Social Sciences and Education Research Review (Oct 2015)
Self-Education through Web-Searching - An Exploratory Study
Abstract
The 21st century is marked by the extensive and easy access to information through the virtual environment. Do we find in today's Romanian school the presence of a formative space - on the one hand, facilitator for a maximal exploitation of opportunities, and on the other hand, a "sensor" for new risks, characteristic to the information era? Is the "digital generation" (Mark Prensky) of the beginning of century in Romania ready from these perspectives? The present paper outlines the results of a comparative exploratory study regarding the ordinary methods used by youngsters - from 5th and 6th grades, as well as 11th and 12th grades, from six different schools, high-schools and colleges from Dolj county – to find information about different topics/homework. The results offer the premises for hypothesis regarding this phenomenon at national level. The conclusions indicate as the main method of obtaining information the web-searching. They emphasize the absence of an initial specific educational training in this domain and allow the delineation of a suggestive image regarding possible future methods of action.
