what is the most common problem students face when taking an online course?

by Doris Murray 5 min read

Perhaps the most common challenge students face in online degree programs is the lack of face-to-face engagement with professors and other students. Online courses are typically conducted through a virtual learning platform. This platform may include reading materials, assignments, and even a forum or chat room for class discussions.

Here are some of the most common challenges undergraduate students are currently facing with online classes along with specific tips on how to address them: Technical issues. Distractions and time management. Staying motivated.May 4, 2020

Full Answer

What are the most common challenges students face in online degree programs?

May 28, 2021 · While most studies revealed that technology use and competency were the most common challenges that students face during the online classes (see Rasheed et al., 2020), the case is a bit different in developing countries in times of pandemic. As the findings have shown, the learning environment is the greatest challenge that students needed to hurdle, particularly …

Why is online learning so difficult?

Are You coping with the problems while attending online classes?

How do students respond to online learning challenges and strategies?

What are the challenges of online degree programs?

Perhaps the most common challenge students face in online degree programs is the lack of face-to-face engagement with professors and other students. Online courses are typically conducted through a virtual learning platform. This platform may include reading materials, assignments, and even a forum or chat room for class discussions. Professors can provide course instruction in a variety of ways, such as by sharing slide show presentations, posting videos of recorded lectures, or even streaming lectures live. However, despite the range of ways instructors can foster student engagement, some students simply do not find a virtual classroom as engaging as a traditional one. The lack of in-person communication can become problematic for students who are struggling to understand course material, according to The New York Times.

Why do people take online courses?

Some students take online courses because they can adapt their schedules and work full-time while earning a degree. Here’s the caveat. Traditional program courses average three credits each. So do online courses. Traditional students will spend three hours a week in the classroom.

What are the barriers to online learning?

One of the biggest obstacles to online study may be the school or the program itself. Many schools have instituted an online component, but it is an adjunct to traditional courses. Schools that are dedicated to helping students succeed in online study have faculties that are knowledgeable in the aspects of online vs traditional learning. That includes recognizing how the students are accessing materials. For instance, many schools put assignments, resources and lectures online in file types that are not accessible from some mobile devices. Files intended to be downloaded are too large for many mobile devices as well. Although this seems to fall more into the realm of technical issues, the fact is that schools serious about offering quality online programs will tailor the materials to be accessed by mobile and desktop devices. They also have counselors and technical support staff available at all times. Their learning platforms are “user friendly” and reliable. They have responsive teaching staff and safe and simple access to forums and student portals. That means the way to get over this hurdle is to take a close look at the school’s online programs.

Is Capella University accredited?

Capella University. Capella University is an accredited, online university that 's reshaping education with flexible, online programs designed to help you gain the competencies to lead in the field of business. Online bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in business provide access to learning that fits your life. Visit Site.

Is online degree better than traditional degree?

A greater percentage, however, take at least one online course. While undergraduates surveyed saw their programs as equal to traditional offerings, more than half of graduate students said that the online degree programs were better than traditional advanced degrees.

Can being illiterate keep you from studying?

Just as being unable to read cripples students when trying to use printed resources, being digitally illiterate can keep them from succeeding in online study. Recalling that education is a social activity as well as an intellectual one, it is imperative to be able to access forums to interact with peers and navigate email to contact instructors.

Is online college the best?

For those students , online degree programs may be the best or only way to get a college education. However, just because you may be able to complete a college course without ever leaving your house doesn’t mean that the work is easier or that there won’t be any challenges along the way.

Why is time management so difficult?

Time management is a difficult task for eLearners, as online courses require a lot of time and intensive work. Furthermore, whereas it is mostly adults who prefer web-based learning programs for their place and time flexibility, they rarely have the time to take the courses due to their various everyday commitments.

Is eLearning good for students?

eLearning is good news, but at its initial stage it poses certain threats to students. Attitude change and technological literacy would help them gain confidence in order to succeed in their courses with a positive vibe. eLearning Challenges Learning Motivation Online Learners Online Learning. Write or read Comments.

Is eLearning a fair show?

eLearning, being the latest wave of education, is already having a fair show despite posing challenges for both instructors and students. While instructors need to put in intensive work and time to design the instruction, students need to equip themselves with technical proficiency to decode the course material.

What is the virus that is spreading across the globe?

In December 2019, an outbreak of a novel coronavirus , known as COVID-19, occurred in China and has spread rapidly across the globe within a few months. COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus that attacks the respiratory system (World Health Organization, 2020).

What has changed since the 1990s?

Since the 1990s, the world has seen significant changes in the landscape of education as a result of the ever-expanding influence of technology. One such development is the adoption of online learning across different learning contexts, whether formal or informal, academic and non-academic, and residential or remotely.

Why is parental intervention important?

Parent Intervention Becomes Important. Parental intervention is absolutely necessary if the students are extremely young. The younger lot cannot even operate the systems by themselves. Further, they have an attention span of a hummingbird so it is essential that the parents play an active role in their classes.

Is it possible for every child to have high speed internet?

It is impossible for every child to have high-speed internet functioning at their home. The entire paraphernalia of online classes depends upon one adjoining thread, the internet. There are unforeseen technical issues as having the gadget, internet and student focus all in one place is important and hard to achieve.

Do students have motivation to study?

Students, especially in lower classes, do not have the motivation to study. While teacher struggles in trying to hold the entire class together, the students too face a bunch of issues with online classes.

image

Who Studies Online?

  • The National Center for Education Statisticssays that 14 percent of undergraduates and nearly 31 percent of graduate students earn their degrees completely online. A greater percentage, however, take at least one online course. While undergraduates surveyed saw their programs as equal to traditional offerings, more than half of graduate students said that the online degree pr
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

Misunderstanding Effort Involved

  • The first big hurdle online students face is miscalculating their workloads. Some students take online courses because they can adapt their schedules and work full-time while earning a degree. Here’s the caveat. Traditional program courses average three credits each. So do online courses. Traditional students will spend three hours a week in the classroom. Online students should spe…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

Virtual Classroom Engagement

  • Perhaps the most common challenge students face in online degree programs is the lack of face-to-face engagement with professors and other students. Online courses are typically conducted through a virtual learning platform. This platform may include reading materials, assignments, and even a forum or chat room for class discussions. Professors can provide course instruction in a …
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

The Importance of Staying Motivated

  • For some students, the convenience of online courses can encourage poor study habits. Without a set class schedule, as students would have in a traditional course, the temptation to procrastinate may be stronger. With no in-person interactions with the instructor or with fellow students, it can be easy to forget assignments and deadline unless the student keeps organized. Online course…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

How to Get Motivated

  • People start out motivated to study online, but once the novelty wears off, the romance ends. They begin to doubt whether they can succeed and become discouraged. Psychology Todaysays one answer to this problem is affirming self-talk. The theory is that people are inclined to do things that increase their perception of being adequate. If thy make a choice to affirm themselve…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

Lack of Digital Literacy

  • Just as being unable to read cripples students when trying to use printed resources, being digitally illiterate can keep them from succeeding in online study. Recalling that education is a social activity as well as an intellectual one, it is imperative to be able to access forums to interact with peers and navigate email to contact instructors. Additionally, students must be able to use progr…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

Technical Issues

  • It’s discouraging to locate an assigned video and begin to watch it, only to have that annoying buffering circle begin to spin in the center of the screen. Aside from a computer, a reliable and fast Internet connection is the most important beginning point for an online course or program. If the signals are weak or the bandwidth too narrow to connect, there is no way to succeed in onlin…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

The Program

  • One of the biggest obstacles to online study may be the school or the program itself. Many schools have instituted an online component, but it is an adjunct to traditional courses. Schools that are dedicated to helping students succeed in online study have faculties that are knowledgeable in the aspects of online vs traditional learning. That includes recognizing how th…
See more on bestcollegesonline.org

Parent Intervention Becomes Important

Image
Parental intervention is absolutely necessary if the students are extremely young. The younger lot cannot even operate the systems by themselves. Further, they have an attention span of a hummingbird so it is essential that the parents play an active role in their classes. The parents have to sit through the entire class, make them s…
See more on schoolmykids.com

Parental Pressure

  • It is one thing telling your parents about how your class was or a day at the school was, it is another to have them sitting right next to you all the times. All parents are in the beeline of letting their children outperform the other. The children have to succumb to parental peer pressure. The parents also prompt their children with answer trying to make their child look good in the class. …
See more on schoolmykids.com

Technical Issues

  • It is impossible for every child to have high-speed internet functioning at their home. The entire paraphernalia of online classes depends upon one adjoining thread, the internet. There are unforeseen technical issues as having the gadget, internet and student focus all in one place is important and hard to achieve. The technical issues or connection problems with one student ca…
See more on schoolmykids.com

Lack of Self Motivation

  • Students in the smaller classes are not very self-motivated to study. They will try every possible way to get distracted. They can even get distracted by the design of the table on which they are studying. Hence, parental intervention becomes necessary. Focusing on the computer screen for a long time, unless it’s their favourite movie, becomes a tough task for their children. It is hard t…
See more on schoolmykids.com

Lack of Infrastructure

  • Not every student will have a separate study room or table and chair for studying. The lack of infrastructural facilities anyways creates a posture issue, concentration issue and directly impacts the child’s academia. There was a sudden rise in the purchase of work/study tables in the past few months. While parents do try to accommodate to the requirements of their children, it just b…
See more on schoolmykids.com

Communication

  • To curb the cacophony in unison, the teacher has too often mute all the children. The communication is not as natural as in the class where hand-raising culture is prevalent. In online classes, usage of emojis serves as a substitute for the physical interface in the class, but it is hardly so. The teacher has to gauge on tabs to dither which child is paying attention and which c…
See more on schoolmykids.com

Conclusion

  • The children miss all the fun and frolic of the class and online classes take a toll on their monitoring and attention spans. The challenges faced by students impact their own academia as little do they know how not paying attention in the class, they miss out on value education. Further, continuous parental monitoring further lessens their already low motivation. As a parent…
See more on schoolmykids.com