Not everyone knows that a MOODLE stands for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment. The Moodle is a free and an open-source software platform for on-line learning. Or, in other words, a virtual learning environment. Another modern term is “web science.” This is the study, with the goal to understand how the internet works and what effects it is having on humanity. The creation and expansion of the web has made it the largest repository of information which has ever existed in human history. As such humanity has an obligation and responsibility to make sure that this powerful tool will benefit society, and not harm it.
Web science is a new interdisciplinary field which hopes to understand the web, engineer the future of the web, and guarantee that its power will be used to benefit mankind. The Web Science Research Institute is a joint venture between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and ECS of Southampton in South Africa. The collaborators in this undertaking hope to work together with academics, government leaders and technologists to create a new science which can begin to understand the internet in all its amazing depth and breadth.
