Online maths learning has grown fast, and for good reason. Many families are turning to digital lessons to fit learning into busy or unpredictable schedules. When done well, online learning feels smooth and flexible, giving students the chance to work in their own time, access a wider range of resources, and receive one-to-one support. But it doesn’t come without its challenges.
Without the structure of a classroom, it’s not unusual for students to hit a few bumps along the way. Struggling to stay motivated, not being able to ask for help right away, or dealing with tech issues can make maths feel harder than it needs to be. Let’s look at some of the most common problems students face with online maths and how to work through them.
Difficulty Staying Motivated
Motivation is one of the first things that can dip when a student moves to online learning. At school, there are clear routines. Lessons start and end at set times, students are expected to listen and join in, and there’s a teacher in the room to keep things moving. At home, that structure is usually missing. A maths lesson might come after a long day at school, or be postponed again and again until it’s skipped altogether.
That lack of routine can quickly lead to frustration. Maths is one of those subjects where each new topic builds on the last. If students fall behind or skip too many steps, things start feeling confusing very quickly.
Here are some ways to build motivation and keep engagement up:
- Set small, clear goals each week. These could be mastering times tables, staying focused for 30 minutes, or covering a tricky topic like algebra.
- Make a simple study plan. It doesn’t need to be detailed, but knowing which days and times are set aside for maths helps create a good routine.
- Use fun, interactive tools during lessons. Whether it’s a quiz, a game, or switching up how to revise, variety helps stop maths from feeling like a chore.
- Track personal wins. Not just test scores. Even making fewer mistakes on a practice sheet shows progress.
One Year 8 student started using coloured post-it notes for each task they completed. After a month, they could see the whole wall filling up with small wins. That visual reminder of effort and progress helped keep their confidence steady during tough topics.
Lack Of Interaction
Maths can feel very isolating when it’s just you and a laptop screen. In a classroom, students naturally ask questions, check in with friends, or glance around to see who’s stuck on the same thing. That back-and-forth plays a big part in how learners stay on track. Digital lessons, if not handled well, can lose that sense of togetherness.
To help make online learning feel more connected, it’s important to build interaction into regular maths routines. This doesn’t always have to mean group activities, but it does mean creating chances to communicate in some shape or form.
Here are some ideas:
- Book regular video sessions, rather than only reading through notes or watching pre-recorded lessons.
- Join trusted online maths forums or communities suitable for the student’s age, where they can ask questions and learn from others.
- Use virtual learning tools that allow for co-working, like shared whiteboards or collaborative documents.
Even occasional group sessions can be a boost. Hearing that others also struggle with a topic helps build reassurance. For quieter or shy students, having the option to use text chat or emoji reactions still gives them ways to stay involved. Interaction isn’t always about speaking up. It’s about making the learning process feel less like a one-way street.
Technical Issues That Interrupt Learning
Online lessons rely on working tech. When things glitch, video freezes, or platforms won’t load, it causes stress and makes it harder for students to stay focused. A few bad experiences like this can quickly lead students to dread online learning.
Here are some common tech hiccups:
- Weak or unstable internet that cuts out video or audio
- Software not loading properly
- Trouble logging into platforms
- Tools not working well on older devices or tablets
There are a few easy steps families can take to help prevent these issues. First, it helps to restart the device and check the internet connection before each session. If the household shares one device, make sure others close their tabs and programmes that could slow it down. Keeping login details saved and creating shortcuts to learning platforms also helps things run more smoothly.
It’s useful to have a plan if things go wrong. This could include switching to a mobile hotspot, having a printed backup activity ready, or keeping a troubleshooting checklist nearby. Students may still feel annoyed when something breaks, but being able to handle it calmly boosts resilience over time, not just in maths lessons but in other subjects too.
Trouble Understanding New Maths Concepts
Maths builds block by block, and when one piece doesn’t make sense, everything after can start becoming confusing. Online learners don’t always get the chance to quickly raise a hand or hear a classmate ask that same question they were too nervous to ask. Unless it’s spotted quickly, confusion can quietly build up over time.
Visual learning often makes a difference. Number lines, colour-coded examples, step-by-step videos, or simple infographics can help break ideas down into manageable chunks. Different minds learn in different ways, so trying multiple approaches tends to work better than forcing just one method.
It’s just as important for students to know when to ask for help. Struggling alone only delays progress. That’s why working with an online mathematics tutor can be so helpful. They can step in when things aren’t clicking, break down tough concepts into simpler terms, and go over topics at the student’s pace without rushing.
Daily warm-ups or short quizzes can also help spot weaker topics before they snowball. Keeping a notebook of what’s tricky, or writing down mistakes along with corrections, gives students something useful to go back to for revision.
How To Break Through A Learning Plateau
Every so often, progress in maths seems to slow down or stop. This can happen even when a student is showing up regularly and doing their work. It’s called a learning plateau, and it’s more common than people realise.
This usually means something in the approach needs a shakeup. Maybe the tasks are too repetitive, or the student isn’t being challenged in the right way. Sometimes it’s because they aren’t getting honest feedback or don’t know how to reflect on what still needs work.
Ways to push through a learning plateau:
- Replace standard exercises with real-life tasks. Use budgeting, recipes, football scores—anything practical that involves numbers.
- Switch the learning format. Do a puzzle instead of a worksheet, take a quiz instead of writing answers, or play a reasoning game instead of watching a video.
- Ask focused questions. Instead of “What don’t I get?”, try “What step keeps slowing me down?” and rebuild from there.
- Schedule a review session midweek. Just ten minutes can make a big difference in assessing progress and adjusting the next steps.
One Year 9 pupil struggled for months with decimals. Things finally clicked when she started tracking scores from her basketball matches—adding up averages, working out shooting percentages. It made decimals feel real. Her confidence grew, and so did her results.
Maximising Your Online Learning Potential
There’s no single way to learn maths well online. Some students enjoy a quiet one-to-one setting. Others need digital classroom tools to thrive. What matters most is knowing that roadblocks are normal, and overcoming them is possible with the right steps.
Staying motivated, keeping lines of communication open, managing tech use, and asking for help when needed all go a long way. Progress will look different for everyone, but students who mix up their methods, review their understanding, and have space to ask questions are much more likely to succeed.
Maths doesn’t need to feel like a lonely subject. With the right support and structure, online learning can offer the same strong outcomes as traditional classrooms—and in many cases, even more flexible ones.
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