The Challenges of E Learning and How I Propose to Deal with Them Essay

The Challenges of E Learning and How I Propose to Deal with Them - Essay Example Online learning refers to such environment where teachers have no physical presence and both students and teachers have to communicate with each other using different communication technologies, such as, internet. E-learning offers a number of considerable benefits to students. Some of the main benefits of learning for students include learning flexibility, improved adaptability to technology, improved computer skills, improved time management ability, and improved communication skills. In the present world, online learning is making its ground because it is proving very beneficial for distance learners (Shepherd 2012). "E-learning with its more active and interesting opportunities is gradually replacing the traditional form of teaching† (Roy 2010, p. 1). However, there exist some problems that learners usually face while studying in an online learning environment. In this paper, we will discuss some key problems that students face when studying in online environments. The pape r will also include some discussion on the ways that can be used to overcome those challenges. 2. Main Issues Some of the main problems for distance learners in online learning environments include decreased interaction with teachers, difficulty in communication through writing, lack of group discussion, and lack of web navigation skills. All of these problems make distance learning difficult for students. Let us discuss these problems in detail and find some solutions to overcome these issues. 2.1 Communication through Writing Communication through writing is one of the main problems associated with e-learning system. E-learning system requires people to be skilled in communicating with fellows and teachers through writing because most of the communication takes place in written form. â€Å"In online learning environment, most communications will be done in written format† (Havert 2010, p. 1). As compared to traditional learning system where students can interact with each o ther and with their teachers verbally, e-learning system requires students to be more efficient in writing. Some people are not skilled in doing electronic mode of communication, such as emails and it creates problems for them as online students. Another very important think to consider in online study environments is the ability to use of blackboards and discussion boards. For example, if we talk about discussion boards, we can say that they not only enable communication between teachers and students but also provide a way to the students to interact with other students. Some online institutes make use of graded discussion boards to measure knowledge of the students. In graded discussion boards, teachers ask the students to write short paragraphs on the topics provided by them. Teachers mark the responses of the students considering the relevance of the content with the topic. Some students are not skilled in the use of graded discussion boards because of which they sometimes miss the deadlines of the discussions and get no marks allocated for the graded discussions. Solution As the ability to communicate through writing is very important for a student doing online study, therefore, students should improve their written communication skills to be successful in online learning environments. They should improive their computer skills, as well as internet skills to reap the benefits of e-learning. Moreover, it is also the