Internet adalah hasil gabungan kecanggihan komputer dan teknologi komunikasi yang digabungkan dalam satu jaringan yang meliputi seluruh dunia. Tujuan utama rangkaian kerja (network) global ini ialah memudahkan pertukaran dan perkongsian maklumat serta perhubungan dalam pelbagai bidang. Capaian internet dimanfaatkan oleh seluruh masyarakat tanpa mengira batasan geografi dan budaya. Pelbagai aplikasi Internet seperti emel, internet relay chat (IRC), on-line forum, laman web, papan buletin, pangkalan data dan komunikasi masa nyata (real time) digunakan menerusi rangkaian Internet. Oleh itu, pengalaman dalam penggunaan IT dan internet dalam kehidupan harian seharusnya diintegrasikan kepada dunia pendidikan bagi menyediakan pengalaman pembelajaran sebenar kepada pelajar. Ciri interaktif dan fleksibel yang disediakan menjadi pilihan utama kenapa laman web dilihat sebagai alternatif terkini proses penyampaian pengajaran. Faizah dan Rohayah (2003), dalam kajiannya tentang pembelajaran kendiri di antara berasaskan buku dan pembelajaran berasaskan web (web based learning) mendapati bahawa lebih 70% subjek kajian dapat meningkatkan pencapaian melalui web. Ini menunjukkan bahawa penggunaan laman web sebagai medium pengajaran semakin mendapat tempat di kalangan pendidik alaf ini.
Exposure towards the usage of web for teaching and learning.
Dalam pendidikan formal, proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P) haruslah diberi penekanan yang sewajarnya. Proses yang disinonimkan dengan pengajaran dan pembelajaran bilik darjah melibatkan guru dan pelajar ini sememangnya memerlukan suatu usaha berterusan ke arah menyediakan pendidikan komprehensif dan efektif terhadap segala isi pelajaran yang disampaikan. Proses pengajaran juga dikenali sebagai pedagogi dalam istilah pendidikan, iaitu merujuk kepada kajian tentang kaedah dan prinsip pengajaran. Oleh itu, proses P&P perlu diberi ‘sentuhan’ yang dapat menarik minat para pelajar agar setiap isi pelajaran yang disampaikan memberi input maksimum terhadap kefahaman mereka.
Koh Boh Boon (1992) menyatakan bahawa proses pengajaran-pembelajaran di sekolah melibatkan dua pihak iaitu guru dan murid. Justeru, pengajaran yang ideal haruslah membawa kesan penuh ke atas pembelajaran yang berlaku. Keadaan di mana para pelajar tidak memberi tumpuan dalam peroses P&P adalah wujudnya pertentangan minat mereka disebabkan kebergantungan guru sepenuhnya terhadap kurikulum yang telah ditentukan untuk diajar kepada para pelajar diperingkat-peringkat tertentu sehingga usaha para guru tertumpu kepada menghabiskan sukatan pelajaran dan mengabaikan proses pengajaran yang sepatutnya (Atan Long, 1982). Justeru, proses pengajaran memerlukan persediaan yang mantap oleh seorang pendidik sebelum terlibat secara langsung dalam proses P&P di sekolah. Menurut Zawawi Hj. Ahmad (1992) pengajaran seorang guru bukanlah semata-mata dengan hanya menyampaikan kandungan pelajaran yang dikuasainya itu kepada muridnya. Hal ini kerana, sekiranya seorang guru hanya berbuat demikian maka langkah tersebut belum lagi menjamin prestasi pengajaran yang tinggi. Dalam pada itu, konsep ‘pengajaran guru dan pembelajaran murid’ menurut beliau lagi merupakan konsep menggunakan pendekatan yang positif bagi menggerakkan motivasi dalaman murid disamping menyampaikan isi pelajaran yang dikuasai oleh seorang guru. Konsep ini juga sebagai suatu usaha bagi menimbulkan rasa perlu murid untuk mengikuti pelajaran dan mereka akan berasa rugi sekiranya tidak dapat mengikuti
pelajaran yang disampaikan.
Sementara itu, Abd.Ghafar Md.Din (2003) mengemukakan proses pengajaran mempunyai ciri-ciri sains kerana ia melibatkan penyelidikan, pemerhatian dan mempunyai rumusan-rumusan sebagaimana bidang sains. Tambah beliau lagi, proses ini juga dianggap sebagai suatu seni kerana seorang guru perlu kreatif agar menjadikan pengajaran lebih menarik dan berkesan. Kemahiran juga amat diperlukan dalam proses pengajaran selain penguasaan ilmu pengetahuan. Oleh itu, proses ini melibatkan latihan sempurna bagi menghasilkan pengajaran yang menarik sekaligus menambah keyakinan seseorang guru.
Justeru, beliau menyifatkan guru sebagai seorang seniman yang berfungsi sebagai seorang pelakon dengan menggunakan pergerakan badan, mimik muka dan tekanan suara yang sesuai bagi memenuhi kesempuranaan proses pengajaran yang dilaksanakan. Sehubungan itu, fokus perlu diberikan sepenuhnya terhadap proses pengajaran serta faktor-faktor yang dapat mempertingkat dan memperkembang ke arah mewujudkan amalan pengajaran guru yang berkesan. Bagi tujuan tersebut kajian berhubung isu proses pengajaran perlu diperhalusi agar ia menjanjikan keberkesanan sistem pendidikan semasa melalui falsafahnya untuk melahirkan generasi seimbang yang cemerlang dalam akademik dan pembangunan insan.
Arus perkembangan semasa menuntut kepada perubahan dari segenap aspek mahupun lapangan kehidupan umum. Perubahan positif merupakan anjakan yang perlu dihasilkan bagi mewujudkan kedinamikan untuk menghadapi cabaran-cabaran baru seiring perkembangan semasa. Justeru, pendidikan masakini perlu kepada pembaharuan bagi merealisasikan proses pembentukan dan pengembangan potensi diri yang patut disalurkan kepada para pelajar. Bagi tujuan tersebut penelitian terhadap aspek pengajaran khususnya dalam bilik darjah menjadi asas pencapaian kecemerlangan akademik buat para pelajar. Dalam pendidikan formal, proses pengajaran menjadi elemen terpenting bagi
mencapai keberkesanan isi pelajaran yang disampaikan. Proses pengajaran berkesan akan hanya dicapai menerusi pendekatan, kaedah dan teknik yang bersesuaian oleh seorang guru untuk mencapai objektif pengajarannya terhadap isi pelajaran yang disampaikan. Hal ini melibatkan kemahiran serta penguasaan penuh guru terhadap pelajaran yang disampaikan. Persediaan mantap berkaitan kemahiran dalam proses pengajaran oleh seorang guru membolehkannya menjalankan proses P&P dengan penuh keyakinan dan semangat tinggi. Dengan demikian, guru akan dapat memberikan sepenuh komitmen dan kesungguhan yang tinggi untuk menyampaikan ilmu pengetahuan kepada para pelajar. Sharifah Alwiah Alsagoff (1983) menyatakan bahawa pengajaran yang berkesan adalah merujuk kepada guru yang dapat membawa pelajar kepada hasil pembelajaran
terakhir yang diinginkannya. Hal ini melibatkan corak pengajaran bersturktur dari segi organisasi bilik darjah serta mementingkan isi pelajaran. Selain itu, ia juga merujuk kepada perihal pengajaran guru yang lebih memusatkan kepada para pelajarnya sehingga mereka tertarik mengikuti aktiviti pembelajaran. Oleh itu, pembentukan proses pengajaran berkesan mempunyai nilai yang berbeza-beza namun ia masih bermatlamat untuk melihat hasil daripada isi pelajaran yang disampaikan.
Mewujudkan proses pengajaran yang berkesan memerlukan kepada komitmen guru sepenuhnya. Ia melibatkan perancangan dan strategi serta kemahiran guru yang padu dalam mengorganisasi proses P&P bilik darjah. Langkah awal dalam membentuk satu proses pengajaran yang berkesan adalah dengan menilai pertindanan domain kognitif, afektif dan psikomotor yang menjadi dasar objektif proses P&P. Guru seharusnya memerlukan segala persediaan yang rapi meliputi pengetahuan dan kemahiran penyampaian isi pelajaran agar membuka minda dan minat pelajar. Dengan itu, terbentuklah suasana pembelajaran yang melibatkan tindak balas positif dan tingkah laku aktif para pelajar.
Selain itu, interaksi sosial guru dan pelajar merupakan sebahagian daripada beberapa faktor ke arah keberkesanan pengajaran. Hubungan dua hala (guru-pelajar) yang baik perlu diwujudkan oleh setiap guru agar masalah berkaitan pelajar dapat diselesaikan seterusnya para pelajar dapat menumpukan sepenuh perhatian terhadap proses P&P. Adalah menjadi keutamaan dalam proses pengajaran untuk mengelakkan daripada berlakunya penyertaan pasif dikalangan pelajar disebabkan kurangnya perhatian dan fokus serta ketidakselesaan
mereka semasa mengikuti proses P&P. justeru, guru berperanan memberikan motivasi agar para pelajar dapat mengikuti segala maklumat pengetahuan yang disampaikan sepenuhnya. Penggunaan bahan-bahan pengajaran yang bersesuaian dengan kandungan pelajaran turut menyumbang kepada keberkesanan proses pengajaran. Menurut Atan Long (1982) bahawa sesuatu alat penyampaian terutama alat yang baru bagi pengalaman pelajar akan dapat menimbulkan minat dan seterusnya menggerakkan pelajar-pelajar untuk belajar. Sehubungan itu, penyediaan bahan pengajaran yang bertepatan dengan isi pelajaran akan membawa dimensi baru dalam pembelajaran para pelajar bagi meningkatkan lagi kefahaman mereka. Seiring perkembangan semasa, proses pengajaran memerlukan satu usaha yang dapat menjana perkembangan proses pembelajaran pelajar. Kedinamikan proses pengajaran melalui daya kreativiti mahupun penggunaan teknologi masakini menjadi asas ke arah melahirkan amalan proses pengajaran berkesan. Seterusnya hal ini akan menjadikan proses P&P di sekolah dapat memberi sumbangan sepenuhnya kepada pencapaian kecemerlangan para pelajar serta memperkasakan lagi sistem pendidikan sedia ada.
Concept of web development.
Web development is a broad term for any activity to developing a web site for the World Wide Web or an internet. This can include e-commerce business development, web design, web content development, client-side/server-side scripting, and web server configuration. However, among web professionals, "web development" usually refers only to the non-design aspects of building web sites, e.g. writing markup and coding. Web development can range from developing the simplest static single page of plain text to the most complex web-based internet applications, electronic businesses, or social network services.
For larger businesses and organizations, web development teams can consist of hundreds of people (web developers). Smaller organizations may only require a single permanent or contracting webmaster, or secondary assignment to related job positions such as a graphic designer and/or Information systems technician. Web development may be a collaborative effort between departments rather than the domain of a designated department.
Introduction to the concept of portal.
A web portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way. Apart from the standard search engine feature, web portals offer other services such as e-mail, news, stock prices, information, and entertainment. Portals provide a way for enterprises to provide a consistent look and feel with access control and procedures for multiple applications, which otherwise would have been different entities altogether. Examples of a web portal are MSN, Yahoo!, AOL and iGoogle.
Horizontal vs. vertical portal
Two broad categorizations of portals are horizontal portals, which cover many areas, and vertical portals, which are focused on one functional area. Another definition for a horizontal portal is, that it's used as platform to several companies in the same economic sector or to the same type of manufacturers or distributors.[1] A vertical portal consequently is a specialized entry point to a specific market or industry niche, subject area, or interest, also called vortal.[2]
Personal portals
A personal portal is a site on the World Wide Web that typically provides personalized capabilities to its visitors, providing a pathway to other content. It is designed to use distributed applications, different numbers and types of middleware and hardware to provide services from a number of different sources. In addition, business portals are designed to share collaboration in workplaces. A further business-driven requirement of portals is that the content be able to work on multiple platforms such as personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones/mobile phones. Information, news, and updates are examples of content that would be delivered through such a portal. Personal portals can be related to any specific topic such as providing friend information on a social network or providing links to outside content that may help others beyond your reach of services. Portals are not limited to simply providing links. Information or content that you are putting on the internet creates a portal, or a path to new knowledge and/or capabilities.
Along with the development and success of international personal portals such as Yahoo!, regional variants have also sprung up. Some regional portals contain local information such as weather forecasts, street maps and local business information. Another notable expansion over the past couple of years is the move into formerly unthinkable markets.
"Local content - global reach" portals have emerged not only from countries like Korea (Naver), India (Rediff), China (Sina.com), Romania, Greece (in.gr) and Italy, but in countries like Vietnam where they are very important for learning how to apply e-commerce, e-government, etc. Such portals reach out to the widespread diaspora across the world.
At the end of the dot-com boom in the 1990s, many governments had already committed to creating portal sites for their citizens. In the United States the main portal is USA.gov in English and GobiernoUSA.gov in Spanish in addition to portals developed for specific audiences such as DisabilityInfo.gov; in the United Kingdom the main portals are Directgov (for citizens) and businesslink.gov.uk (for businesses).
The official web portal of the European Union is Europa (web portal). Europa links to all EU agencies and institutions in addition to press releases and audiovisual content from press conferences.
All relevant health topics from across Europe are gathered in the Health-EU portal.
Corporate intranets became common during the 1990s. As intranets grew in size and complexity, webmasters were faced with increasing content and user management challenges. A consolidated view of company information was judged insufficient; users wanted personalization and customization. Webmasters, if skilled enough, were able to offer some capabilities, but for the most part ended up driving users away from using the intranet.
Many companies began to offer tools to help webmasters manage their data, applications and information more easily, and through personalized views. Portal solutions can also include workflow management, collaboration between work groups, and policy-managed content publication. Most can allow internal and external access to specific corporate information using secure authentication or single sign-on.
JSR168 Standards emerged around 2001. Java Specification Request (JSR) 168 standards allow the interoperability of portlets across different portal platforms. These standards allow portal developers, administrators and consumers to integrate standards-based portals and portlets across a variety of vendor solutions.
The concept of content aggregation seems to still gain momentum and portal solution will likely continue to evolve significantly over the next few years. The Gartner Group predicts generation 8 portals to expand on the Business Mashups concept of delivering a variety of information, tools, applications and access points through a single mechanism.[citation needed]
With the increase in user generated content, disparate data silos, and file formats, information architects and taxonomist will be required to allow users the ability to tag (classify) the data. This will ultimately cause a ripple effect where users will also be generating ad hoc navigation and information flows.
Corporate Portals also offer customers & employees self-service opportunities.
As corporate portals gained popularity a number of companies began offering them as a hosted service. The hosted portal market fundamentally changed the composition of portals. In many ways they served simply as a tool for publishing information instead of the loftier goals of integrating legacy applications or presenting correlated data from distributed databases. The early hosted portal companies such as Hyperoffice.com or the now defunct InternetPortal.com focused on collaboration and scheduling in addition to the distribution of corporate data. As hosted web portals have risen in popularity their feature set has grown to include hosted databases, document management, email, discussion forums and more. Hosted portals automatically personalize the content generated from their modules to provide a personalized experience to their users. In this regard they have remained true to the original goals of the earlier corporate web portals.
A number of portals have come about that are specific to the particular domain, offering access to related companies and services, a prime example of this trend would be the growth in property portals that give access to services such as estate agents, removal firm, and solicitors that offer conveyancing. Along the same lines, industry-specific news and information portals have appeared.
Web portals have also expanded into the professional sports market. Fans of sports teams create a Sportal (sports portal), which brings all information about a professional sports team to one web portal.
Concept of server computers and ways to upload files to servers.
In computing, a server is any combination of hardware or software designed to provide services to clients. When used alone, the term typically refers to a computer which may be running a server operating system, but is commonly used to refer to any software or dedicated hardware capable of providing services.
The term web server or webserver can mean one of two things:
- A computer program that is responsible for accepting HTTP requests from clients (user agents such as web browsers), and serving them HTTP responses along with optional data contents, which usually are web pages such as HTML documents and linked objects (images, etc.).
- A computer that runs a computer program as described above.
Although web server programs differ in detail, they all share some basic common features.
- HTTP: every web server program operates by accepting HTTP requests from the client, and providing an HTTP response to the client. The HTTP response usually consists of an HTML or XHTML document, but can also be a raw file, an image, or some other type of document (defined by MIME-types). If some error is found in client request or while trying to serve it, a web server has to send an error response which may include some custom HTML or text messages to better explain the problem to end users.
- Logging: usually web servers have also the capability of logging some detailed information, about client requests and server responses, to log files; this allows the webmaster to collect statistics by running log analyzers on these files.
In practice many web servers also implement the following features:
- Authentication, optional authorization request (request of user name and password) before allowing access to some or all kind of resources.
- Handling of static content (file content recorded in server's filesystem(s)) and dynamic content by supporting one or more related interfaces (SSI, CGI, SCGI, FastCGI, JSP,ColdFusion, PHP, ASP, WhizBase, ASP.NET, Server API such as NSAPI, ISAPI, etc.).
- HTTPS support (by SSL or TLS) to allow secure (encrypted) connections to the server on the standard port 443 instead of usual port 80.
- Content compression (i.e. by gzip encoding) to reduce the size of the responses (to lower bandwidth usage, etc.).
- Virtual hosting to serve many web sites using one IP address.
- Large file support to be able to serve files whose size is greater than 2 GB on 32 bit OS.
- Bandwidth throttling to limit the speed of responses in order to not saturate the network and to be able to serve more clients.
Servers on the Internet
Almost the entire structure of the Internet is based upon a client-server model. High-level root nameservers, DNS servers, and routers direct the traffic on the internet. There are millions of servers connected to the Internet, running continuously throughout the world.
Among the many services provided by Internet servers are:
- World Wide Web
- the domain name system
- e-mail
- FTP file transfer
- chat and instant messaging
- voice communication
- streaming audio and video
- online gaming
Virtually every action taken by an ordinary Internet user requires one or more interactions with one or more servers.
There are also technologies that operate on an inter-server level. Other services do not use dedicated servers; for example peer-to-peer file sharing, some implementations of telephony (e.g. Skype), and supplying television programs to several users (e.g. Kontiki, SlingBox).
In networks, uploading and downloading refer to the two canonical directions (corresponding to send and receive, respectively) that information can move, and further defines such data as being copied and compiled (indicated by the term "loading") to create a complete file, after a period of time. Downloading is distinguished from the related concept of streaming, which indicates a download in which the data is sequentially usable as it downloads, or "streams", and that (typically) the data is not stored.
To download is to receive data to a local system from a remote system, such as a webserver, FTP server, email server, or other similar systems. A download is any file that is offered for downloading or that has been downloaded.
The inverse operation, uploading, is the sending of data from a local system to a remote system, such as a server, or peer, with the intent that the remote system should save a copy of whatever is being transferred.
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