5 Reasons Why People Fail Online Education
Bryan Wong

Defined Tag: Successful Education.

Online education is becoming a more popular way
to get one's degree today because it is more
convenient to earn one's degree from the comfort
of his/her own home and at one's own pace.  The
fast-paced lifestyle of today makes it more
difficult for working adults, especially those
with families, to take time out of their busy
schedules and go to traditional classrooms on
university campuses in order to obtain or upgrade
their degrees.

However, online education is not the same as
offline education in terms of how the classes
are structured and how the material is taught. 

There are many reasons why people fail online
education:

1. The person is not used to working in an
online classroom setting.

An online classroom is considerably
different from a traditional classroom. 
There are rarely textbooks; most course
material is presented online on webpages,
in downloadable reports, and in video and
audio lectures.

In addition, you don't sit in a traditional
classroom with other people sitting next to
you, behind you, or in front of you.  Instead,
they are on their computers at home or elsewhere,
looking at the same course material you are, so
you have no direct contact with them.  You usually
can "talk" to them via message boards or forums,
making posts that anyone in the class can respond
to, and vice versa. 

In some rare instances, you might talk to them or
your professor via the phone, but direct contact
is not usually possible, and some students who are
trying online education for the first time cannot
overcome the lack of interaction and direct dialogue
to complete the coursework and pass the course.

2. The person is not used to the rigorous
expectations from a professor teaching an
online course.

Online education is a new experience for professors
as well, as this is a whole new medium for them to
teach what they know.  Some professors are more
willing to embrace this new way of learning than
others. 

Some professors feel that they have to "make up"
for the lack of interaction and direct dialogue that
you would get in a traditional classroom setting, so
they give you more assignments to complete than they
would their traditional students, just to make sure
that you are getting the education you should be
getting because these professors are not confident
or convinced that online education give you the
same level of knowledge as traditional education does.

Some students cannot handle the extra workload and
demands expected from some online professors, which
is another reason why some students can't complete
online coursework.

3. The person is not able to deal with the
extra distractions associated with online
learning.

When you take an online course, you do so on your
computer.  Often, this is at home, where other
distractions can affect some online students.  This
includes children and/or pets who are unruly and/or
need constant care.  Other worries regarding home
life can also distract the online student from doing
his/her very best, since he/she is still in the same
environment even when he/she is "attending class."

This can prove to be too much for some online students,
resulting in them not completing online courses.

4. The person doesn't have the computer
skills necessary to complete the online
courses.

For those who are trying to start a brand new career,
especially one that is techinically challenging, sometimes,
the whole experience of working with computer software and
programs that you have never used before can prevent students
from doing well in their courses. 

Not only do they have to try to learn the course material,
but they also have to learn how to access the course material,
how to ask for help when they need it via the message boards/forums,
how to access the tests when they are ready to take them, etc.

For some online students, the experience is so overwhelming that
they don't succeed in completing their courses. 

5. The person does not utilize good time management skills
in order to keep up with the online coursework.

In order to be successful in the online classroom, you have to
have good time management skills.  After all, you're the only
one who decides when you "attend class," when you take the tests
(within reason; there is a time limit to complete the course, but
you decide what days you take the tests, unlike the traditional
classroom,) how much time you spend on the message board or in the
forum, etc.

Some online students can't designate their time between all the
tasks required to complete online courses, as well as balance the
rest of their lives.

It is suggested that online students stay current on their coursework
as much as possible because once you fall behind, it's very difficult
to catch up, especially if you are not comfortable in an online
classroom setting in the first place.  Most experts suggest logging
in at least once a day at least six days a week to give you the best
chance of staying current on your coursework and giving you the best
chance of completing your online courses.

By being aware of the reasons above, you can better prepare yourself
to handle these challenges and give you a better chance of completing
those online courses and your degree.