Online learning material could provide students with a high degree of flexibility. It is easy to access learning material using smartphones, tablets and other portable devices. Online methods are typically easy to use and it doesn’t take much effort for people to make a transition from the traditional to the digital mode of learning. Internet has become a very common part of our lives and broadband connections are now very affordable. Online learning can be considered as a mature technology and many educational institutions have used it to improve the learning quality of their students. Even so, we should know a number of issues that are often involved with typical online learning. Some issues in traditional learning method could also be transferred into digital learning mode. In fact, some of the issues can get worse.
As an example, it is important for providers of online learning methods to adjust to difference in personal needs and learning styles. Just like textbooks, online learning materials are often designed for everyone. Students will still need to be responsible of their progress in the learning process. In this case, online learning providers should make sure that their technology is up to par with the current developments. For some students of online learning courses, it can be quite disappointing and frustrating. Unlike in normal classes, it will be quite difficult, if not impossible for students to connect with their lecturers and instructors. There will also be lack of socialization with other students. Poor quality of media, broken links, server issues and uncertainty of how to proceed with the learning material can be quite disheartening for many students. In some cases, the problem can be quite significant even for the most experienced and durable distance learners.
Some of the procedures and rules can be quite complex. Also, providers of online learning may not be able to measure the attitude, knowledge and skill of the learners. Despite the prevalence of good Internet connections in many areas, there are still rural areas with poor Internet infrastructure. In this situation, an alternative would be to send a few pieces of DVDs that contain gigabytes of learning materials, including all the text, images and videos. It means that providers should be able to create offline version of their learning material. There should be efficient ways to deliver, interact and assess information. Constant communication with the distant lecturers should allow them to gauge the individual progress of each learners. In order to improve participation, students could also be encouraged to form study groups, despite the distances of each students with one another. Students could form cooperation with another students through online conference and social media. In any class situation, it is important for students to be able to interact with one another. It will also be easier for lecturers to communicate with a group, than with individual students. Lecturers could be invited into the conference chat room to facilitate faster and much more efficient learning process.
