Online instructors face challenges from all sides in developing online learning. Students often wish to put in the minimum effort to pass the class, hoping to click through screens, take an exam, and be done. Instructors must make clear at enrollment that active participation is required, and that critical thinking and higher levels of learning will be accessed as success criteria. Other instructors often perceive, or act as if they perceive, online instructors as less than F2F instructors and see online learning as a form of entertainment, pandering for higher enrollments. Institutions often do not know the value of active online learning, or realize that collaborative and problem-based learning may lead to greater learning success and (their highest priority) student retention. Finally, the availability of technology and support services for online learners and instructors can greatly influence the success of failure of an online program. The only real solution to these challenges is to develop and present a body of work. Online instructors and ISDs must incorporate active, collaborative, and problem-based courses that will eventually show their value through the greater success of students.
