Students need not be penalized for their lack of technological skills. For example, a student enrolled in a sociology class should not be penalized due to a lack of technological skill. Where an ever increasing number of students are entering universities with the skills needed to use e-mail, navigate the Internet with a graphical browser, and download data, others are entering with no previous experience. Faculty members are challenged to meet the needs of all of their students without using an excessive amount of class time for telecommunications training. Secondly, the ever changing state of the Web challenges students and faculty to track the resources they choose carefully.
Web sites have a tendency to appear, vanish, or reappear at a new URL at an irregular rate.
Many times students do not recognize their obligation to appropriately cite electronic sources used to complete their research. Students need to note this information as they locate their sources. Publication of hypertext documents, viewed by enhanced graphical browsers such as Netscape 3.0 and Internet Explorer promote success for all students. Limited experience surfing the web is further impacted by immature search techniques. New search engines appear every month.