The Problem with eLearning

I still encounter too often, resistance to eLearning within the corporate world. So when I was asked to write an article about eLearning, I thought I would approach it differently, with a bit of tongue-in-cheek.

Hope you enjoy reading it was much I did writing it (click here).

34 thoughts on “The Problem with eLearning”

  1. E-learning is convenient in that, it allows one sit in the comfort of his/her home, and does study at his/her own environment, time and space. It is also saves cost because, rather than be on campus and pay hostel fees, library and academic user fees-which sometimes are outrageous, one pays a lump sum of tuition fess excluding the rest that I have mentioned above, and that’s it. It also offers a lot of people access to education. Because of a fewer number of academic institutions around the globe, examination grades are most often used to disqualify students from gaining admission into academic institutions. But most often than not, qualification for offering courses online are flexible.

    1. Change is constant and inevitable. The earth has evolved through the course of time and we happen to be the dominant species who are privileged to use and develop, to rule and control this planet we call our home. If eLearning is an adjunct of our evolutionary development, then why do we have to be repulsive to its potentials? From my personal point of view, it saves not just energy and time, but rather it saves lives too. The risk of being literally exposed to danger is thus reduced if transactions, instructions, and agreements have to be done in the comfort of one’s home. Not only that, it offers a wide array of chances for those who can hardly physically handle themselves, the PWDs. eLearning is the panacea of a hurting soul; one who has been ostracized rather than acclaimed; ridiculed rather than respected, and rejected rather than accepted. With the birth of eLearning, the bearer of a physical defect doesn’t have to show the cruel world the deformities and incapabilities. The PWD can very well utilize to its level’s best the unscathed brain within the bounds of the comfort zone, free from the discriminating judgments of those who are fortunate enough to have all limbs and senses intact.

  2. e-learning is convenient and cost saving. And it it also offers a lot of people the opportunity to have access to education. it is convenient because, one sits in his/her comfort room and listens to lectures at his/her own time. it saves cost because; rather than pay hostel fees, academic user fees, maintenance fees, the purchase of teaching and learning materials; online learning is devoid of all that. it offers a lot of people the opportunity to access education because, a lot of people now compete with fewer educational institutions and facilities, and to avoid over loading classrooms, and to have class sizes that are manageable, admissions have been tide to grade levels-thus cut off points. But e-learning is a lot more flexible and therefore allows for higher numbers of students to gain access to education.

  3. I have always been a firm believer that education doesn’t end once you graduate from school. Every new day is an opportunity for everyone to learn new things or skills. Because of the advancement in technology and the advent of Internet, even those who have been deprived of formal schooling are provided ways to develop themselves thru eLearning.

    This is a very enlightening article on eLearning. And I must agree that it has not yet reached its full potential, not only in Malaysia but in most Asian countries. Apart from the reasons provided, the obvious lack of governmental support for educational and training programs also play a big role in the slow progress of eLearning. The state of the region’s IT also infrastructure leaves much to be desired and unless this can be addressed soon both by the public and private sectors, eLearning in Asia will not be able to influence its target audience.

  4. The context of E-learning is not the problem. The problem lies on how the people and culture fully understand and openly accept the concept e-learning. One must look at E-learning as catalyst of change in the existing educational system. For the professionals who are already engaged in various commitments, e-learning is the best tool for them to continue their professional studies without hampering their schedules and traveling time and expenses. Moreover, E-learning can also lead towards greater opportunities and may serve as benchmarking tool for continuous enrichment and discovery. This also makes education accessible to everybody right at the comfort of their home. Skilled, knowledgeable and competitive instructors/teachers who handle the classes guarantee the quality and efficiency of learning online. Weighing the program impact over the logistics, cost and efficient delivery is more than of benefit to the end user which is the learner.

  5. Education is a continuous process of facilitating, learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. And the brain has the ability to store or absorb enough knowledge that you can acquire learning.

    eLearning is the most complex, flexible and convenient tool for learning that offers a lot of people the opportunity to have the access to education and business as well.

    eLearning provides comfort, productivity and accessibility specially those who are physically, mentally and socially challenge in life also known as the Person with Disabilities for you can manage your own time, present and study at your own comfort zones. even if you’re not feeling well or in a situation of a bad weather.

    eLearning is very economical and practical because it help you save time, resources, money and space. A very cost effective and fast way of acquiring knowledge and doing business internationally.

    Through eLearning life will be simple, easy and smooth as silk.

  6. E-learning is convenient, cost-effective and available to a lot of people across different platforms and different places. I love that it’s mobile meaning it’s flexible and you can get to access it around your schedule anywhere you’re in the world, which means it can also save you time. But as it needs self discipline because you cannot succeed if you don’t practice discipline around it. And it’s a problem if there are short of technical devices and skills to ensure that everyone can join in the fun of e-learning. We need to teach more people about accessibility and create some sort of motivation on how to get started on e-learning.

  7. The Problem with eLearning
    The problem with eLearning is often one of mindset and late adoption of technology, especially among the baby boomers generation. A common stumbling block is the lack of technical skills or that users are not ‘tech-savvy’. However the phenomena of Facebook and smart phone technology that has brought on the advent of phone apps and mobile education has changed the face of online learning. If your grandmother can post a Selfie with an iPhone or an Android phone, she makes a good candidate for online learning in a virtual space.

    With technology platforms like Udemy, Skillshare and the Khan Academy, millions and billions of people are discovering the value of an education in the comfort of their homes that will not cost them an arm and a leg. You can learn a useful skill, language, or business from videos and online instructors without hopping onto a plane or booking a hotel just to attend a training session in a room full of people – if that is not your preferred learning mode.

    Lessons are self-paced and can be paused or repeated unlike a traditional classroom setting where it is often a one-way delivery. Students can post questions on the online discussion boards and other mature students who have mastered the subject can help and guide other students in this mastermind group. The e-learning platform or LMS (Learning Management System) has the intuitive ability to know where a student has left a lesson and the teacher can view this and he is then able to track a student’s progress. The teacher is then able to send an email or message to a weaker student who has not made remarkable progress in a lesson. In a corporate class setting, this is often conducted through an evaluation form that is used as a measurement of the effectiveness of a training session.

  8. We only stop learning when we die. I firmly believe that day by day, we get something valuable in our daily experiences. Education is a never-ending process. In the same way, Education changes as the Earth revolves around the sun.

    The advent of the Internet opens a lot of doors to all. Now, we have eLearning which defines as acquiring education, knowledge, and skills through online. In my own humble view, I could say that this way of learning has its benefit and downside. One drawback of eLearning is that it may be impersonal. You are just facing a computer screen. Despite how hard you try to transmit the human communication, nothing can compensate human contact.

    On the contrary, there are a good number of reasons why eLearning is way better now in our present time. The greatest benefit of eLearning is convenience. It’s a practical way for us to save our time, money and energy. You have the power to study at our own phase. Moreover, your location is not a problem as long as you have a working computer and stable internet connection.

    Given these points, I could say that eLearning benefits a wide range of people most especially to people with disability. In brief, there is inclusiveness in eLearning.

  9. E-learning is a good idea for everyone to study at anytime and anywhere through online. With the E-learning platform, it offers a lot of opportunity to many peoples to continue their study.

  10. The problem with e learning people don’t go out in full. They lack around the road and gave up hope. E learning is so easy you can learn and work. It gives you the opportunity to see and experience life in abundance. You can live your life to the fullest or lay back and see it fade away before your eyes. I have come and learn in life that no one will do it for you,you have to stand up and make a difference in your own life. You don’t just then make a difference in your life you make a difference in the lives of others around you.

  11. The problem with E-Learning is the same problem as always with inadequate teaching.
    Its Pros and Cons need to be considered in making a decision. The benefits of E-Learning – that one can learn anywhere, at any time are undeniable. It is a flexible learning process. It builds self-knowledge, self-confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for their learning.
    The problems are easily stated:
    *Unmotivated student. The material doesn’t change depending on the ability of the student. There is no teacher to further explain anything the student is struggling with. Learning depends entirely on the will of the student to work through the material.
    *Students may feel isolated or miss social interaction so with the need to understanding different learning styles and an individual learner needs. Like, a bored student is easily spotted by a teacher compared to a bored student cannot be spotted by an E-Learning video.
    * Supervising through learning software can involve a learning curve. An assessment without a teacher is effectively impossible (limited to simple quizzes). A student who excels with E-Learning would have excelled with a book. A student who needs the guidance of a teacher to do well will struggle with E-Learning.
    The potential challenges of learners with E-learning could be the absence proper communication, poor access of technology and dissatisfaction that they could gain.

  12. This is a very insightful article into the state of eLearning in Malaysia. I find that some of the problems affecting the adoption of eLearning in Malaysia also holds true for some other parts of the world. Still, I believe it is only a matter of time before eLearning becomes the new norm. As this article shows, the advantages are manifold in terms of cutting cost, staying abreast with the latest trends, and creating an environment where everyone can learn at their own pace.

  13. While e-learning may have its own limitations, there can be no better way to reach out to so many learners across Malaysia. The advantages of this type of learning exceeds its disadvantages. Also e-learning is improving with innovative technologies and the understanding of human learning methodologies – thus, making it more effective by the day. The flexibility offered by e-learning is as I think is one of the most effective qualities of the learning experience. This allows students to learn at their pace by even using repetitive sessions which is not as convenient in the real world.

    All in all, I think the environment around e-learning is improving across the globe and is indeed one of the favourite learning methods of today’s world.

  14. Its no questions that E-Learning is a flexible learning process wherein you can study anywhere, indeed very practical and convenient for students. One flaws with E-Learning is the lack of proper communication and social interaction. No teachers in front of you to explain topic that maybe unclear to you. No other opinion coming from your classmates that may help you to understand more about the topic.

  15. Its no questions that E-Learning is a flexible process of learning. Very practical and convenient for all the students. One flaws with E_Learning is the lack of proper communication. No teachers in front of you to further explain topics that maybe unclear to you. No classmate that can give opinion , instinct that may help you to understand more about a certain topic.

    1. Unfortunately. most people today have this same dated notion about eLearning. eLearning does not have to mean learning by yourself without interaction with anyone. Collaborative eLearning can connect fellow learners from around the world with a remote teacher, in a fun interactive learning environment, with profound outcomes.

  16. We’re now in a year 2018, most of the things that I have seen these past few years is that people learn from the Internet and they’re learning from the different websites like youtube.com, wikipedia.com, and from the online services that the different universities and colleges from around the world that are being made available for students to access the different courses offered to them by these institutions. Well the problem in e-learning can always be resolved by putting up facilities where internet access can really be available for everyone to use. People can also access e-learning through enrolling into different courses that are already available for students to access and learn from, just in case they’re working or their schedule isn’t compatible with the alloted time in the learning institute that they enrolled at. The national and the local government should always include e-learning into their campaign for learning, so people within their jurisdictions, will be informed and invite these people into undergoing their featured courses in foreign languages, culture, culinary arts, technology, information technology, web developing, game developing, game testing, geography, astronomy, physics, and other courses that will be made available for the senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and the unlucky ones who would like to study in colleges and universities but finds it hard to enroll because of financial problems, issues regarding their locations, like the lack of infrastructures that would allow them to have an access either from within their own homes, or from an establishments, or from a multipurpose building or hall which is a good strategic location that can bring e-learning right into their communities. Well the gap must be filled or resolved, in order for these people to have a chance study and learn from the different e-courses offered to them. If all of the facilities were all built, and yet there are some who still can’t learn, sometimes the resolution must come from within us, we can’t learn anything if we can’t adapt from the constant changes that this world is going through as time goes by. Remember we’re not living in the dark ages anymore, where life is harder and man is still seeking for knowledge the hard way, and transcribing such informations into their compiled researches by an ink, quill, and sheets of papers. We are already in the Aquarian Age, the age of Technology, where we are able to use any kinds of technology that can bring knowledge into our minds, like tablets, laptops, desk top computers, hybrid 2 in 1 computers, smart phones, smart consoles, smart tv that has an internet or wifi connections, augmented reality that is already in its alpha or beta stage, virtual reality like the VR Goggles, online games, educational materials in CD, DVD, and in data formats that are already available to be purchased in the market by anyone who wishes to learn. Speaking of the availability of these things, the market always sell them to the public with different terms of payments, so it’s always in a way affordable to purchase these technologies. Another thing is to talk about, it’s between freedom and discipline, and between chaos and rules, when there is too much freedom in the society where people can just do whatever they want, especially in the cyber wold, where people chose not to learn, but instead do or search the things that will turn their minds chaotic in a way, and so does their lives, but despite of the freedom we have yet we have a set of simple rules established with the community we are in or within our own homes, especially in researching on different things in the world wide web, we are learning in an untimely fast ways, and people will always find time to learn, as long as we all live. If people are too busy to learn, let the companies use e-learning as course to level their employees up, or in other words, employee advancement program. About the seniors who are still afraid to use the present technology we have, don’t be afraid to learn about new things and learning a lot of things from e learning can still make a senior citizens mind active and can make our brains literally young. If ever you’re still young and yet refraining from learning using these technology, they just have to be educated and learning can be fun and enlightening in anyway. E-learning must always be fun and educational for everybody, and let everyone interact with everybody online, just like having a study group, whether the course is for free, sponsored, or subscribed by the client, in order for the e-learning program not to fail. If a program failed at first, then try it again, but this time have plan b to z ready at anytime plan a fails. By the way, if a program like this won’t happen in a country, there is only one thing that is hindering it’s progress, and that’s corruption of people who at the position, either they’re from the government or private sectors of our present society, and the only thing to stop this corruption is to replace the corrupted officials with the right level headed officials that thinks about the progress of the whole society in general, and that includes E-learning. So these wraps up my comment about the problem with e-learning.

    Thank you.

  17. All of us have access to the internet and we use it for many different things like researching for some information, for school and college projects, downloading music, pictures, wallpapers, and screen-savers, to get updates on the latest happenings all over the world, emails, instant messaging, chats, and many other things. But do you know there is one more advantage of the internet, and that is learning? Yes! You can educate yourself in the comfort of your own home and get a degree through the internet now. With the latest technology, even the impossible seems possible now, even-though, inside the internet are so many websites, applications, you-tube channels and more…etc for e-learning. therefore , if someone want to learn , there is may useful ways by browsing and using them. so, I don’t think in this century someone have problem with e-learning nowadays.

  18. Problem with eLearning
    I haven’t done any eLearning yet, but I am absolutely able to give my comment about Problems with eLearning. The problem that is really observable from my point of view is lack of self motivation during one’s eLearning. There are many reasons for this not being motivated at eLearning programs such as learners become busy, courses are boring, not suitable learning materials, disconnection of net during learning, computer barriers and many more.
    To solve this problem, the company, the institution or the organization should always develop new and interesting courses of studies that can affect the motivation and more interests of learners. This is also important for them to know the students problem and hear the suggestions of students.

    1. The problem raised here would equally apply to any other sort of learning, including in the traditional classroom. You can have boring content, or even great content, delivered by a boring teacher. A good online solution does not take away interaction among students, and with the teacher. There are many tools that can be used for a collaborative online learning platform. And there is blended learning which combines eLearning with classroom-based learning. The flip classroom is one such example.

  19. I share this comment with others about the problem of E learning.
    It is really good way for education but it has it’s own problem , for example if a learner studies at home , If he/she feels lazy he/she won’t open the lesson and he/she has lots of entertainment in his/her environment . maybe sometimes home can’t be like an educational environment and maybe someone doesn’t have passion for studying at home but there are too many solution for solving these problems that I can point to one of those ways ; a solution that the E learning can use is : give the learners deadline for doing a part that you taught .

  20. The term ‘e-learning’ has only been in existence since 1999 so it is quite new for many countries like ours (Afghanistan).
    E-learning has many advantages and disadvantages when we get to know and involved with it.
    One of the most important advantage of e-learning is that, in recent times we have many computer programs and possibilities that allow us to make a more interesting environment for the students during their learning process such as Games, Quizzes and Animations.
    But some people believe that despite being bored in the class atmosphere, being there physically helps them to get motivated to study.
    Some times in a certain condition, a group of people have no access to join the classes like Refugees in Indonesia. They aren’t allowed to get enrolled to the universities so online education and e-learning is the only option for them.

  21. From my point of view, there is not any specific or serious problem with eLearning that prevents eLearning students from learning English online, but there can be some small solvable problems while eLearning sessions take place. To know what those small problems are, I am writing them as below.
    1. Students can have internet connection problem.
    Solution: It is better to ensure the internet connection is good before the session starts.
    2. Possibility of electricity low-shedding or shutdown that disconnects students with coach in the sessions.
    Solution: If possible, student and teach can have energy saver ready.
    3. Some important teaching actions can not be seen by students because the movement space for coach is limited to just screen of the computer.
    Solution: Coach can make movement space by putting the computer in a place where he or she can move easily in front of the cam.
    4. Barriers in computer speed that causes transferring data slowly.
    Solution: Coach and student should make sure there is not anything being downloaded during the sessions.
    5. Etc.
    Besides all above my comments about problems of the eLearning, I really appreciate online learning programs and say that the online learning programs are best for those who need to learn from their home.
    Thank you for reading my comments!

  22. When a group of people learn something new together, they will experience different mentalities with various perspectives. Learners will exchange ideas and may hear some different and new point of views accordingly. It may take longer than it should. The facilitator also may face a lot of problems, giving equal opportunities where he/she has a lot to share already.
    The eLearning process has made learning much easier than before. Where counting on each minute; as time is money, we save a lot of time. Online sessions, courses and seminars have made things easier. Now people learn in their homes or on way to their jobs and much more but this way they miss chances of interaction with new people.
    Thank you!

  23. Rapid progress in technology nowadays, has been very efficient at learning advantages through the social media.
    In this era, where internet plays an important role in individuals’ lives, and while people from all around the world have access to it, there should be a space for development for those requiring educational online opportunities. Whether due to their family illiteracy, willing to study on their own or having no access to learning centers, e-learning is a good example of how people use internet in order to develop their educational skills. Although e-learning has not been applied across the globe in all the educational systems, it still has been successful and advantageous programe.
    I personally like and appreciate the way it works and its availability to the societies. I recommend it to everyone, including refugees who are facing educational circumstances.

  24. Technology has advanced so much that the geographical gap is bridged by the use of tools that make you feel as if you are inside the classroom. the model has been pretty straightforward – up until the early 2000s education was in a classroom of students with a teacher who led the process. Besides, now that affordable e-learning solutions exist for both computers and the internet, it only takes a good e-learning tool for education to be facilitated from virtually anywhere.

    The benefits are that it provides material in all kinds of formats such as videos, slideshows, word documents, and PDFs. Conducting webinars (live online classes) and communicating with professors via chat and message forums is also an option available to users. E-learning is an affordable (and often free) solution which provides the learners with the ability to fit learning around their lifestyles, effectively allowing even the busiest person to further a career and gain new qualifications.

    Some of the most important developments in education have happened since the launch of the internet. These days learners are well versed in the use of smartphones, text messaging and using the internet so participating in and running an online course has become a simple affair that is for everyone can have flexible timetables.

    On the other hand, in some expects e-learning would be harder than traditional education. Some of the students don’t have access to technology better to say that they can’t afford them. Being poor and having the enthusiasm to learn but can’t have access to technology. It’s better to be considered for some people it’s hard for them for e-learning.

    Overall, traditional learning is expensive, takes a long time and the results can vary. The importance of E-learning is now a given fact and it can offer an alternative that is much faster, cheaper and potentially better.

  25. There are numerous challenges to overcome when implementing e-learning to third world countries. To me, focusing training on the technological features of the e-learning system is only the first step to success; the real challenge is training for changes to pedagogy. E-learning’s success rests on the fundamental requirement that instructors and students possess adequate technical skills to use e-learning tools effectively. Therefore, the implementation of e-learning is still at the infancy stage in most public universities due to many challenges related to implementation. These challenges range from technological, organisational and pedagogical ones.

  26. Today, beside the offline educational institutions, there are many online courses with increasing numbers.
    I think these online learning system has created a huge ease around the world.
    By the help of today’s technology, this system made the distances zero and cut off the boundaries. At the same time, the expenditures of getting education also has come down extremely. Because everyone in anywhere who has access to the Internet and has a handphone or a laptop can log in and start studying without going to a far distance. The E-learing system has facilitated the getting of education for everyone regardless to their geographical location, ages, sex, transportation, and even richness. On the other hand, luckily, there is a great flexibility for the time and duration. No one is compelled to attend the class at a fixed time and does the assignment in a very limited time. instead, everyone individually manage their time according to their free time and have more time to practice and do the assessment.
    Though because of its high flexibility and lack of attending the class physically, sometimes the people feel laziness to continue or do their assignments on time and regularly, despite some deficiencies, this system is one of the best educational system.

  27. I’m sure that almost anybody like to learn english,bc its international language and  thats why E learning is interesting and convenient.all language is quite useful to learn but english is especiall.the problem is that if you don’t use it you’ll forget it and you’ll not improve.

  28. We should have effort and resources
    E-learning is a proven and effective way to all mankind, and also saves cost.
    it allows users to take courses online using electronic devices 24 hours a day seven days a week.as someone’s written in the comments that he went 4 hours to attend 2 hours workshop,he had a bit of struggle to look for a car park as well and many else problems. I thing time is gold and we shouldn’t spend it like that. I’m a volunteer in the Refugee Learning Nest Center, we had an online class which teacher was in Australia in her home and her students were in Indonesia ,this is one of E-learning’s benefits which we had.

    Thanks

  29. In my opinion, e-learning is not suitable for students even though its save cost and convenient .It is because during e-learning we will not know whether the student is paying full attention on the topic which is been discussed or they are just being online without notifying .Next is no face to face interaction,while e-learning can be quite interactive these days, through the use of video conferences, and face-to-face video chat, it still isn’t the same as sitting across the room from a real person. Simply put, there is no substitute for interacting with, and learning from, a fellow human.

    Furthermore,lack of flexibility is also one of the disadvantage of e-learning.E-learning can be great for learning specific skills and for knowledge that needs to be transferred. However, with more complex skills and competencies, it is incredibly difficult to put together an effective e-Learning programme.

    It is these skills, which can only be discovered when you start thinking deeply and engaging in an activity or topic, that can make or break an organisation. The best learning happens when students discover the solutions on their own by asking questions and obtaining clarification and with e-learning this is difficult, if not impossible, to do.

  30. The list of educational institutions offering online courses and programs is growing by the day. This is a telling sign that E-learning has many benefits and the positive effects outweigh any negative implications it may bring. Nobody should be held back from learning and advancements in technology has made education more accessible to everyone. E-learning gives free reign to students to take classes at their own time, pace and space. It can also be personalized to fit his or her schedule and lifestyle. Unlike in a traditional classroom, whereby the teacher delivers a lesson once and within a time limit, online courses usually have pre-recorded lessons and learning materials ready on the portal. The nature of e-learning allows students to determine their own weaknesses within the subject matter and work on them with the resources provided. This differs from a physical classroom setting where some students may feel shy to voice out any problems they may be facing regarding the lesson and choose to stay quiet, putting them a step behind the rest of the class. In instances where going to a physical classroom is just not feasible, e-learning offers the opportunity to take classes from virtually anywhere, making it a more convenient and cost-efficient option.

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