4 Pitfalls To Remote Learning And 4 Promising Fixes

A recent poll from College Reaction showed that 77% of more than 800 college students surveyed said they felt distance learning through the internet is worse or much worse than in-person classes. As remote learning now is a necessity for many and a convenience for others, here are the 4 challenges and the solutions. 

1. Distractions Everywhere Challenges For Remote Learning.

Challenge. Common distractions to remote learning include the student getting texts, social media posts, or phone calls during the learning session. Also, can include interruptions from family members, pets, or delivery driver ringing the doorbell.

Remote Learning Solution. Have a dedicated place and scheduled time slot for learning.  This includes scheduling a set time for breaks and lunch. Turn off the phone and social media while you are learning. Ask other members of your household to respect your work schedule.

2. Staying Motivated Challenges For Remote Learning. 

Challenge. Common motivation challenges can include both the work environment, the training material, the media presentation of the material, or all of the above. For example, it may not be a good idea to practice remote learning in your bed or the bathroom. Some training content or presentations may work in the classroom, but not with remote learning.  Also, attention spans are shorter with remote learning.

Remote Learning Solution. Teachers especially need to review if their content and presentation is optimized for remote learning. Keep sessions short and punchy. Content needs to be engaging. Focus on learning objectives and measurable outcomes. Teachers need to get continuous feedback from the students. Add interactive elements to all presentations to keep the student engaged. For students, they need a dedicated and productive work area and to be an active participant with the teacher and other students.

3. Technical Challenges To Remote Learning. 

Challenge. Common technical challenges include bad internet connection, computer problems, or software glitches.

Remote Learning Solution. It helps having an responsive IT staff to minimize technical disruptions, and preparation is key to avoid technical surprises. Provide clear and  concise instructions in advance. This includes such things as logins, schedule, and any download instructions. Teachers need to be prepared beforehand to assure that they can use the software and communications to minimize any technical delays. Worst case, teachers should record class sessions as a backup if a student has a technical glitch and cannot participate in the online session.

4. Diminished Social Interaction and Feedback Challenges To Being Remote.

Challenge. Common social interaction challenges include a lack of feedback where the teacher has challenges measuring how effective they are and students lacking reinforcement and direction on achieving their learning objectives. It is more challenging with remote learning to get immediate feedback that a student needs help or a teacher is not making their point to students.

Remote Learning Solution. Teachers need to take the lead to create an inclusive and trusted environment. They need to be able to master the technology that they are using to teach. There is a need to encourage interactivity. This can be done by encouraging the use of chat and to have collaborative group sessions as well as introducing real-world challenges. Students need a dedicated physical workspace and to actively participate in learning sessions. Also, students should be encouraged to communicate with other students in and out of the classrooms to further enrich learning.

See Meratas’ 5 Challenges Students Face with Online Learning and How to Overcome Them and FutureVisual’s Challenges of Remote Training & How to Overcome Them for more ideas on the challenges and solutions to remote learning.

For more information from Unvarnished Facts, see articles on learning and information technology.