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E-learning issues and challenges
The time and place flexibility of eLearning attracts an increasing number of students to online education. However, many of them face serious obstacles that prevent them from completing their courses. Here are some of the most common issues that students face in eLearning and some solutions.
- Self-Motivation
Self-motivation is an essential requirement for eLearning; however, many online learners lack it, much to their surprise. Many learners fall behind after registering in distance learning courses and consider giving up because the difficulties in navigating a technological medium appear insurmountable. Students must find the motivation to follow new educational trends while also adequately preparing themselves for challenges in their education and chosen career paths. Only a positive attitude will help them deal with the challenges of eLearning. At the same time, this isn’t easy to practice. Students must understand that it is required to reap the benefits of eLearning in the future.
- Struggle with Adaptability
Switching from the traditional classroom and face-to-face instructor training to computer-based training in a virtual classroom completely transforms students’ learning experience. Their resistance to change prevents them from adapting to the online learning environment. It takes time to become acquainted with Course Management Systems (CMS) and computer-based education methods. While passive listening and taking notes are expected in a traditional classroom, online discussions or creating a website necessitate taking action. Students with a “traditional” mindset struggle to adapt; nevertheless, they must accept the new learning conditions with an open heart and mind. Understanding the perks of eLearning and even debating them with peers may help change this mentality and better equip students for online classes.
What are the biggest challenges facing online education today?
Online training is becoming more popular in the world of education and learning. The advantages are undeniable: lower costs, greater flexibility for students, and the ability to train thousands of people simultaneously worldwide. Furthermore, you can monitor what students are doing at any given time, which breaks the inertia and passivity of traditional classroom courses.
E-learning, on the other hand, is not without flaws. Online training has its own set of characteristics that can jeopardize (or limit) the training’s success. E-learning should not be viewed as a cure-all. Only by understanding the issues that other organizations and corporations have faced can you implement programs to their full potential.
Problem 1: Online training is tedious
Although online training is intended to alleviate the boredom of traditional classroom learning, this is not always the case. Many e-learning courses comprise endless texts followed by a long list of multiple-choice questions that fail to engage students. It feels more like e-reading than e-learning.
Because of these types of courses, students frequently become bored with online training, and this lack of motivation and engagement is one of the primary reasons e-learning courses fail. Students aren’t interested in taking the training, so they don’t use the platform and don’t finish the course. MOOCs (massive open online courses) are a perfect example: only 10percent of students who enroll in a course complete it.
Solution: Look for an online course that is entertaining, dynamic, and interactive
To keep students from becoming bored, look for an online course that is interactive, dynamic, and enjoyable. While this was difficult in the early days of e-learning, it is now much easier: several providers are offering all types of interactive training, including challenges and adventures, storytelling, videos, simulators to ensure practice, gamified solutions, and game-based learning.
Problem 2: Technical difficulties
While it may seem obvious, technical issues are one of the most common roadblocks to online training. Frequently, there are compatibility issues (with operating systems, browsers, or smartphones), the courses never get started, or the student is unsure how to proceed. All of this adds to their dissatisfaction and decreases employee engagement; the learning experience is disrupted, and they are likely to drop the course.
Solution: Provide multi-device courses as well as personalized attention
Keep it simple when faced with this challenge. Choose online courses with a solid and simple script that does not require much internal memory or a high-speed Internet connection. Priority should be given to courses that do not require you to download any programs or print any documents. When presenting the training to your students, pay attention to the audio quality (an issue that is frequently overlooked) and make sure to test the course on a variety of smartphones, browsers, and operating systems.
Additionally, look for online courses with a simple and straightforward help page, a detailed FAQ section, and an outstanding student care service. If the online course has an email address, chat service, or forum for resolving technical issues, you can be confident that technology will not be a barrier to learning.
Online classes problems and solutions
The population of students who enrolled in some online courses increased by 5.7 percent between 2016 and 2017. The lecturer devotes a significant amount of time to prepare the course material. Students must also improve their technical skills to comprehend the set of instructions, even though using it allows an institution or university to reach a more diverse geographical student community at a lower cost than traditional classes. There are some issues with online courses that put their success in jeopardy. However, there are solutions available to alleviate your concerns and assist you in making the most of the courses.
- Problems with Connectivity
Online courses provide you with the convenience of being able to access them from any location. However, many students do not have a stable Internet connection or a device with sufficient storage or specs for online courses: internal storage and low bandwidth result in their inability to participate actively in their class. As a result, they fall behind their virtual classmates, and their learning experience suffers.
How to get around it:
- Students can switch service providers and gain access to high-speed Internet.
- Make a list of nearby cafes and public libraries that have a good wifi connection.
- They can seek assistance from the administration of the company they work for.
- Absence of Motivation
As shown in a survey, only 10 percent of students who enroll in a course complete it. Many students attend classes with zeal at first, but this quickly fades as the session progresses. Online classes may appear unappealing to those who have completed their primary or secondary education through the traditional face-to-face system.
Some of these courses consist of lengthy texts and a slew of MCQs, which deprive students of their interests by failing to motivate or engage them. And they eventually abandon the training.
How to get around it:
- Students can engage in positive conversations. It will aid in the cleansing of their psyche and the affirmation of their focus.
- Learning can also be made more enjoyable by using innovative videos, witty challenges, quizzes, and other interactive teaching methods.
- Lectures can also spark competition among students such as rankings, awards, and certifications. It will motivate them to do better and learn more in the process.
- Physical Relationship
The inability to discuss a specific topic with classmates due to physical isolation. In addition, a teacher’s physical absence can often cause students to become disinterested or frustrated. It also deprives them of practical experience when compared to a traditional classroom. Teachers spend a lifetime honing their skills as traditional teachers, and the majority of those skills are made obsolete in an online lecture.
How to get around it:
- The instructor can organize forums, groups, or webinars for students to ask questions and exchange information. Tutors can also promote classes in person.
- Simulators may be used to practice in a safe environment by recreating real-life scenarios. This will help to keep students interested and motivated to attend more lectures.
- Blended training is a popular method for improving the experience of online learning.
e-learning problems and solutions
When historically developed methods in any industry are confronted, reimagined, developed, and redistributed, everyone involved must adjust.
Here are five issues that new students enrolling in online courses may encounter; don’t worry, we’ve also included solutions to these issues so you can make the most of your online learning opportunities.
Credibility
Problem
Often, online learning value is not fully recognized, nor is it accorded the respect it deserves. Though prestigious university institutions accredit qualifications, credibility and validity are met with skepticism because the format is relatively new, and students’ progress is not monitored in person. The perceived value of attending a campus institution, social education, is also regarded as something not to be overlooked, leading to pessimism when considering enrolling in online degree programs.
The solution
In terms of the value of online education, employers see the benefit of hiring those who have succeeded online because of the implicit job skills required by e-learning – discipline, initiative, and time management, as well as technological familiarity. Furthermore, accreditation from institutions such as The University of Law, the UK’s oldest specialized legal training provider, is gold-standard in terms of material and tuition quality, whether you study on campus or online. Remember, when it comes to online learning’s sociability, you have the freedom to study anywhere, at any time. If you manage your time well, you may find that you have even more time to socialize than your on-campus counterparts. Plus, you’ll have more money to spend on socializing.
Hardware and software that is out of date
Problem
Solution
Students all over the world can now access standardized education through online learning. This is a tremendous benefit for online education providers, students in remote locations, and those who do not have the financial means to begin traditional campus study programs. However, to run online learning platforms, e-learning requires the necessary computer equipment. This could cause issues for students that have old, out-of-date hardware and software.
While a slew of obvious solutions may spring to mind, such as purchasing a newer computer, for some, this may not be an option. However, there are solutions available from e-learning providers that address a wide range of students’ issues. Course materials are downloadable, which means that an entire course can be downloaded and studied offline with some planning and time. Learning platforms may also use a useful video feature known as “Dynamic Stream Switching,” which allows for real-time changes in connection strength and bandwidth. That means your content will always stream, regardless of the speed of your Internet connection.
Challenges of online learning for students
Because of the spread of COVID-19, millions of students and teachers/lecturers have had to shift their communication online. During the lockdown, teachers, lecturers and administrators are working hard to keep students on track and to transition to online learning as soon as possible.
Although technological advancements have made many previously unthinkable things possible, the transition to e-learning has not been as smooth as we would like it to be. Faced with the pitfalls of digital learning, both lecturers and students may become discouraged and frustrated.
- Connectivity
Millions of people worldwide are experiencing technical difficulties due to the widespread use of online learning systems, video streaming software, and other digital tools. The platforms are overburdened: low-quality video and audio, as well as Internet issues. The Internet connection is either unstable, or the current data plan is insufficient to meet the progressive e-learning requirements. Students in both rural and urban areas are affected by the “homework gap.” During online lessons, lecturers and facilitators are attempting to manage the poor Internet connection.
- Trying to adapt online courses for students who are deaf or hard of hearing
Deaf and hard of hearing students were removed from their offline classes with interpreters and sent home with limited ability to adjust and amplify remote learning to their needs. Given that online learning is already a challenge for students, those who are deaf or hard of hearing face a double challenge, increasing their chances of falling behind.
- Data security
Teachers and students have been connected using several digital tools since the beginning of the school shutdown, with little regard for the amount and nature of personal data they collect. To achieve our main goal of a quick transition to online learning, we had to sacrifice our privacy, especially since large e-learning software suppliers offer time-limited free subscription plans.
The recent case of Zoom, a virtual conference services company that seems to store all video conference recordings on storage space without a password, demonstrates the importance of selecting digital tools for online learning delivery with care.
- Security
The covid-19 outbreak, like any other crisis, serves as a breeding ground for cybercriminals, unleashing a wave of cyberattacks. Protecting sensitive data from theft is a top priority for digital tools that aid in the delivery of e-learning.
- Isolation
This rather psychological factor continues to have a significant impact on student’s motivation and learning progress. Students became accustomed to instant eye-to-eye communication with one another in the classroom, allowing them to react together, share their experiences, joke, and make nonverbal contact, thereby strengthening their social skills. A classroom has become a kind of sanctuary for several students, which has now been taken away. It’s no surprise that most of them feel isolated, scared by the pandemic, and their friends’ disconnection.
- Work process organization and time management
A comprehensive learning management system typically costs an arm and a leg, so lecturers must deliver e-learning using various digital tools. They begin each day by opening multiple tabs for various purposes and switching between them.
They grade the assignments that come from various locations. They work online for 10 hours a day to clean up the mess, set up, and streamline processes to make online learning more efficient. And this isn’t the end of the list of difficulties associated with online education.
- Gadgets shortage and crashing systems
Not every student owns a personal device that can be used for online learning. Many of them share devices with others.
Another issue that everyone has encountered is a computer crash, which usually occurs at the most inconvenient time.
- Lack of interaction
It isn’t easy to keep students actively involved during online lectures without a lecturer’s physical presence and face-to-face contact. Furthermore, a major concern is linked to science labs (physics, chemistry, etc.), which are difficult to put into practice without in-person instruction and courses that rely heavily on hands-on work (i.e., art classes, nursing).
- Imperfections in the LMS
One of the industry’s foundational issues is a lack of understanding of the psychology of teaching and learning and a lack of understanding of how trainers and students work during LMS development.
- Computer literacy
Without additional training, it is difficult for trainers and students to begin using a learning management system or any other digital tool. They may be swamped by the amount of data they must deal with as they attempt to go digital, as well as overwhelmed by the unknown.
Challenges of online education and possible solutions
For students who want to be flexible while studying, online learning offers numerous advantages. Among the benefits are:
- The ability to take classes in your own time.
- The opportunity to meet students from various backgrounds in an online course setting.
- The ability to learn on any connected device without having to relocate or attend a physical class.
The advantages are obvious, but online students may face some particular challenges when compared to in-classroom students. Here are some of the things to be aware of and how to deal with them.
- Digital Literacy
You will need a certain level of technical proficiency to attend class online, including the capacity to successfully log in, take part in classes, submit tasks and assignments, and effectively communicate with classmates and teachers.
Recognizing online communication etiquette and student rights and obligations in an online learning environment are examples of this.
How to Overcome This Challenge
Choose an institution that offers a full range of support services, such as technical support by email, phone, and live chat, which you can use if you have technical questions.
Pay close attention to how your instructors ask you to label and submit files and follow those instructions. Remember the following netiquette best practices for the online learning environment:
- Make thoughtful and meaningful contributions—only add on-point comments or ask relevant questions.
- Avoid using all caps (this is interpreted as yelling).
- Motivation
To complete tasks, stay engaged, and progress in online learning, you must be motivated. It may be tempting to procrastinate when classmates and instructors do not physically surround you.
Some online learners may begin fully engaged, only to discover that their motivation has waned. They may fall behind if this occurs.
How to Overcome this Challenge
Low motivation is a common issue for all students. Know that this may be an issue, and be prepared to deal with it.
- Be present. The more involved you are in your education, the more important it becomes. Log in daily to view course updates and class discussions. Connect with other students and share your thoughts or questions. Communicate with faculty members. Ask for assistance if you require it.
- Use positive self-talk. Speaking positively to yourself can help you stay focused on your goal and boost your confidence. Finally, you are the sole determiner of your success. When you repeat positive statements, you will begin to ingrain those beliefs and reap the benefits.
- You should include studying in your schedule so that you have time to check in. Don’t forget to concentrate on one task at a time and use time management techniques to improve the effectiveness of your study sessions.