THE USAGE OF THE INTERNET IN TEACHING PHYSICS: THE ANALYSIS OF A SITUATION AND PREDICTIONS

In the developing knowledge-based society information technologies play a particularly significant role. However, even the most advanced technologies will not give a necessary effect, if their usage (application) in the educational system is not adequate to the current development of technologies and increased educational needs. In the author's opinion, our epoch is marked with global environmental crisis and the advent of information age. Extensive implementation of a range of information technologies into high and higher school curricula and the emphasis on environmental issues in education are two leading trends in contemporary education. We maintain that it would be optimal if the computer (especially using the Internet) is a natural teaching / learning aids like books and other sources of information. On the other hand, it is necessary to create conditions for teachers to raise qualification. This is emphasized by numerous researchers. It has to be stated that the Internet possibilities in the teaching process are insufficiently used. On the other hand, in principal there are no reliable studies, which would reveal the actual situation in this field. Therefore, the object of our study is the usage of the Internet for teaching physics. The main aim of the study is to analyse the situation of the usage of the Internet for teaching physics and highlight the hindering/encouraging factors of its usage in the teaching process. The most important study tasks have been formulated: • To analyse the situation of the usage of the Internet for teaching physics; • To identify the hindering/stimulating factors of Internet usage for teaching physics; • To highlight the experts' opinion about the expected development perspectives of Internet usage for teaching physics in the nearest five years period. The study employed expert inquiry. The type of expert inquiry – “Delphi study”, containing several experts' inquiries (stages). The data of every round are generalised and repeatedly submitted to the experts. Such procedure is repeated several times, most often 3-4 times. The study was carried out in September – December 2005.