Introduction to the day 2. As a source of information the Web is no different than a very large public library and just as it is the role of teachers to help students use libraries, so we need to help students use Web information and know the difference between different kinds of information.
Information only becomes knowledge once it is interpreted and placed in context.
The quality of the material downloaded, how the information has been assembled and interpreted, is not self-evident and as we increasingly put Web sites on reading lists we have to become more aware of helping students understand how to use it. We expect students to be aware of the differences between a refereed journal and a newspaper and in the same way we need as teachers to be more alert to how we help students find their way through web information. As a means of disseminating information, the use of IT in connection with teaching is in its infancy and there is uneven and varied practice between individuals, faculties and institutions. Some staff already place reading lists, relevant articles and lecture notes on the Web for easy access, others offer full learning sites like Robinson's data base. Some colleagues in the faculty have personal sites with links to relevant library sources and information sites of particular value to students on individual units.