Social Contact

• Students working togetherstudents image by Ivanna Buldakova from Fotolia.com
  
  Online learning may mean a lack of social contact. In order to make up for the face-to-face time that would be a part of a traditional learning environment, students must work hard to make sure they are still communicating with other students in their online community, as well as their teacher, in order to reap the social benefits that usually come with education. This can include basic interactive communication such as maintaining regular contact through email, participating in live chats and video study groups, but it can also include setting up live meetings with fellow students by organizing presentations, study groups and making library dates.
  
  

Time

• Time can be a significant challenge when participating in an online learning setting. Learning online provides a great deal of flexibility, but may require a greater number of hours in the end than a traditional classroom experience. Instead of regular class hours, students need to process more information on their own and may spend more time working. In order to avoid losing time and stay on top of their schedule, students can create a set schedule for themselves and experiment with different ways to absorb information without a teacher (i.e., through reading, presentations, Q&A sessions, live chats and video streaming).
  
  

Technology

• Learning online means getting to know your computer well so make sure it's a comfortable environmentComputer image by Altmann from Fotolia.com
  
  Online learning requires knowledge of and access to technology. First, all students must be computer literate to be able to participate in an online learning community. They must be comfortable with sending and receiving emails, browsing online, using word-processing and spreadsheet programs and uploading and downloading files. Second, students must also have ready access to a computer and a reliable Internet connection. While technology is also volved in a traditional classroom setting, online learning depends even more heavily on it. In most cases, students need to be able to work with FTP sites, video streaming and other communication technologies.
  
  

Motivation

• Online learning also demands a high degree of self-discipline and self-motivation. Since there are no set class hours and students can set their own schedule, they must always be responsible for their own participation and stick to their schedule. While this can be an asset to many students, it can be difficult for others. Online learning also often means learning while at home, which can present a multitude of distractions. In order to overcome this challenge, students should treat studying and class time the same way they would treat it as they would if they were in a traditional classroom. They must devote time to studying even if other people are aroud. This means they cannot allow interruptions and cannot get involved in household responsibilities during their learning time.
  
  

Feedback and Communication

• While online learning can allow for flexibility in time, it also means that a student does not always receive instant feedback. Students and teachers must work together to ensure that there are clear lines of communication. Email may not always be the the most clear and direct form of communication, so there is an added challenge involved in communicating the instructions and making sure all questions are answered in a timely fashion.