Teacher barriers to eLearning: what's holding you back (and how to push through)

Q: How does human contact change when transitioning to eLearning?

If your idea of a great workday includes banter with students and classroom energy, working solo on a storyboard might feel… weird. Peaceful? Sure. But isolating, too. Another sneaky teacher barrier to eLearning is solitude. Yes, you'll still collaborate, but most of your hours? Just you, your laptop, and hopefully a decent coffee.

After nearly two decades in education, I've seen it all. From navigating complex classrooms to leading system-wide reforms—every challenge has shaped how I think about learning. But when I started mentoring teachers looking to move into the world of eLearning, I noticed five common threads. Yep, there are five major teacher barriers to eLearning that crop up time and time again.

Let's unpack them. And more importantly, let's figure out how to overcome them.

1. From reactive to proactive

Teaching is often a dance of on-the-spot decisions—adjusting, pivoting, responding. In contrast, eLearning thrives on being proactive. You design with intention. You plan ahead. And believe it or not, your beautifully mapped learning sequence might actually happen as planned. But this shift? It's jarring. One of the biggest teacher barriers to eLearning is simply getting comfortable with the quiet space that proactivity and easy execution creates.

2. Less human contact

Let's get real: if your idea of a great workday includes banter with students and classroom energy, working solo on a storyboard might feel… weird. Peaceful? Sure. But isolating, too. Another sneaky teacher barrier to eLearning is solitude. Yes, you'll still collaborate, but most of your hours? Just you, your laptop, and hopefully a decent coffee.

3. The language of Learning Design

Every industry has its own lingo, and eLearning is no exception. When teachers first land here, they're bombarded with acronyms, models, and digital tools. It's one of the more frustrating teacher barriers to eLearning—but also one of the easiest to fix. Once you crack the code, your teaching background gives you a leg up. Trust me: you've already got the theory. You just need to repackage it.

4. A whole new work culture

No bells. No yard duty. No kids waiting at your door with a "quick question." Working in eLearning often means working in business environments—complete with KPIs, Slack threads, and lunch breaks when you're actually hungry. This culture shock is a serious teacher barrier to eLearning that no one talks about enough.

5. Different incentives, different game

In eLearning, the incentives shift. It's about budgets, timelines, and measurable outcomes. Unlike in schools, where you might pour extra hours into making a lesson sing, the question becomes: what's the ROI? This mindset shift can be one of the trickiest teacher barriers to eLearning to overcome.

So, how do you break through the teacher barriers to eLearning?

Simple: reframe the barriers as learning curves. Explore. Try a freelance project or two. Get curious. Start building your learning design muscle on the side. And above all, embrace reflective practice—it's your superpower.

Still unsure where to start? My book Online Learning: So You Want to Be a Learning Designer breaks it all down. Plus, I'm offering a free 15-minute chat for readers. Just email hello@oppida.co and let's talk.

Remember, these teacher barriers to eLearning aren't roadblocks—they're just the start of your next learning journey.

Until next time, stay awesome.