How can educational websites help students in their studies?

Question

How can educational websites help students in their studies?

Answer 1

They might offer some unique insights or perspectives, but they are no substitute for real tutoring.  Take a look at www.alternativeeducationbible.com for something a little different.

Answer 2

Are you referring to sites where the viewers browse the content, or teacher-student forums? (The former will be referred to as 'static sites' in this answer.)

If static sites are well-written, these may be used by teachers as resources to explain certain concepts. Some may have interactive content that one can play with, thereby making the learning come alive for students. These may come in the form of applets (for instance, on Pythagoras' Theorem that prove the theorem true no matter how long the dimensions of a right-angled triangle are) or quizzes and fill-in-the-blanks passages to test students' understanding (especially for languages and basic Humanities content). Humanities case studies may be taken from any static site.

With static sites, there is the possibility that alternative viewpoints may be presented. Sometimes, these alternative viewpoints can deviate from the norm; when this happens, students should not simply accept them, but clarify them.

Forums serve as channels where students can ask questions and teachers can answer. Usually these come as part of a site where teachers can track students' homework and results, among other functions. With this data, the teacher can give feedback to the students, and if the students act on it, it will help them in their studies.