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Online Learning Challenges and How to Overcome them
Technological advancements and accessibility to the internet have contributed to the high demand for online learning across the globe. We are all aware that virtual education is attracting more learners for better learning experiences. However, many students experience many challenges that hinder their online learning. The advantages of online learning are being suppressed by challenges experienced in the learning process. In this article, we explore challenges that students face together with suggestions on how to overcome them.
Challenges that Students Face in Online Learning
Adaptability
Learners find it hard to adapt to virtual learning immediately after brick-and-mortar classroom learning. Because of the abrupt change, learners aren’t able to adapt to virtual learning. Learners who have been learning in a brick-and-mortar classroom mindset aren’t able to concentrate on online classrooms. It is crucial for learners to accept online learning with an open kind.
Overcoming the challenge of adaptability
Today, adaptive teaching utilizes Artificial intelligence in order to adjust the learning content based on individual requirements. Artificial intelligence assists in providing customized courses in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses of students for better outcomes.
Technical Issues
Most learners aren’t equipped well with a reliable internet connection, which is necessary for eLearning. Because of this, such students face challenges in attending online classes and using platforms that need an internet connection. Also, the students experience technical issues since they do not have adequate knowledge of computer applications and technology. A high internet connection is crucial since it enables them to attend online classes quickly and ensure that they do not miss live lectures. Poor internet connection also makes it hard for students to download information that relates to their courses.
Overcoming the challenge of technique issuesÂ
Students only require to get a high-speed internet connection at their homes. Also, they should know where they can get technical assistance for their internet connection, including other technical issues that relate to tools and software required for effective online learning.
Time Management
The other challenge of online learning is time management. Online learners find it had to manage their time. Virtual learning is a new learning system for learners and needs intensive work. Students require scheduled planners to assist them in managing their time effectively. Virtual learning is beneficial as it offers flexible time compared to face-to-face classrooms. However, some students face challenges in adjusting to the time needed for their online learning.
How students can overcome this challenge
Time management is a crucial factor in virtual learning. Online learning requires effort and time for exceptional learning outcomes. As a student, you should do the following in order to manage your time properly in online learning;
Seek Assistance – In order to manage your time well during virtual learning, seek assistance from your families, friends, and parents. This will ensure that you do not miss online classes while undertaking other activities.
Create To-Do List – Come up with a list of activities that you are going to do daily. Attempt to break down large activities into smaller activities for better educational outcomes. Utilize this list to work on every task. Ensure that you strictly follow the list.
Avoid Multitasking – Don’t attempt to perform many tasks once. Perform one task at a time since this will make your work more productive and effective.
Avoid Distractions – You should avoid disruption which impacts your online education. There are numerous online platforms that you can use for communication and entertainment. But ensure that you create time for breaks and learn as per schedule so as to avoid missing live sessions and classes.
Distraction
Studying from the comfort of your home is a remarkable experience. You can expect things that surround you to be like a traditional school. However, things are different at home. For instance, you might need a big classroom, canteens, playgrounds, parks, peers, and instructors around you so that you can learn. With virtual learning, you have to manage everything in one room with siblings and parents near you. You can get disrupted by small things at your home.
How you can overcome the challenge of distraction
You ought to inform your siblings, friends, and parents about your online learning time so that they may not distract you. You can restrict your learning area from other people during video calls and live sessions. Ensure that you rest during break time. This will enable you to concentrate on your studies and spend enough time with your family and friends.
Communication
Learners do not have effective communication skills when learning online. Instructors usually give them homework to assist in enhancing their writing and reading skills, but there is a probability that they cannot write to convince their teachers through writing that they have understood the concepts behind their assignments. Some learners are shy when it comes to communicating with their friends and teachers because of the online learning model. This can be because of poor technological skills with video and apps calls, lack of interest, or not being able to express themselves through text messages, emails, or live chats.
How students can overcome the challenge of communication
You ought to be aware of the significance of communication in learning. Virtual learning improves your experience in learning. Online learning provides platforms for interaction and communication with others. In case of any challenge of communication, you can seek assistance from other students and teachers. Ask them about tools that can assist you in enhancing your communication skills. You have to interact, write, and read for better communication.
Feedback
Students require feedback for their performance from online learning activities. This will assist in improving their learning capabilities. Students are observed during assignments, projects, exams, and tests. Study shows that learners rarely visit their projects or assignments to look for comments and suggestions. The model of feedback in regard to online can be challenging for them to implement and understand.
Overcoming the challenge of feedback in online learning
Students can approach their educators for feedback that relates to their performance. Instructors can give students customized guidance for improvement. They can also identify their strengths and weaknesses. Learners can improve their learning patterns depending on their feedback. Unless they get feedback from their instructors, they cannot improve in their academics.
How can we help online high school students overcome challenges?
It’s not easy to teach online high students. Not only do we need to have strict discipline, but also must be adaptive and diverse, otherwise, there are a lot of bad influences for them. For example, when they can’t follow the instructions from teachers, they may chat with friends in QQ or similar tools; avoid learning courses; waste time on some other things. What should we do? How can we help them? Let’s think about it!
1. Teacher can make use of effective methods to express our ideas to communicate with online high students such as audio-visual teaching, discussion, teaching and so on. Also, a teacher could divide students into groups according to their level and ask different people to work as discussion moderators.
It’s important for teachers to make use of effective methods to express their ideas. For example, we can write a small article and provide some pictures or videos, which is the most favorite way that online high students like learning English. Also, we could talk about the hot topics with them, for example, American elections, European Union, Central Asia region politics, and so on. In addition, teachers should be flexible and patient when dealing with online high students in order to modify their teaching style is suitable ways according to their level of interest and ability; from time to time ask different friends in QQ group from student class or take turns being discussion moderator.
2. Online high schools also need to get help from parents: show concern about their teenagers’ English learning results; encourage their children to work hard in learning new words, sentences, and grammar patterns.
In order to make online high school students feel happy and relax during the process of studying, we need help from parents. It’s important for them to stay in touch with their teenagers, show concern about their child’s learning results. As well as they could encourage teachers’ suggestions by giving full play to the role of parents. Also, parents should give full play to the roles of parents by helping us make experiments on how to combine different teaching methods together effectively so that there will be a good effect on students’ effectiveness of the study.
3. We also have another suggestion: since online high schools are easy to waste time, we have to make use of more time-effective methods. For example, we can send students homework by using teaching material such as video or audio recordings for listening or reading practice in which the students could listen or read them at home during weekends and holidays. So that online high schools will become more motivated!
Besides, online high school is a good chance for young people to overcome challenges at the early stages of their lives; however, it’s also one very concerning issue for teachers because online learning would bring lots of pressure upon them. There are many challenges that they should face when studying without teachers’ being beside them physically: how can they get along with each other? How can they overcome interpersonal problems? And what’s more, how to overcome the challenges of study and make students feel happy? These are the questions that teachers should consider deeply.