Best Practices

Members of the Internet community who share the above values will find independent and collective means to act on them. The "best practices" (abbreviated as "BP") listed below are only some of the possible ways that Internet users and developers can work to preserve the more edifying purposes of the medium. They are vision-oriented learner statements that indicate the potential educational value of the Internet and then give a few examples of potential best practices regarding each learner statement.

In the Internet learning environment,

1. Learners construct their own meaning from experience and integrate it into their existing framework of knowledge.

  • BP1 Content is designed with multiple entry points which enable learners to be engaged by their curiosity, shape their experience and follow their interests.
  • BP2 Tools support learners' construction of understanding (e.g., tools that encourage learners to test, revise, reformulate, and share their ideas and models).
  • BP3 Tools are provided that assist the learner in reflecting and monitoring how they are constructing their own understanding or metacognition(e.g., sidebar menu in which learners identify themes).
2. Learners create and participate in unique e-communities of learning.
  • BP1 Learners are facilitated in leading or participating in their learning communities with tools that invite, exclude, schedule, communicate, share documents and information (e.g., clubs, e-groups, listservs, newsgroups).
  • BP2 Tools are provided that support communities in making explicit their cultural values, norm and commitments (e.g., templates for making mission statements; list of descriptors).
  • BP3 Tools are provided that better integrate parents and families into the educational experiences.
  • BP4 Sites provide support for learners in developing effective on-line collaboration skills.
3. Learners are informed about what information is being collected about them, its use and any distribution of that information beyond the expressed purpose of its collection.
  • BP1 There is recognition of the privacy interests of their users.
  • BP2 Learners have control over the collection and use of their own information, including personal data that they have explicitly provided to the site as well as behavioral tracking data that is collected on the site.
4. Learners refine and redesign the tools of learning to adapt to individual learning needs/preferences and local learning objectives.
  • BP1 Access is provided to control structures that allow learners to customize applications.
  • BP2 Feedback loops are provided for learners to interact with developers.
5. Learners link their on-line experiences with other real world and off-line activities and human interactions.
  • BP1 Learners are provided the means to network with real world community contacts and distant experts and to apply their knowledge and skills in real world situations.
  • BP2 Real world implications and manifestations of the content and activities are referenced or included.
6. Learners are encouraged to recognize the value of their contributions and managethe use and distribution of those works.
  • BP1 Procedures and technologies are provided that protect the intellectual property rights of individuals in the use, display and distribution of their works (e.g., rights management and royalty tracking technologies a la Xerox & Adobe/Open E-book standard and dispute resolution policies).
7. Learners are actively involved in directing their own learning paths.
  • BP1 Learners define their own learning goals and enable them to select resources, activities, and strategies for achieving these goals.
  • BP2 Sites provide resources to accommodate multiple styles of learning.
8. Learners live in a multi-cultural world and seek an on-line experience that reflects and values diverse perspectives.
  • BP1 The adaptable and malleable nature of the Internet are used to best serve the special needs and diversity of underserved learners (e.g., translation services, localized content).
  • BP2 An equivalent on-line experience is available for all populations.
  • BP3 Public and private initiatives are undertaken to provide equitable access for all populations to on-line resources
9. Learners capitalize on the new forms of social organization and knowledge exchange introduced by the Internet to improve their personal, social and economic status
  • BP1 Assistance is available to learners for building relationships independent of existing institutional structures (e.g. schools and formal clubs).
  • BP2 Learners are empowered to create their own economies/markets (exchanges of goods and services, conversations, etc.) and seek to grow from them.
10. Learners engage in on-line learning activities where and when they want.
  • BP1 Content and activities are designed to take advantage of new ubiquitous technologies that stretch the boundaries of on-line learning environments (e.g. PIMs, PDAs, Gameboys).
  • BP2 Both synchronous and asynchronous opportunities are available to maximize learner options.
  • BP3 Learners are encouraged to participate in the proliferation of informal and unconventional learning opportunities and build upon them.
Guiding Principles