Distance Learning Problems

Distance learning can be an excellent alternative to a traditional, classroom-based education. It allows for a flexible schedule and the ability to set the learning pace and study at institutions not otherwise available to the student. But are there any distance learning problems? Yes, there are a few. There is, among some people and organizations, a negative view of distance learning. It might, mistakenly, be viewed by some as not as rigorous or comprehensive as face-to-face classes. Because of that, a degree from a distance learning institution or a degree earned mainly through distance learning might be regarded as having less weight than a traditional degree.

Technology, which provides a great benefit to online and distance learning courses, can also be one of the distance learning problems. Students and instructors alike need to learn to use the requisite technology for it to be an effective teaching tool, and this can prove to be a stumbling block. Technology can be unreliable. Instruction can be delayed or relayed poorly due to problems with multimedia equipment and Internet connections. Moreover, the technology and equipment required to participate in a class might not be cheap, and its cost sometimes is not considered in the overall cost of taking a distance course.

Because any person can claim to be an expert online and offer online instruction for a price, there's concern about the quality level of distance learning. Students need to be especially careful when deciding to enroll in a distance learning program. They should examine the accreditation of the school or organization, and the credentials of the instructor should be checked before signing up for a course.

However, you should always keep in mind that hundreds of thousands of people have found that the benefits of distance learning greatly outweigh any distance learning problems.

Quality Concerns

When attending an educational institution, be it a private college, a large state university, or a vocational school, students have a reasonable expectation that the school has been examined and accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. This signifies that the school provides courses that meet specific quality standards. The same expectation cannot necessarily be justified for all online instruction. Anyone on the Internet can claim to be an expert and offer a distance learning program. They might even claim to be "accredited." Students need to be prepared to do their homework about any group, individual, professional organization, or learning institution before they enroll for classes. The opportunities for attending high-quality distance learning programs are vast, but just as many scams and sub-par programs exist, and students should keep that in mind.

Even when attending a distance learning program offered by a well-known, accredited school, there can still be quality concerns with the course. The traditional, on-campus courses have probably been taught several times, being improved each time through student and faculty input. An online course may be new and as yet untested. Teachers who design these courses might have little or no experience teaching online courses, and might mistakenly design the course the same way they would have for a traditional format. This format might not translate well to the new online forum, and much of the content of the course might be missed, disorganized, or just hard to follow.

While it is certainly not true in all cases, some schools will see their distance learning programs as somewhat less important than their traditional, established programs. Lessons might not be planned with the same care, the same quality standards might not be followed, and the professors chosen to teach the courses might feel as though they have drawn the short straw in teaching assignments. All of these factors will affect the amount of effort that goes into designing and teaching the course, which will in turn determine the quality of education received through that distance learning program.

Hidden Costs

It is understood that one will have to pay tuition in order to take any course, be it on or off campus. Just as on-campus courses come with fees that can add up quickly, distance programs have their own additional costs that might not be readily apparent. Most everyone will own a computer already, so that is not necessarily a purchase that has to be made specifically for distance learning; however, the machine will have to be relatively up to date. An old dinosaur that takes 20 minutes to boot up and is used strictly for checking email at an excruciatingly slow pace won't cut it for school. The computer is the most important tool, and will need to handle a variety of programs that students might not otherwise use. Processor, RAM, and graphics card updates may be necessary in order to get the most out of the course.

There is also the monthly fee for Internet access in whatever form the student chooses. On top of that, students might be required to make use of programs that they don't already own. Almost all students will be required to have Microsoft Office, which sells for $150 for the student version. Anyone working in a design major, or any major with design elements, will likely need the Adobe suite of products, which runs around $700. Architecture students, for example, would be required to purchase an additional drafting program such as AutoCAD, which can cost another $1,400. The cost for these programs might be avoided at traditional colleges where students can make use of on-campus computer labs that already have these programs installed.

Misuse of Technology

While advances in technology have made it possible to offer distance learning in a variety of mediums and formats, they have also introduced some problems into the learning environment. Instructors who are teaching distance courses should be fully trained in the use of all requisite technology. Sadly, this is not always the case. They may not make full use of the technological resources available to them, or they may make poor use of the technology, which hinders presentation of the material. As a result, distance learning students may not get the full benefit of the course for which they signed up.

There is also a possible misuse of technology on the student side of things. With all of the electronic publishing and written material available on the World Wide Web today, plagiarism has become almost the top concern among teachers. Because everything is done at a distance and all assignments are submitted electronically with chats/discussions handled through screen names, it is easier than ever to turn in work that someone else has done. Students might copy information straight from the Internet or have a friend who has already gone through the program complete the assignments for them.

These practices will produce graduates who have a degree but little knowledge in their actual field. It might seem like an individual problem, but if a learning institution gains a reputation for graduating students who don't have a solid understanding of the degree material, the value of any degree from that school goes down.

Problems with Equipment

Distance learning often depends on technology to deliver content. Equipment problems can seriously diminish the effectiveness of a course. The simplest and often most frustrating problem is that of the Internet being down, on either the student's or the instructor's end. Anyone waiting until the last minute to turn in an assignment via email can be foiled by an untimely disconnect. Students might be gathered online for a live chat and the professor may not have an Internet connection, resulting in the inconvenience of rescheduling.

Instructors might have developed an excellent online course, full of multimedia content, interactive discussions, and a streaming video feed of lectures. All of the preparation in the world, however, cannot compete with technical failure. Dealing with technical issues in the middle of class shortens the effective learning time and disrupts the flow of the class. This in turn hinders the learning process and the successful delivery of course content.

There is also the problem of knowing how to operate technology effectively. Anyone not accustomed to using a computer is going to have a steep learning curve when registering for an online course. Students will have to become comfortable working with word-processing software, checking email, browsing Web sites, and using media players, among other things.

Negative View of Distance Learning

The established tradition of face-to-face, on-campus, post-secondary education has a mantle of respectability. When people say, "I went to college," they are placing themselves in a special category of people who have university experience. It is difficult in the minds of some students to consider distance learning programs with the same amount of reverence as traditional programs. Part of this unequal viewpoint owes to the perceived newness of distance learning. Though not really a fresh concept, the idea of receiving advanced degrees and degrees from more prestigious universities at a distance is relatively novel to people.

A stereotype does exist of the distance school that is so easy, anyone can do it-a degree that you earn by just throwing enough money at an institution. They picture a student laying in bed in pajamas at noon on a workday, lazily checking email and chatting with friends, all the while "attending class." Enough of those programs do exist to have created a negative view of distance learning for some people. There might be concerns that the program was not taken as seriously by the faculty and students, and that the course content was not as rigorous as what is offered in a traditional classroom.

Concerns About Instructors

Instructors are really the make-or-break aspect of any distance learning course. No matter how interesting or relevant the material might be, poor presentation and a lack of enthusiasm on the teacher's part can really hurt the experience. Distance learning is often a solitary endeavor, and one that can leave students feeling disconnected. An instructor's enthusiasm-for teaching, for the distance learning process, for the subject-translates itself to the students. If teachers are excited about what they're teaching and interested in conveying the information to the students, that will make for a more effective learning environment.

Likewise, apathy about the course subject or about the idea of teaching a distance learning course can affect the class negatively. It can be hard to keep students involved in a distance learning class because they are so isolated and attendance for a given number of days per week is not mandatory. If instructors don't make a special effort to engage students in the class, students can lose interest quickly. Students will lose faith in their teachers if it becomes clear that the teacher hasn't taken the course seriously. The teacher might not have taken the time to adapt what used to be a traditional-style course to the online environment, might not have put an effort into using any of the varied tools available for online teaching, or might not have tried to learn how to use the technology effectively. All of these lead to a lower quality of education being offered.