EL7003+Initial+Challenges


 * ** EL7003-8 ** ||  ||
 * ** Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning Activities ** || ** 3 Initial Challenges ** ||
 * Great job on this, though I would suggest less is better in this situation. There is no reason to present data and information that will not be covered in the paper. However, the paper substantially achieved the stated learning outcomes and supported insights and assertions through research! Superior work here. Well written in academic English with the consistent use of APA. **
 * Great job on this, though I would suggest less is better in this situation. There is no reason to present data and information that will not be covered in the paper. However, the paper substantially achieved the stated learning outcomes and supported insights and assertions through research! Superior work here. Well written in academic English with the consistent use of APA. **

=Initial Challenges = As I have investigated and studied the literature involving e-learning, certain themes consistently emerge. One of the major themes exposed in the literature demonstrates that online learning provides both opportunities and challenges to students and teachers alike.* The purpose of this paper is to present a limited literature review of e-learning articles from the perspective of challenges learners and teachers face when presenting an online class. These brief introductions are followed by discussions of the more pressing challenges affecting learners and teachers, while proposing solutions to surmount them, with examples from my own experience as appropriate.*

Learner E-Learning Challenges
In the literature many challenges for new students engaging in e-learning are identified. Some of these challenges include; (a) feelings of isolation ( Al-Fahad, 2010; “Challenges”, 2011; Feguson & DeFelice, 2010; Haythornthwaite, Bruce, Andrews, Kazmer, Montague, & Preston, 2007; Ke, 2010; Lam & Bordia, 2008; Omar, Kalulu, & Belmasrour, 2011; Rhode, 2009; Shea, Fredericksen, & Pickett, 2006; Strang, 2009; Thompson, Jeffries, & Topping, 2010; Vande Poppe, 2011; Wright, Dhanarajan, & Reju, 2009 ), (b) the lack of face-to-face communication ( Al-Fahad, 2010; “Challenges”, 2011; Hsieh & Cho, 2011; Ismail, Idrus, Baharum, Rosli, & Ziden, 2011; Lee, Redmond, & Dolan, 2008; Malik & Khurshed, 2011; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Vande Poppe, 2011; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 ), (c) issues of access or sufficient throughput ( Al-Fahad, 2010; “Challenges”, 2011; Haythornthwaite et al., 2007; Ke, 2010; Lam & Bordia, 2008; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Pirani, 2004; Sinclair, 2009; Wright et al., 2009 ), (d) ill matched presentation to learning style ( “Challenges”, 2011, Omar et al., 2011 ), (e) increased time requirements ( “Challenges”, 2011; Archambault et al., 2010; Cercone, 2008; Donavant, 2009; Hoic-Bozic, Mornar, & Boticki, 2009; Huang, Lin, & Huang, 2012; Ke & Xie, 2009; Pirani, 2004 ) or time conflicts ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Antonis, Daradoumis, Papadakis, & Simos, 2011; Bhuasiri, Xaymoungkhoun, Zo, Rho, & Ciganek, 2011; Hoic-Bozic et al., 2009; Martinez-Caro, 2011; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Park & Choi, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (f) incomprehensible technical jargon ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Omar et al., 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (g) the need for students to take more responsibility ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Al-Fahad, 2010; Allen, Crosky, McAlpine, Hoffman, & Munroe, 2009; Cercone, 2008; Fidishun, 2011; Fletcher, Tobias, & Wisher, 2007; Harlen & Doubler, 2007; Haythornthwaite et al., 2007; Hoic-Bozic, 2009; Kawka, Larkin, & Danaher, 2011; Kenner & Weinerman, 2011; Kiliç-Cakmak, 2010; Martinez-Caro, 2011; McGlone, 2011; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Ruey, 2010; Segrave & Holt, 2003; Sinclair, 2009; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (h) lack of experience or confidence with the necessary technology ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Anderson, 2008; Bhuasiri et al., 2011; Gunawardena, Linder-VanBerschot, LaPointe, & Rao, 2010; Ke, 2010; Kiliç-Cakmak, 2010; McGone, 2011; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Omar et al., 2011; Pirani, 2004; Vande Poppe, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (i) a great need for self-motivation and self-discipline to be successful ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Al-Fahad, 2010; Bye, Pushkar, & Conway, 2007; Diaz & Entonado, 2009; Gunawardena et al., 2010; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Omar et al., 2011; Pirani, 2004; Strang, 2009; Thompson et al., 2010; Vande Poppe, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), and (j) the emphasis on the written versus the spoken word can hamper some students ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Vande Poppe, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Five of these challenges are addressed, and solutions to them proposed, in greater detail below.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Feelings of Isolation
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The social interactions for an online class are different than those in a traditional classroom because they do not have a face-to-face element. Because of this lack of interpersonal associations, many e-learning students suffer feelings of isolation or disconnection in online classes. Even as an instructor of live virtual classes, with an active audio line over the telephone there are times when I wonder if anyone is on the other end of the line. To overcome these feelings of isolation in students the literature suggests the instructor elicit feedback and encourage active participation in the class; allowing students to get to know each other through “<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">thoughts and ideas <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Omar et al., 2011, p. 31 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), resulting in connections and friendships that may extend beyond class ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Challenges”, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Lack of Interactivity
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In traditional settings, students can attend class and be the passive recipients of the wisdom and knowledge dispensed by the expert at the lectern with little or no interaction with either teacher or other students. In an online class, this passivity can result in a drop in interest and motivation by the student often resulting in dropout. Studies show e-learning courses have an eight time higher withdrawal rate than traditional classes ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Al-Fahad, 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).* To combat this passivity, instructors need to use and encourage the use of discussion boards, chats, and e-mail between students and with the instructor ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Vande Poppe, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).* To facilitate student comfort in interacting in the classroom, Yang and Cornelious (2005) proposed instructors provide information about themselves through a short bio or personal web site. Encouraging interactivity in online courses has been shown to foster deeper learning and higher-level critical thinking skills ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Malik & Khurshed, 2011; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and is a primary factor in student satisfaction and learning ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">al-Fahad, 2010; Ali & Ahmad, 2011; Ferguson & DeFelice, 2010; Gunawardena et al., 2010; Hoic-Bozic et al., 2009; Hsieh & Cho, 2011; Martinez-Caro, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Technical Issues
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">There are a number of technical issues an online student can face. The introduction to student challenges identified some students have issues with access. This can be because they do not have the necessary equipment to access an online class, or they do not have a means of connecting their computer to the Internet. Even when students can access the Internet, they may not have sufficient band-width to utilize all of the features available for their particular class. Omar et al. (2011) found some students are confused by, or ignorant of, the technical jargon used in some online discussions and are consequently demotivated. Even with necessary access, students may lack the experience or confidence to use the tools required by an online course. I have not experienced this challenge in the classes I teach because the courses focus on enhancing advanced knowledge of a technical nature and expect the student to have the prerequisite knowledge and skill to participate in the online class.* For online courses where this could be an insurmountable challenge, it is suggested students “visit a course or take a demo course” (<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">“Challenges”, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) so they will know the technical expectations of the course and determine whether they have the ability to succeed in this context.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Student Responsibility for Learning
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">From a constructivist view, the biggest challenge for the online student is to overcome years of traditional experience and expectation and accept that learning should be student focused. At the company where I work, students are students and teachers are teachers, and teaching is “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">tightly structured <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Muirhead, 2004, Making Positive Online Learning Connections, para. 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">); meaning that while interaction is encouraged, it is not part of the pedagogy of the class. Students should be informed at the beginning of the class they are to take responsibility for their learning in an online class ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). To encourage students to take responsibility, Ruey (2010) stated classes “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">should focus on learning about ‘why’ and learning about ‘how,’ rather than conducting learning itself <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">p. 707 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). By focusing on teaching students how to learn, secure relevant information, and relate it to their life milieu, learning becomes more student centered, promoting higher-level critical thinking stills ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Kilic-Cakmak, 2010; Omar et al., 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Self-discipline and Motivation
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Lack of self-discipline and motivation in online classes has been demonstrated to increase dropout rates ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Al-Fahad, 2010; Cercone, 2008; Park & Cho, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and decrease the possibility students will take online classes ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Donavant, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Without self-discipline any attempts by the instructor to increase motivation are likely to fail ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Omar et al., 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Students in e-learning courses are more likely to be successful if they are independent, self-directed, and task-oriented ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). I have the advantage of teaching short classes involving five or fewer business days. Because of the shortness of the class durations, I rarely have students who do not complete. I do have experience with students, however, who are attending class because their company is requiring attendance; in those instances it is not infrequent these students are lacking in motivation. The key component of motivation is interest (<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The solution, if one can be found, is the same as discussed above; seek to involve each student in interactive discussions, activities, and socialization hooking them into being motivated to contribute to the class. By individualizing the course to each student’s experiences, abilities, interests, and needs, motivation is increased ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Ruey, 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Teacher E-Learning Challenges
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The literature is replete with challenges instructors face when preparing to start an online class. Some of the challenges mentioned include; (a) increased time requirements ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Allen et al., 2009; Anderson, 2008; Archambault et al., 2010; Fidishun, 2011; Ke, 2010; Muirhead, 2004; Pirani, 2004; Sinclair, 2009; So & Bonk, 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and increased interaction with students ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (b) instructors pedagogically dominating the discussion ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Muirhead, 2004 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (c) teaching “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">tightly structured courses <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Muirhead, 2004, Making Positive Online Learning Connections, para. 3 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) required by their organizations, (d) differences of non-traditional students ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Bhuasiri et al., 2011; Kenner & Weinerman, 2011; Lapsley, Kulik, Moody, & Arbaugh, 2008; Martinez-Caro, 2009; McGlone, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (e) finding successful ways to encourage student interaction ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Archambault, Wetzel, Fouger, & Williams, 2010; Martinez-Caro, 2011; Muniz-Solari & Coats, 2009; Omar et al., 2011; Rhode, 2009; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (f) appropriately using online tools ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Archambault et al., 2010, Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (g) lack of basic face-to-face interactions ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Cercone, 2008; McHaney, 2009; Muniz-Solari & Coats, 2009; Rhode, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (h) the need to pedagogically adapt the course to an online environment ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008; Kawka et al., 2011; Omar et al., 2011, Pirani, 2004; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), often with no additional compensation, (i) technical difficulties with infrastructure or bandwidth ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Anderson, 2008; Fidishun, 2011; Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Pirani, 2004; Wright et al., 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (j) lack of knowledge or experience using the e-learning environment ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Harlen & Doubler, 2007; Ke, 2010; Pirani, 2004; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), and (k) concern for academic integrity of students ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Vande Poppe, 2011; Yang & Cornelious, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Five of these challenges are addressed, and solutions proposed, in greater depth below.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Student Interactions
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Several previous* sections have indicated the pivotal importance of interactivity in online classrooms. It is the role and challenge of the instructor to facilitate these interactions ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Cabrera-Lozoya, Cerdan, Cano, Garcia-Sanchez, & Lujan, 2012; Guilbaud & Jerome-D’Emilia, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Though the facilitation should be invisible to the learner; activities must be planned and coordinated to maximize learning, build confidence and motivation in the learner, while nurturing higher-level critical thinking skills ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Kiliç-Cakmak, 2010, McGlone, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The instructor should provide feedback and encouragement, but should position him or herself to the side, focusing on being a facilitator of discussion and learning rather than the expert ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Hoic-Bozic et al., 2009; Ke, 2010; Lam & Bordia, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Activities must be designed to facilitate the investigation and learning of course objectives and goals ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Kawka et al, 2011; Martinez-Caro, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) through students interacting with other learners and the instructor. All of this planning devolves on the teacher prior to entering an online classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Non-traditional Students
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The increase in the number of online courses has encouraged many adults who would not otherwise be able to engage in additional schooling or training to participate. These older, more mature students have been labeled non-traditional students and have become the focus of a number of studies to determine their characteristics ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Martinez-Caro, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). As illustrated in the introduction to teacher challenges, it has been shown non-traditional students are different from their college-age, post-secondary education counterparts. Because of these differences, teachers need to understand many andragogical principles are different for these learners. Because these students usually have greater life experiences, teachers should create activities and assignments tying theory to personal experience resulting in greater applicability of learning (<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Kenner & Weinerman, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) while acknowledging an existing base of experience in the learner.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Technical Difficulties
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">One of the major student challenges involves issues with technology. Instructors face many of the same issues; including lack of equipment, access, appropriate band-width, or knowledge and experience with the necessary tools to conduct an e-learning class. Although instructors are rarely responsible for the e-learning infrastructure of the delivering organization, the student will hold them responsible if there are glitches. To address these challenges, teachers need to ensure they receive training in the use of, and experience with, all of the tools they are expected to use ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Bodnik, 2011; Pirani, 2004 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Instructors need to be prepared for large differences in the experience of students with computers and technology, and have the resources or training to provide assistance and encouragement as needed ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Strang, 2009 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). It is also critical they form associations with the department or individuals who are responsible for the technical infrastructure of their course, so effective responses can be elicited if problems occur. From my experience the tools require practice to use well, and it never hurts to have someone in IT to facilitate the solving of technical difficulties.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Learning Environment
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Courses taught online should not be virtual versions of traditional in-classroom courses. The affordances of electronic delivery provide greater opportunities for learning than the regular classroom can ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">So & Bonk, 2010; Watkins, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The benefits to the student of learning online are numerous, but a number of studies have shown one bad experience can inhibit students from taking additional online courses ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Martinez-Caro, 2009; Thompson et al., 2010 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Several sections in this paper have identified some of the features teachers can include in online courses to optimize the affordances available in virtual delivery, especially in terms of interactivity and collaboration. Through creation of activities the teacher pedagogically transforms his or her course to use the online environment to ensure optimal student learning ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Pirani, 2004 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Academic Integrity
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Anonymity fosters behavior individuals would not normally perform without a mask – real or virtual ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Tresca, 1998 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Online access to the Internet facilitates the ability for students to take the ideas of others that “ <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">may be unavailable in traditional sources <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">” ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Malik & Khurshed, 2011, p. 161 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">) and present it as their own. I have limited experience with this particular difficulty because the courses I teach are more interested in teaching students how to develop software programs, and the resulting code is not expected to be unique or original. In more academic settings where assignments are expected to be original and the sole product of the student, a discussion regarding the moral issues and the consequences of plagiarism in the classroom is advised. Through the use of software programs that have access to the text of millions of papers and articles instructors can ensure the discussion regarding plagiarism is inculcated into real life practice.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">A limited literature review regarding the challenges faced by students and teachers was conducted and briefly presented in this paper. Ten specific challenges from the larger review were addressed in greater detail along with solutions for each challenge. The challenges of e-learning can overwhelm the student and the instructor, but as demonstrated they can be overcome with a detailed and specific plan.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP1] As does all learning! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP2] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This is a weak thesis statement, avoid these type of announcements <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP3] Instead of this rather extensive listing, it would be more appropriate to just provide the five challenges. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP4] I would also suggest the use of collaborative learning activities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP5] I also feel this is due to a lack of adequate preparation as well as students who lack discipline. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP6] And be present every day in the online classroom. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP7] In teaching general ed classes, I have often had this experience. One thing in the ID is to provide a help or FAQ area in all courses. It also helps to have a list or vocabulary of the course’s jargon. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP8] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">We don’t include the title of the work in a quotation citation. [This is actually incorrect as this is not the title of the work, but the heading. In APA the heading is to be included in the citation if there are no page numbers and you are using paragraphs.] <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP9] Again, I would focus only on the five…More is not better, less has a tighter focus. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP10] Redundant. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP11] Hard to do when we have both traditional and nontraditional students!


 * = References ||
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 * Ali, A., Ahmad, I. (2011). Key factors for determining students’ satisfaction in distance learning courses: A study of Allama Iqbal Open University. //Contemporary Educational Technology, 2(2)//, 118-134. Retrieved from http://cedtech.net/
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