Common Obstacles to learning - and how to overcome them

Mar 14, 2023

Learning barriers can be physical, mental, emotional, cultural, or social elements that obstruct a student from achieving their learning goals. This article will help you overcome them.

You're about to embark on the most exciting adventure of your life - online course creation. Congrats! Congratulations! You've taken the first of many crucial decision. Now, you're ready to focus on your next crucial element - the learners you have.

Being human beings with complex personalities, humans all react to different forms of learning. Whatever the information itself, how it's delivered, or the location we are consuming it We all have our own preferences that, if left in the dark, could cause major barriers to learning.

Below is a list of the most commonly encountered challenges to learning as well as some examples that we dive into further in the future:

Barriers Examples
Barriers for schools elements that could affect a student's ability to succeed in school.
Workplace barriers Elements that can impact an employee's capacity to learn at work.
Barriers to emotional expression Motivation, fear, and other emotions preventing a student from having the confidence to fully engage in the new environment of learning.
Barriers to environmental protection Physical elements, such as distractions at work, affecting the ability of students to be successful in their classroom.
Psychological
barriers
Conditions that make learning more challenging for pupils, for example dyslexia, autism, or ADD/ADHD.

  In the remainder of this post we'll cover:  

  What are the barriers to learning?  

In the beginning, we'll be covering the basics. What obstacles hinder understanding?

  Learner's obstacles can come from mental, physical and cultural elements that get in the way of students achieving their educational targets.  

Do you ever ask yourself, "what's the point?" in the beginning of the new classroom or educational program? Are you finding that it easier to learn when you are working in the field rather as opposed to sitting in a class?

These are just a couple of the many barriers in learning that affect students' ability to grasp the concepts, remember them, and apply the concepts they're trying to understand. We'll go over each one in the next few paragraphs.

  Where can we find obstacles to learning?  

In the realm of learning, the physical environment we are in is a major factor in either reducing or promoting common learning barriers. It is the reason we frequently encounter learning challenges in the workplace, school, or at the home.

  The barriers to learning in school  

The universities and schools are often busy locations. For students in the younger age group, elementary and secondary school settings could look slightly more different, however, they're usually crowded with students, teachers, technological equipment, and various activities.

But, due to constant commotion and varieties of preferred methods of learning (and teaching) methods, schools could create barriers in learning for all students.

  The barriers to learning in work  

However, at work, adults can also encounter barriers to learning if they're simply not fully engaged. Or, sometimes we get bogged down in our ways and revel in the notion of change.

The first step in overcoming the barriers to learning is knowing what they are and who is most affected by the obstacles.

  The barriers to learning home  

In 2020, with global shutdowns and orders for stay-at-home Our homes turned into our primary educational environments. Certain students thrived in remote setting, whereas other students were challenged.

Distractions, available resources, and our mental and emotional well-being each played an important role in adapting to new surroundings. Today, as more and more companies and, in some locations schools, adopt the hybrid model and our homes become commonplace for encountering learning obstacles in the absence of proper tools or the support.

  Most common types of obstacles to learning (and how to overcome these)  

The barriers to learning don't have to be confined into specific locations or places. They may appear almost anywhere a student is attempting to master or learn something completely new.

And, no matter if you're targeting a seasoned employee with decades of experience or an incoming freshman student at your local university - there are always learning hurdles that we are able to overcome any of them.

Here are some of the most common barriers to learning with helpful tips on beating them all.

1. Motivation

At some point or other, we all hit the 2:30 mark in our motivation. Based on the environment or corporate environment, it may be challenging to drum up the enthusiasm to change without the proper assistance.

Those are a few of the numerous reasons why motivation can be one of the most common barriers to learning. Inspiration, distraction, drive as well as interest influence a student's or employee's enthusiasm to learn something new.

2. Insufficient prior knowledge

If you've got an education degree from a university, you likely have had to complete pre-requisite classes before launching into some of your more specific classes. It's because you cannot just snap your fingers and become an expert chef without knowing the basic concepts of different techniques, cooking tools and food items.

So, when a new student takes your class without having access to basic knowledge prior to the course, it can discourage them from taking part in or completing the session fully.

3. Learning challenges

Did you know that more than> one billion people around the world have an impairment in their learning that could cause online learning to be more difficult for those with learning disabilities? Or that 10 10% of all people suffer from dyslexia or autism?

The presence of learning differences is a frequent barrier for students looking to expand their knowledge or acquire new skills. This is why it's so crucial to make sure the online academy you choose to use has the equipment and features that help enable learning for anyone.

  How to overcome the learning hurdle:  

  • Make sure any recordings or videos are accessible with closed captions, subtitles, or alternatives that use text to assist those who have hearing impairments or difficulties with learning.
  • Certain learning difficulties may require more personal interaction by providing audiobooks or typing on a computer or tablet, instead of writing.
  • Give clear step-by step instructions as well as multi-sensory choices for learners to self-select an approach that works for them.
  • Help students suffering from ADHD by giving them extra time for exams, giving them breaks as well as time for movement, as well as using organizational tools to limit the number of items they have to keep track of.

It's all about providing choices. The greater the variety of your options for content and the greater your chances of being able to appeal to many different kinds of students. Don't forget to ask for feedback to see how you can make improvements.

4. Learning environment

Your environment can make or break a learning process. We've discussed this before, schools, workplaces as well as our own homes are full of distractions. They don't always make for the most conducive environment to concentrate on your learning, which ultimately creates a barrier to growing your knowledge.

5. Emotional factors

Sometimes, barriers to learning begin from within. Being afraid of failing, past insecurities, or fear of change can ignite uncomfortable emotional states which hinder students from enjoying the opportunities for learning that are available to them.

The best way to combat this is to strengthen these anxieties with rewards and certificates. Course creators can quickly win over uneasy learners with rewards for their effort through the use of gamification or by awarding certificates that celebrate their success.

6. Learner styles

There is no universal way of teaching that appeals to all students. Some students are more comfortable by using visual cues. However, others respond better to visual cues, audio repetition or music.

With online learning , and the appropriate learning management software, course designers can access dynamic capabilities right in their hands to make content that appeals to a wide variety of learners.

7. General appearance

Have you received an 2,000 word long email? That would be longer than the content of this post. It's likely that you did not take the time to read it all - or maybe even most of it. Why? It's because for this degree of precision, email isn't the best way to communicate.

The average attention span of a person would be 12 minutes. That is now 8 seconds. The presentation matters if you're trying be able to grab your audience's attention and make them feel engaged in your educational content.

8. Learning experience

In the case of learning, oftenthe experience outweighs the content itself.

This means thatlearning barriers can quickly come up if the overall user experience does not meet students requirements.

  Conclusion  

If you are beginning your online course design It is crucial to begin by getting to know the most crucial audience you have - the students. Understanding their needs, how they learn best and the things they require to succeed will allow you remove common learning obstacles and make learning a memorable experience for all.

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