The fundamental obstacle to the growth of e-learning is access to the necessary technology

infrastructure, for without it there can be no e-learning. Poor or insufficient technology

infrastructure is just as bad, as it can lead to unsavory experiences that can cause more damage
than good to teachers, students and the learning experience. Pitfalls or the disadvantages of e-
learning are-

Disadvantages to the Trainer or Organization

E-Learning does have limitations, among them are :
 Up-front investment- required of an e-learning solution is larger due to development
costs. Budgets and cash flows will need to be negotiated. Initial costs of developing
courses may be high depending on the approach taken.
 Technology issues- that play a factor include whether the existing technology
infrastructure can accomplish the training goals, and whether compatibility of all
software and hardware can be achieved.
 Cultural acceptance- is an issue in organizations where student demographics and
psychographics may predispose them against using computers at all, let alone for e-
learning.
 Technology Issues – With heavy reliance on computers that eLearning brings, comes the
potential risks that comes with it.
 Computer Competency – Some employees might not be too comfortable using
computers, especially if their jobs don’t require them to.
 Lack of Control– Learners with low motivation tend to fall behind when using
eLearning as there are no set times to be doing it and they are responsible for themselves..
 Some of the programs on line are wrong and inaccurate.
 E-learning is very often not hooked to the personnel management system.

Disadvantages to the Learner

 Technology issues of the learners are most commonly technophobia and unavailability of
required technologies. Internet bandwidth may not be robust enough to support the
desired level of multimedia.
 Portability of training has become strength of e-learning with the proliferation of
network linking points, notebook computers, PDAs, and mobile phones, but still does not
rival that of printed workbooks or reference material.
 Reduced social and cultural interaction can be a drawback. The impersonality,
suppression of communication mechanisms such as body language, and elimination of
peer-to-peer learning that are part of this potential disadvantage.
 Privacy and security these are not fail-safe, and students may fall prey to “click-wrap”
agreements that include charges or require the submission of personal information.
 No Practice. Available technology is limiting the instructional strategy and students are
fed one-way instructional content like videos, images, and voice overs.
 No Feedback. ‘Next Page’ style courses don’t allow the opportunity for the user to get
feedback on what step he/she did wrong and how to self-correct.
 Costly For Students High user fees to access internet through telephone lines and
internet service providers in many parts of the country.
 Learning Approach – It doesn’t appeal to all learning styles so some learners will not
enjoy the experience. Some may prefer images, some prefer just reading words and some
prefer to talk about or actually do a task in order to learn.