Online Education Challenges and the Way Forward

Technology has revolutionized the way we live, work, and even learn! Yes, we are here talking about the growing popularity of online education. According to a report by Statista, in 2019, the global e-learning market was scaled at just 200 billion U.S. dollars, and it is now expected to rise to 400 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. 

Interestingly, online education was often dismissed and not taken seriously earlier, seen as a secondary option compared to traditional classroom learning. But, having said so, it doesn’t mean that those who take this road to e-learning don't face any issues. 

Students often face online education challenges across the world and for various reasons, be it assessments, practicals, or examinations. Let us talk about the same in this blog to understand the difficulties faced in online learning and see what is the future of online education.

Also Read: How Online Learning Will Shape Future Generations

Understanding the Challenges in Online Education

Despite its enormous growth and potential, online education comes with some challenges. Understanding these online learning difficulties will help pave the path to figuring out the most effective solutions to ensure a successful and enriching learning experience for all. So, let us first of all  talk about some of the main online education challenges:

1. Technical Issues

Imagine being in the middle of an engaging virtual lecture when your internet suddenly drops, leaving you scrambling to reconnect. This is just one such example of how students face technical difficulties in pursuing online courses. 

Apart from this, there are audio-video glitches and constant threat of cybersecurity breaches for those trying to attend digital classes for an online course. The table below will acquaint you with the most commonly faced remote learning difficulties in terms of technical issues:

2. Unfair Practices in Online Examinations

Another big concern in online education is unfair practices when attempting an examination. This has become one of the most difficult e-learning challenges to check whether a student is honestly attempting the online exam or not. 

They can easily use unauthorized resources, and textbooks, and even make someone else attempt their exam. The table below enlists some such common unfair practices observed in online examinations:

3. Limited Feedback and Support

Talking about the third common online education challenge, students feel they receive limited feedback and support from the online learning system. Limited feedback and support in online education can significantly impact the learning experience. 

Unlike traditional classrooms, where students can ask questions and receive instant clarification, online learners often face delays in getting responses, which ultimately makes them feel isolated and confused. Unfortunately, this lack of interaction and limited feedback is one of the major reasons that students choose to drop out of online courses. 

4. How to Handle Practical/Laboratory

Handling practical and laboratory sessions is a significant challenge in online education, particularly for courses in science, engineering, and healthcare. Unlike theoretical knowledge, practical skills require hands-on experience, which is difficult to replicate in a virtual setting. 

In the absence of physical access to laboratory equipment and resources, students are restricted to minimal real-world application. Moreover, if the students choose to conduct experiments on their own, the absence of direct supervision raises concerns about the accuracy of the experiments. 

5. Self-Motivation and Time Management

Last but not least, in the absence of a physical classroom, students tend to get demotivated while pursuing an online course. Unlike a traditional classroom, the home environment can be filled with distractions. There can be a lot of family obligations which can make it difficult for online learners to stay focused on their online education. 

Besides, too much flexibility in submitting the assignments and attending classes, makes one procrastinate and postpone the submissions until the last minute, resulting in stress and rushed work. Juggling various commitments, such as work, family, and study further complicates time management for an online learning student.

Strategies to Overcome Online Education Challenges

Nothing is impossible as they say, and so is the case when it comes to dealing with the online education challenges listed above. We can overcome the remote learning difficulties with a proactive and multi-faceted approach.  So, continue reading to learn about the strategies to face the challenges in online education:

1. Enhancing Technical Infrastructure

The biggest obstacle in online learning, where students experience all sorts of technical issues, can be dealt with by enhancing the overall technical infrastructure. For this, students must ensure to use a reliable internet connection and the online university or platform they choose for an online course must be user-friendly and one that boasts of a robust learning system like the one provided by upGrad. 

upGrad uses a strong technical infrastructure along with full technical support to ensure a seamless learning experience for students. This way it lays a foundation for effective online learning, enabling students to focus on studies rather than technical issues. 

2. Sample Guidelines for Students Appearing for Online Examinations

No doubt, cheating in an online exam is one of the biggest challenges and is counted as a downside of online education. However, it can be addressed through well-implemented guidelines and AI-based proctoring tools. The following steps can help proctoring online examinations easier: 

• Authentication of students through Government issued identity card or biometric system
• A technical feature to pause or end the exam if students are found cheating
• A dedicated team to monitor students on a real-time basis via webcam
• Feature to record and review entire test sessions
• Use of a secure browser to prevent cheating and plagiarism
• Detect and flag suspicious activities automatically

At upGrad, we use an internal tool developed using Python to detect plagiarism in subjective assignments. All the assignments submitted are checked through this tool to ensure those who cheat are penalized.  

Moreover, students at upGrad are given strict guidelines about the rules and regulations, along with the malpractice code before they attempt an online examination. To further ensure fair online examinations, upGrad takes them on Mettl, which ensures that the possibilities of plagiarism and cheating are close to zero. 

3. Fostering Social Interaction

The third main concern in online learning is limited feedback and support as compared to face-to-face interaction with peers and instructors in a traditional classroom. To address this concern, it is essential to foster social interaction. Taking part in virtual discussion forums and group chats is the easiest way to connect, share ideas, and collaborate for assignments. 

Students who enroll in upGrad never face such issues because here, we have built a model with a pool of graders for each online course. These graders are selected based on relevant work experience and subject matter knowledge. We train these graders to provide comprehensive feedback for any kind of questions that may be asked during exams. 

The quality of feedback is monitored by our internal team and the graders are constantly provided feedback on their quality of evaluation of the students taking the online course. Besides, upGrad maintains a wide pool of experienced industry fellows operating an on-demand model like Uber. This model has built specific technology products to support personalized academic support and project feedback at scale.

Also Read: Evolving online education: Learning Together

4. Utilizing Cloud-Based Platforms to Create Virtual Lab Environment

The difficulty of not having access to a physical lab in an online environment can be effectively addressed by utilizing cloud-based platforms that can create virtual lab environments. Through these platforms, students can access tools and simulations that mimic real-world lab setups. They can perform experiments and practice skills without a physical lab infrastructure. 

PLATiFi is one such cloud-based platform that enables the creation of a virtual laboratory environment for online courses in data sciences, engineering, and management. The same can be seen if you pursue an online course at upGrad because we use cloud platforms like AWS for courses such as Big Data and Data Analytics. 

5. Developing Self-Discipline and Time Management Skills

Most importantly, it has been observed in a study that one of the common reasons why students eventually drop out of an online course is due to their inability to manage their time. However, this online education challenge can be smartly tackled with a little self-discipline. All one needs is to try the following to develop self-discipline and manage time effectively during an online course:

• Set clear and practical goals
• Prevent negative self-talk
• Focus on completing one task at a time but with perfection
• Create a distraction-free environment to study and enhance focus
• Reward yourself each time for an achievement

Also Read: 15 Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills [With Actionable Tips]

The Future of Online Education 

Online education, once a supplementary option, is now gaining popularity for all good reasons. Still, as we mentioned there are a few challenges in e-learning that can be addressed by some strategies. Let us now explore the way forward by talking about the emerging trends shaping the future of online education:

1. Hybrid Learning Models 

The future beholds the best of both worlds, wherein a student can avail the benefits of both online and offline learning with a hybrid learning model. They can easily benefit from the digital learning tools, while still enjoying the face-to-face interactions as done in a traditional classroom. 

2. AR/ VR/ AI Learning Paths

The future of online education is bright with the advancements in educational technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These will provide an opportunity for automated grading systems leaving no scope for errors in checking examinations. AR and VR on the other hand, will support immersive simulations for subjects such as medicine, history, and architecture. 

3. Gamification 

It would be a pleasure to study in a gamification mode, wherein students will happily continue their online courses instead of dropping out due to a lack of interaction and excitement. In the years to come, we can expect online learning platforms to engage students through game-like elements such as leaderboards, interactive quizzes, and badges. 

4. Global Acceptance of Online Qualifications

Gone are the days when employers did not value online certifications. Now, the narrative has changed and online qualification is widely recognized globally. This will continue in the future and many employers will accept global online certifications from students, paving a path for the rise of more universities to offer online programs.

How upGrad Can Help You?

Online education holds incredible potential to transform how we learn, offering flexibility, accessibility, and personalization like never before. However, the road to online learning is full of challenges such as technical issues, unfair practices in online examinations, limited feedback, lack of laboratory, and self-motivation. 

This is where upGrad steps in. It is at the forefront of online education, providing programs tailored to help learners overcome these challenges and achieve their academic and career goals. No matter, whether you are just kickstarting your career, upskilling, or pursuing a passion, an online course from upGrad will support your journey every step of the way. 

Here are some relevant ones you can check out:

• MBA – O.P. Jindal Global University
• MBA from O.P. Jindal Global University-Career Acceleration Program
• Post Graduate Certificate in Product Management from Duke CE
• Human Resource Analytics Course from IIM-K
• Post Graduate Diploma in Management (BIMTECH)

If you are still confused about which online course to pursue, then contact upGrad for personalized counseling and valuable insights. For more details, you can also visit your nearest upGrad offline center.

Also Read:

• Introduction to Online Degrees
• Evolving Online Education Together
• Best Online Courses for 2025
• Top Online Courses for Working Professionals in 2025

Reference Links:
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1130331/e-learning-market-size-segment-worldwide/
https://www.inspirajournals.com/uploads/Issues/499027074.pdf 
https://www.hurix.com/what-are-the-biggest-challenges-facing-online-education-today/ 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1097198X.2018.1542262
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339651603_Online_Education_Issues_Challenges_and_Implications 
https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/the-future-of-online-education-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-2570145-2024-07-22