Today s librarians realize the need to individualize and use different educational approaches and tools, including Internet technology, to help make the educational encounter effective. References concerning the need to understand the learning process appear in the literature as early as 1892. Researching the vast literature concerning learning theory, Kolb concluded that the learning process is adaptive. He emphasized that learning, and therefore instruction, should be modified and accentuated in ways that match individual characteristics, the curriculum needs of the learning organization, and environmental demands. According to Kolb, this matching can come about in two ways.
Some students learn best during the day, while other learners learn best during the night.
Internet technology can be designed to provide learners access to educational programs and information 24 hours a day. This constant availability is greatly appreciated by both the night owl learner and the morning lark student who learn best at what is commonly considered non-traditional hours. Research shows that students are more engaged in the educational process when they are active, rather than passive learners. Internet technology supports active learning through the use of diversified learning activities. Websites can be designed to include introductory, intermediate and advanced links to subject content.