CHALLENGES IN E-LEARNING
MAF Learning Technologies: Challenges in E-Learning
Much research has been done over the last decade addressing
many issues related to e-learning, and for good reason. Many
have found e-learning to be ineffective, boring, a waste of
time, worthless, and generally dissatisfying—just as face-toface courses have been found to be by millions of students all
over the world. Teaching is challenging in any situation,
whether in a classroom, on a computer, at work, or on the
sports field. However, these normal challenges are intensified
with e-learning.
Motivation
Why does anyone take time out of their busy schedule to learn? Why do people read an instruction
book, learn to cook a meal, take a training course, or sign up for a course? The answer is they are
motivated to do so. No matter if that motivation comes from within or from outside pressures, still, they
have some motivation. For children, the motivation is mostly from the outside: from parents and from
society. However, for adults, the motivation is much more from within. Even if they are required by their
manager or boss to take a course, their motivation comes from within (for example, they desire to keep
their job).
Again, this is a normal challenge but e-learning increases the need to carefully consider motivation,
especially concerning the idea of relevance and the issue of whether the student feels connected or
isolated.
Relevance
The first consideration is relevance. This is the main question that adult learners ask: “Is the training
relevant to me?” Adults are motivated to learn when they are convinced the training will benefit them
individually. The closer the connection between the training and the perceived personal benefit, the
more motivated the person will be to participate in and complete the training.
The challenge, then, for e-learning is that the instructors must:
1. Understand well the learners’ needs
2. Communicate clearly how the learning will be practical to the learners, meeting their needs
3. Create activities, assignments, practice, and assessments that directly relate to the learners’
needs
As we have said, this is a difficult task for any type of learning—face-to-face or e-learning. The particular
challenge for e-learning, though, is to develop a course that will meet the needs of a specific group of
people, so much so that those people will be motivated to participate in and complete the training
offered. A training course that is motivating to one group of people may not be motivating to a different
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CHALLENGES IN E-LEARNING
group, depending on their needs and the perceived personal benefit. Course designers and instructors
cannot offer a course that has already been created and, perhaps, even used successfully to a new
group without first looking at the motivational factors of that specific new group. We would not do that
in face-to-face training and we should not be tempted to do so in e-learning.
Feeling Connected
Because e-learning students may never meet their instructor or classmates, the physical distance can
lead to a sense of isolation. Instructors, then, have the challenge of intentionally building community.
Relationships are important and should not be minimized in e-learning. Research shows that e-learning
that involves a high level of interaction, between the students and with the instructor, results in
satisfaction with the learning experience. In face-to-face courses, relationships are formed naturally as
the students gather for class and the teacher interacts with students before, during, and after class.
Even if the teacher basically ignores the students, there is still a sense of community among the
students.
However, unless interaction is intentionally designed into an e-learning course, the students will not
form any sense of community and can feel quite isolated. This isolation, which is de-motivating, may
cause students to participate less or possibly even quit the training.
So training must not only be relevant to the felt needs of the learners but it must also connect the
learners in meaningful ways, creating a sense of community with the other students and the teacher.
The following chart illustrates four kinds of training situations. Those students in the right column feel
isolated because there are few to no interactions. Those in the left feel connected to the community of
fellow students and the instructors because there are frequent and rich interactions. As shown in the
upper left-hand box of the table, ideal e-learning uses the appropriate technology available to facilitate
frequent and rich interactions among participants.
Feeling Connected
Ideal E-learning
Distant
 Feeling Connected @ Distant Locations
Frequent and rich interactions
Discussion-centered course
Close
 Feeling Connected @ Located Together
Lots of rich interactions
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Feeling Isolated
Correspondence course model
Feeling Isolated @ Distant Locations
Few to no interactions
Mainly lecture and large class size
Feeling Isolated @ Located Together
Few to no interactions
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CHALLENGES IN E-LEARNING
Planning
Another major challenge unique to e-learning is that a successful distance-education course requires
careful planning and preparation. While planning and preparation is certainly integral to a face-to-face
course, the intensity and detail of planning with an e-learning course is increased and everything must
be completed and ready before the course begins.
Timing
In my 30 years of teaching, I never had to have the details of every unit, every lesson, every assessment,
every student-teacher interaction planned before the semester even began. Planning the semester was
more general, noting what topics I would cover on which weeks and when important dates came in the
semester. I could plan the details of a lesson a week or two in advance, or even the night before the
lesson, because I was there to guide each day’s activities. I could lead the discussion; I could make the
assignments; I could adjust the lesson to meet the learning needs of the students day to day.
E-learning is different. All of those details must be completed and put into the digital course before the
first day of class. For those of us whose strength is in leading spontaneous class discussions to engage
our students, this is a challenge. We have to think of the class discussion without the energy and
intimate knowledge of the students that comes with daily interaction with them throughout the
semester. While sitting alone with a computer, we have to create interactions and opportunities for
learning for students we will likely never meet!
Teamwork
Creating and delivering e-learning courses is usually a team effort, combining the educational and
technical expertise of several team members. This complicates the process and emphasizes the need to
plan well because the different team members all need to know what their roles and responsibilities are
in order to work together to create the desired outcome.
Analysis
Part of the careful planning and preparation begins before the creation of the course through analyzing
the education level, goals, and needs of the target students. While this is normal in any situation, in elearning—where distances separate the teachers from the students—course designers must make a
concerted effort to discover the needs of the target audience to ensure that the course meets those
needs. Part of planning the course is to adjust it to meet the needs of the target audience, not to adjust
the target audience to the course we have already created.
For all of these reasons and more, e-learning courses must be carefully planned and prepared. Below is a
list of some of the activities that go into planning an e-learning course:
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Minimum student requirements are analyzed and communicated: language, existing knowledge,
technology availability, and skill
All required information for getting help is made available in online and offline formats
Objectives and instructional strategies are directed at the specific target learners
Meaningful and purposeful interactions and activities are prepared to motivate the learners
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Course layout is made easy to use (website and webpage design)
Amount of time spent in student-to-instructor, student-to-student, and student-to-resource
interactions is planned and quantified
Rubrics and sample answers for assignments are clear and available
Student orientation tutorial is created to familiarize students with the technology and the
course
Class size is planned
Start/stop dates are planned
Instructor decides to deliver the course synchronously or asynchronously
% of online/offline activities is planned out
While this list can be somewhat overwhelming, when you have determined that the students you are
targeting really have a need, then you are ready to put together a qualified team to set out on the
adventure that creating and delivering e-learning really is.
Remember, our vision is to reach those who do not now have access to training. It is this which
motivates us to do the planning and teamwork that it takes to make a difference in other’s lives.
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