Online education is gaining popularity with each passing day, due to the numerous benefits associated with it. A research study presented by Sloan Consortium shows that nearly 3.2 million students across USA enrolled in online degree programs in the last couple of years.

But, just like anything in life, even online learning has certain challenges associated with it; challenges that do not exist in traditional learning. Every individual who is interested in enrolling in distance education programs must know about the differences between online and traditional classes, so that s/he may prepare to make the required alterations. The basic challenges posed to all distance learners include:

Technical Issues
Computer hardware and other devices like printers, modems etc are easily destructible. Just like any other man-made device, even they have the tendency to break down or act up, at times when they are most needed. Apart from device failure, older computers at times are incompatible with some software that are necessitated for online degree programs. Yet another problem is that of viruses, trojans, spyware and other malware infecting a computer, which usually makes a computer unable to function at all. Slow internet connections cause trouble when students wish to log on to their virtual class, retrieve or submit their project etc. These problems cause a lot of frustration for online students and make it hard for them to complete their virtual assignments at the given time. So what online learners need to do is keep their computers up-dated, run weekly virus checks and acquire a high speed internet connection.

ELearning Requires High Levels of Motivation
Attending a school, may it be a traditional campus or an eLearning class necessitates a particular degree of motivation. When an individual studies at a conventional classroom, s/he gets to communicate with class-fellows, teachers etc, which helps boost their enthusiasm and motivation for learning. But when it comes to studying online, distance learners have rare communication with their online faculty and virtual class-fellows, which gives them a feeling of being isolated. This at times causes lack of motivation making it hard for the student to focus on his/her studies. But, this can be overcome by participating more and more in interactive activities such as posting on the virtual discussion board, getting in touch with class-fellows through live chat, exchanging email addresses etc.

Self-discipline is Necessary
Just like motivation, students need to have good self-discipline if they wish to be successful in their online degree program. The basic attraction of online education is the freedom and flexibility it offers. Students are not required to log in at a particular time from a specific place as they can study whenever it is most convenient for them. But the fact of the matter is that this freedom at times leads to procrastination, which makes an undisciplined student lag behind in his work. So what they need to do is make sure that they take out at least an hour or so everyday to check on projects and complete them on time.

No Verbal Communication
There are numerous classes such as speech, drama, debate, teacher education etc which make it necessary for the student to make verbal presentations in front of their entire class. This does not take place in an online class as students do not gather at a particular time at a specific place. So those who wish to improve their oral skills might have to enroll in a traditional school.

All those interested in continuing their education online must know about these challenges along with several others so they make take steps to ensure that they will have a smooth academic journey after they enroll in an online college or university. All of these challenges can be overcome with a little bit of determination and effort.