Six Challenges of Online Teaching

What are the six challenges of online teaching?

COVID-19 has struck us without a warning & disrupted the normal lifestyle of many people across the globe. Like many institutions, schools & colleges have also shifted their base to virtual platforms to conduct classes online. Could this move be the catalyst to create a new, better effective method of educating students ? While some worry that the hasty nature of this transition online may have hindered this goal, others plan to make e-learning a part of their ‘new normal’.

Well, with preferences comes its challenges.

We are here to run you through the six common challenges of online teaching. Don’t worry, we’ve found a solution for all of them.

1.Technical Issues :

‍Technical problems are one of the main stumbling blocks of online training. Very often, there are issues like compatibility (with operating systems, browsers or smartphones) & insufficient bandwidth. This is a big hurdle for both Teachers and Students.

Solution : Teachers can choose online courses or teaching platforms that do not require much internal memory or a high-speed Internet connection. They could pay attention to the sound quality (an issue that is often neglected) and be sure to try out the course on several smartphones, browsers and operating systems.

They can update the parents/students about recent developments & initiate onboarding sessions with them.

2.Security & Privacy issues:

One of the major issues faced by teachers today is security & privacy issues. Most of their content is duplicated & getting circulated for free.

Solution :This can be overcome by using the right Digital Rights Management tools & including copyright notices.

3.Little or no personal interaction:

One has to accept the fact that online courses physically distance students from the college community & teachers. In essence, students who take online courses miss out on the on-campus experiences that connects them with teachers & friends.

Solution : This can be overcome by setting-up student-teacher interactions & allowing students to chat real-time or through Gmail.

4.The need to be an all-rounder :

Teaching involves communication, making notes, interaction, brainstorming & various other activities which have to be seamless. This causes a pressure to be an all-rounder and can be quite tiresome in an offline teaching environment.

Solution : Teachers can plan their tasks ahead & divide their students into groups to carry out certain functions like brainstorming ideas which would also help increase interactions among them.

5.Visibility & Credibility :

Gaining visibility & credibility for an online course can be quite a difficult task as it involves activities like capturing the attention of target audience & creating awareness about the course.

Solution : Including a lot of marketing & promotion activities like offering a part of teaching as a free trial can go a long way in converting leads into paying clients. Adding valuable & helpful content can boost sales & credibility too.

6.Payment Collection :

Collecting payment could be a significant issue for teachers. Many a times, it results in awkward conversations which cannot be avoided.

Solution : The enrollment procedure can be customized in such a way that payment of fees is one of it’s prerequisites. This simplifies the process of payment. It is quite clear that even though online courses have their own challenges & shortcomings, these can be overcome with proper planning & effective use of technology.