A study published in the International Journal of Management in Education has shown that because of the lower level of social engagement, students in online classes drop out more frequently than those in traditional ones. Critics of online education also believe that online learning systems deprive a student of the full stimulation of a classroom. K-12 students whose computers comprise the bulk of their learning experience miss out on extra-curricular activities and chances to make friends.
Research by professors at North Georgia College & State University warns that online learning can be "depersonalizing." Others critical of online learning systems believe they limit students to just clicking and reading. Students scroll through page after page of presentation slides that confine them to their computers. There are no real-time discussions with teachers or other students. Critics also believe online learning programs require students spend extended periods of time following commands they don't actively respond to.
Research by Kyong-Jee Kim and Curtis J. Bonk points out that online learning content is often inferior to more in-depth curricula offered in classrooms. Pressured to add educational content to the e-learning platforms of their academic institutions, teachers upload content that is haphazardly created and often includes typos and other errors. Once content is uploaded, critics of online learning systems have found, it is not regularly updated or revised.
The president of the teachers' union in Miami has criticized online learning systems as being inappropriate for young learners. Others believe that students who do most of their learning outside the context of a classroom feel less accountable to a teacher, and thus are more likely to plagiarize content found online. K-12 students who are easily distracted or have low-attention spans are unable to digest streams of uninterrupted content without getting bored. The discipline as well as motivation that classroom teachers provide, critics insist, can't be duplicated in a strictly e-learning environment.