The effects of computer technology on learning are substantial. Its most important contribution to education is its ability to make vast stores of knowledge available to the student via the Internet. Everything from full-text classical literature books to scholarly research journals can be accessed online, affording today's student a rich diversity of information that students of 50 years ago-limited to what was in their local library-could only dream of. Information is articulated on the Internet for every level of student, as well, from elementary to postgraduate level. In addition, computer technology can present information in a variety of ways that ensure that students of every learning style can learn effectively. Students can watch slide shows and listen to lectures online, for example. Computer animation can help students understand the processes and physical mechanisms behind how things work. Information can be presented visually in an additive way that allows students to see one aspect of the object, then see it with other aspects added, one at a time. Computer animations such as this help students connect the dots in their minds and more easily grasp the sequence of events in a process or the components of a concept or object. Moreover, students can interact with the computer to make their learning hands-on and responsive. Finally, computer technology has enabled students who could not otherwise find the time to attend school to obtain their degrees online. Full-time workers, housewives with small children, and remotely-located individuals can all be online students, studying at their own convenience. In these and other ways, computer technology greatly enhances learning for people of every age.
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