Traditional school settings have motivators in place, such as teacher office hours, study groups and in-class homework time, that keep students going in the right direction. In online classes, however, a syllabus is posted online and students are solely responsible for following through on all assignments. Distance learning is ideal for enterprising self starters, but it can be difficult for students who struggle to complete homework on their own.
Simple concepts can be easily taught through online documents and discussions, but more complex and analytical material is more difficult to convey. Most advanced classes are heavily based on class discussions, which are best achieved in a traditional school environment. Classes that require labs or experiments are also difficult over the Internet because students are responsible for acquiring all materials and completing activities at home.
Online learning does not allow for any verbal communication between students and their classmates, teaching assistants or professors. The act of discussing a topic with peers and a professor, hearing their responses and seeing their body language can help reinforce the subject matter. Verbal communication and confidence speaking in front of a class are important skills to have, and these cannot be practiced in an online classroom experience.
Online learning is not suitable for all types of study, and often classes you may need to complete a degree or course of study are not available online. According to the College Distance Learning Guide, students who are pursuing specific programs may need to physically attend certain sections or whole classes to complete their requirements.