Use of Internet Resources in Teaching and Learning

Abstract

This study aims to explore the extent to which student teachers in Sri Lanka's National Colleges of Education utilize the Internet and educational websites as tools for enhancing their learning and teaching approaches. In Sri Lanka, the National College of Education plays a pivotal role in producing teachers at the national level. Educational websites serve as effective platforms for managing crucial elements of classroom instruction, such as developing learning materials, implementing classroom management strategies, ensuring student focus during lessons, conducting classroom assessments, and providing relevant feedback. By advocating for the integration of these educational websites, students can foster the development of advanced cognitive skills, including analysis, decision-making, critical thinking, and collaboration. The research focused on selecting internet services from four primary domains. These domains encompassed the utilization of Internet services, the adoption of learning management systems, the utilization of educational websites, and the incorporation of websites for assessment purposes. Based on the findings, it was determined that a greater number of students engage in activities such as email communication, data retrieval, and content sharing. It has been verified that the utilization of educational websites like Nearpod, Visme, and Genially, which are capable of enhancing advanced cognitive abilities, is significantly limited. Additionally, it has been confirmed that the adoption of services like e-portfolios, which facilitate the creation of performance-based evaluations, and internet platforms such as Kahoot and Quizizz.com, which offer engaging assessments in the classroom, is also at an extremely low level. Consequently, it appears that offering systematic training to aspiring teachers on the effective utilization of these technologies in the learning and teaching process can greatly contribute to the development of individuals with exceptional intellectual skills.