Since its inception in 1983, the World Wide Web has influenced everything from the way we communicate to the way we learn. Although it started out as mere text, today, the Web features everything from videos to interactive learning.

In a world where we are surrounded by technology throughout the day, it probably isn’t surprising that schools in the United States have at least one computer for every five students.

The Internet has influenced how students learn, and how students learn has been influenced by the Internet. Some trends are almost certain to continue growing in the coming years, and others need to be addressed now to prevent potential learning deficits from getting out of hand. Below are some ways the Internet has changed how students learn.

How the Web Influenced Education

The Internet has made education more collaborative. Cooperative learning allows students to work together in small groups, helping them share their strengths while improving their weaker skill sets.

Today’s generation of school kids knows how to navigate technology and is very familiar with online colleges and cyber schools. These learners are better able to multi-task and learn in an active environment where different tasks must be completed.

Today, there are online K-12 schools, online college courses, and online courses for learning any number of skills — not necessarily related to formal education, but also for hobbies and such. While taking a class from an instructor across the country once required travel and massive expenses, today the Web has brought courses from around the world to the masses. In addition to structured courses, learners often rely on resources like Exam Labs to prepare for professional certification exams and strengthen their practical knowledge.

How Education Influenced the Web

Education has embraced technology in many ways, helping to build the online learning environment. Public schools spend about $3 billion a year on digital content. In 2015 and 2016, some state standardized tests were offered online for the first time ever.

At the same time, teachers haven’t really changed the way they teach, even though many are using technology to ease the processes of teaching. That difference may be one reason why those entering the education technology market are focusing more on personalized services to promote the more than $8 billion-per-year industry.

The area where educators need the most help is in personalizing learning. Every student learns at a different pace and in a different way. There are kinetic learners, auditory learners, visual learners, and those who use a combination of these to retain information. By offering personalized services, various learning styles are accommodated.

How Students Use the Internet to Learn

More and more students are turning to technology to complete a variety of educational tasks. In 2014, around 50% of students used a computer to create, edit, or organize digital media at least one time per month for school projects. Students turn to online sources to figure out how things work.

As a society, we’ve started searching for things online so often, the term “Google” has become a verb instead of a noun that describes a specific browser.

There are also challenges for teachers with all of this technology, including the fact that students are actively learning on social media platforms. This means they get their news and facts from other people — people who aren’t always correct. This can be a challenge for educators to combat.

Not all changes are bad. Although the way research is conducted has changed, students remain invested in it. About 93% of students search online instead of going to libraries, and universities are aware of this trend. They are working to make databases easier to search.

Colleges themselves use the online world to build their student base and reach out to current students and alumni. 85% of college admissions offices reach out on social media and 41% blog, showing that the Internet has impacted education on multiple levels, even recruitment efforts.

In addition to these efforts, universities and colleges are offering more classes online. One university is leveraging the web to its full potential. Northern Michigan University has their own LTE network and gives each student a laptop to facilitate both online learning and traditional classrooms.

Resource Pages and Guides

Resource pages and guides offer free education and information to learners and are one way for website owners to reach this market and get a foot in the door. These forms of education teach skills or highlight details about a product or service, helping the audience better understand its value.

Resources and guides are helpful because they tend to gather a wealth of information in one spot. Basically, the research is already completed for the student, and he or she can simply absorb the facts. In the past, this would have required hours upon hours of research in a brick-and-mortar library. The student may have even had to wait for a book to arrive via interlibrary loan. Today, much of this information is found with a simple web search.

What It Means for Education

There will always be a place for an in-person classroom environment. Some skills simply need to be learned hands-on, such as lab work. However, there is no denying that the Internet is changing the way people learn and, in some ways, even how they think.

Technology is a powerful tool that helps teachers create materials faster and on platforms that are relatable to today’s students. Designers should focus on efficiently delivering new systems to students and staying attuned to current trends in learning.

Whether you design educational websites or create learning systems for students, knowing the trends and keeping an eye on how things change from year to year is vital.

Twenty years ago, no one imagined how prevalent online learning would be. Those who had the foresight to see the possibility, though, were able to capitalize on the multi-billion dollar industry. What will be the next big thing in online education?