technology moves forward. Students in this new Internet learning environment must be able to use the Internet comfortably, have the confidence to share thoughts and ideas about literature with others digitally. They should also be aware of both the benefits and disadvantages to moving literature to the Internet and of utilizing the Internet to improve the learning process itself.
I enjoyed getting a better understanding of the issues that we are currently facing in using the Internet in my content area. I agree that if students are aware of the pros and the cons of moving literature classes into the digital realm, they can also be aware of how these new technologies impact their learning experiences – positively and negatively – thereby becoming activity participants in the learning process.
Kartal, Erdogan and Arda Arikan. “A Recommendation for a New Internet-Based Environment for Studying Literature,” US-China Education Review July 2010, Vol 7, No. 7, p93-99: 7pp. Web. Jan 20, 2011.
