Teaching in Online Spaces: Issues and Challenges

During the COVID-19 pandemic schools and universities scrambled to put curriculum online and to provide students with ongoing educational content. These programs utilize web technology as a means of facilitating distributed learning. Nevertheless, online distance learning courses pose challenges for both educators and students. Studies indicate a notable risk of lower student success rates and retention in online courses. Newer research reveals that curriculum developers and teachers must be mindful of the unique requirements involved in creating and delivering courses in the online space. Just as in face-to-face teaching environments, the teacher is key to fostering successful and satisfied students. This research paper aims to begin a conversation about teaching in an online environment, how it is different to face-to-face teaching and some of the issues and challenges encountered by university teachers/educators.