In many ways, it is difficult to address any aspect of contemporary society without taking the Internet into account. Many people's lives are so thoroughly saturated with digital technology that the once-obvious distinction between online and offline no longer does justice to a situation where the internet is by definition always on. In fact, we often see that the younger generations are unable to talk about the internet as a separate entity. Online activity has been part of their lives since they were born and that is why they consider it a basic requirement of modern life, almost as much as oxygen, water or electricity. The Internet is already an integral element of education in (super)developed nations and we can safely say that its importance in this field will continue to grow throughout the world throughout this decade.
That said, the impact of the internet on education is not direct. To begin with, it is important to remember that more than half of the world's population does not have any kind of direct experience using the Internet. And although this may change with the global expansion of mobile telephony, the problem of unequal access to the most powerful and versatile ways of using the internet remains a cause for concern. Furthermore, as the fact that traditional training models based on classroom instruction and paper-and-pencil examinations continue to prevail suggests, the educational changes experienced in the internet age are complex and often loosely entrenched. When approaching the subject of the internet and education we have to proceed with caution. Therefore, this article will analyze the following questions:

• What implications can the Internet have for education and learning?
• What are the main forms of online education that have emerged in the last 20 years?
• What relationship is observed between the educational potential of the Internet and its actual use?
• And most importantly: how should we interpret the possible advantages and disadvantages of what is advertised?

Internet as an educational tool

For many analysts, the Internet has always been an intrinsically educational tool. In fact, many would argue that the core features of the Internet largely coincide with the core interests of education. For example, both the Internet and education are aimed at the exchange of information, communication and the creation of knowledge.
The participatory and communal nature of many of the Internet's social applications and activities is in keeping with the fundamental characteristics of human learning, namely creating, sharing, collaborating and analyzing.
The Internet is not only a powerful tool for communication. It is arguably the most powerful force for learning and innovation since the invention of the printing press. And at the core of what is probably America's fiercest fight and greatest opportunity, which is defining education for a transformative age.
Exaggeration aside, the impact of the internet on education and learning can be viewed from at least four different angles. First we have the potential it gives individuals to learn more freely, without the ties and restrictions of the real world. What is generally meant by this is that the Internet reduces local, spatial, temporal, and geographic constraints so that individuals can access high-quality educational media and learning opportunities, regardless of their particular circumstances. Thus, the internet would be that medium that allows education to be provided at any time, in any place and at any pace. There are analysts who have expanded these freedoms to include the overcoming of social and material impediments, thus conceiving the Internet as an essentially democratic medium. The ability to support freer and fairer educational interactions and experiences.