Due to the growing popularity of e-learning, as well as due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, millions of students all over the world have already experienced online learning. For some of them, this experience was nearly perfect, whereas others didn’t enjoy it as much. But, all of them have experienced certain challenges and perks of online education.

Based on their experiences, we can now understand what gaps are still there and what can be improved to make online education better, more efficient, and more enjoyable. So let’s see what we can learn about e-learning based on students’ experiences.

1.  Getting Focused Can Be Pretty Tough

The first and main struggle facing online learners is the lack of concentration. According to surveys, each and every student found it hard to get focused on studying at home. Some of them managed to overcome it. But a huge share of learners is still facing this challenge.

Due to the lack of concentration, students drop in their performance. Luckily, they can always delegate their assignments to essayservice.com and get their homework done with ease. But, they still find it hard to get focused during lectures, online classes, tests, and other activities.

How can this be solved? First and foremost, there is a need for a proper daily structure. Secondly, it is vital to address any possible tech difficulties. And, finally, it is also crucial to help students find a way to eliminate distractions.

2.  Temptations Are Huge

Another thing online learners highlight about their experiences is that there are lots of temptations, and, unlike when you are in the classroom, these temptations are real.

Every student who has ever tried online learning will agree that it is much different from learning in a physical classroom. When you are in the classroom, nearly 100% of your focus is right there. But, as was mentioned earlier, when you are at home, you can barely get at least a bit of your focus onto the learning process. So, resisting the temptations gets pretty hard.

When studying from home, students get tempted to skip classes, get essay writing help online, cheat on their tests, or spend hours on end playing games or surfing the web instead of studying.

In some cases, succumbing to some of these temptations is natural and even good for students. But, sometimes, it can really get in the way of their success. And, the only thing that can help solve this issue is fostering self-discipline and motivation in students.

3.  Grabbing Students Attention Is Harder

Another thing we can learn about online education is that during online classes, teachers have to go the extra mile to grab their students’ attention.

The majority of learners agree that traditional ways of presenting materials don’t work that well when the class moves online. Given how hard it gets to get focused and the huge variety of distractions that are there when you are at home, students believe that teachers should try alternative teaching methods to boost engagement.

For example, injecting humor or opting for gamified learning can really help students get more engaged in their online classrooms.

4.  Online Isn’t for Everyone

There are plenty of benefits of online education that we know about. First of all, it is time-efficient and more flexible. It also provides both learners and educators with more freedom. And there are even more benefits. But, one more thing we can learn about e-learning from students is that, despite all these benefits, studying online just isn’t right for everyone.

To prove this, let’s take a look at some stats. The surveys conducted after the pandemic revealed that 73% of students who were forced to study online enjoyed it. It makes up nearly three-quarters of all students. And each of them confirmed that they would love to continue learning online full-time or part-time after the pandemic.

But, the truth is that there are still 27% of students who found online education to be a major challenge. These students realized that going to physical school works better for them, which can be due to many reasons. But, it is a fact – online isn’t for everyone.

5.  Communication Is the Key

Finally, one last thing we can learn about online education from students who experienced it is that communication might be the toughest part of the process. But, at the same time, it is the key to success.

According to numerous surveys, the majority of online learners (and teachers as well) confirm that they are facing certain communication barriers during online classes. Apparently, many people feel rather insecure when having to talk via a webcam. Due to the same reason, it has been proven that text-based courses feel more convenient for both teachers and students.

Nevertheless, one thing we know for sure is that communication plays a crucial role in online education. Whether in written or oral form, communicating with teachers and fellow students is the key to making the process more productive and efficient. Therefore, it is vital that teachers encourage communication in the online classroom.

The Bottom Line

Many call online learning the future of education. Indeed, bringing classrooms online can have plenty of benefits. But, now that this concept is still rather new, there are still quite a few drawbacks that need to be addressed.

Luckily, by learning more about online education from students themselves, we get a chance to spot any gaps and disadvantages and gradually make e-learning better.