Common Challenges for Online Students

Although online learning offers students many of the same learning opportunities as traditional delivery methods, online students often face challenges that are unique to the distance learning experience. A recent About.com guide asked students about the biggest challenges they faced with online learning, and we’d like to use this as an open forum to hear what obstacles you had to overcome to make your online learning experiences successful. If you have yet to take an online course, let us know what concerns you have going into the experience! Here are some of the most common challenges students faced, as well as some advice that might help students feel more comfortable with online learning.

1. Organization. Staying organized should be a top priority for students just starting their online learning experience. While many students might have organizational skills that work well in a traditional learning environment, online learning requires students to adapt those skills to an online setting. Ask instructors for organizing tips if you find yourself overwhelmed, and don’t ever worry about being too organized!
2. Traditional lesson plans in a nontraditional environment. This misstep—often referred to as the “cottage industry approach” to teaching—occurs when teachers plan an online course the same way they would when teaching in a classroom environment. Online learning both requires and allows teachers to be creative in their delivery methods. If you feel like the lesson plan does not translate well to online learning, chances are that you are not the only student, so don’t hesitate to give your professor feedback if there seems to be a barrier in the online course.
3. Unresponsive faculty. Many students worry about their concerns being addressed, especially when professors and other faculty are not around to approach in-person. One student suggested avoiding schools where online classes do not seem to be a priority. Because of the popularity of online learning methods, many schools jump on the online bandwagon without committing the time and resources necessary to make those programs work for students. Strictly online schools, or smaller institutions with a proportionate ratio of online-to-classroom programs, are the safest best for students worried about reliability.
4. Learning the technical side. One of the major assumptions about online students is that they are familiar with handling the technical aspects necessary for the online learning experience. Once you get your course online, check to see if there are any lessons that require you to use unfamiliar software or programs; if you can’t learn them on your home, simply ask your professor for instructions to know exactly what you’ll have to do when that lesson comes.
5. Staying motivated. Online students often find that succeeding requires a great deal of motivation, and without a teacher there to keep you motivated, that drive must come from inside. Create a schedule and stick to it, then reward yourself with a small incentive once you have completed your assignments.

And now we’d love to hear what you have to say. Check out the comments section, and feel free to post any advice or worries you might have!