Education Reference and Related Resources: Online Encyclopedias

The sheer number of entries on these sites, as well as a nearly endless supply of pertinent links, makes the format invaluable. No longer do you have to browse through voluminous tomes, often irritatingly split within letters (who’s going to miss the frustration of getting out the volume labeled Sa-Si and then remembering that synagogue is spelled with a Y?); simply type in your topic, and the search engine will generate matches to keep you occupied for hours.

Exactly how much information can an online encyclopedia hold? Well, Brittanica.com, home of the highly respected Encyclopedia Brittanica, stores 44 million words, while the Columbia Encyclopedia boasts 51,000 entries and 80,000 links. Most sites thoughtfully provide other reference sources within their pages, such as thesauruses, Bibles, and quotation compendiums. At the Funk & Wagnalls site, dictionaries and atlases appear on each page to further simplify the information-gathering process. The audio and video clips, not to mention photographs, that enliven the articles encourage interactive learning, and are particularly good for introducing reluctant children to what could otherwise seem a daunting, dreary task.

Taking their cue from the encyclopedia industry, many educational resources are launching web sites. You can now search famous quotations by writer/speaker or country, receive help with schoolwork, and even attend college courses via distance learning programs. Tutorials on playing musical instruments are also available. While the Internet may sometimes seem long on entertainment but short on substance, these sites show that the Information Superhighway envisioned by its developers is becoming a reality.