Online courses providing solution to busy schedules

What you need to know:

  • Internet has taken over most sectors and education has not been spared. Nowadays, it is possible to study without attending lectures or meeting a teacher by taking an online course, writes Esther Oluka.

Most working people today complain about limited time. “There is hardly enough time to do anything,” they say. For this particular reason, some of the individuals interested in upgrading their education have opted to do so online.

With online, one enrolls and studies for a course available in the institution of their choice on the internet rather than attend classes. Most of the lessons are conducted via the web or email with guidelines on when to write the assignments, tests and conduct discussions.

Denis Kuteesa, a 30-year-old health and safety officer, applied for a Diploma in Occupation Health and Safety on Construction at the National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH), a UK-based independent examination board delivering vocational qualifications in health, safety, environmental practice and management.

“I always ensured that I had my laptop connected to the internet at all times. Sometimes the notes provided are in audio form. When it came to examinations, it was mandatory for one to type text responses to the exam questions,” Kuteesa says.

Kuteesa says the biggest challenge he faced during his course little to no room for clarification on particular topics or questions.

This is because the system was programmed in a way that I really did not understand. It was difficult to ask questions the way other students ask in classrooms in the presence of a lecturer,” he says, adding, “But of course since it was an online course, there was always room to search for answers from other materials during exams. Sometimes this would be checked in such a way that the questions required one to apply the knowledge they have been previously receiving during the online classroom sessions.”

Open room for cheating
Kuteesa says despite the opportunity students had to search for answers on the internet during an exam, he always preferred to be honest to himself by following the required rule of no cheating.

“What value would I be adding to myself if I cheated an exam? Besides, we were accorded time to answer the examination questions in a stipulated time. If one resorted to searching the answers, time would run out for answering other questions and this would have a huge negative impact on their final results. It is better to be honest,” he says.

Kuteesa enrolled for the course in July 2015 and completed in December 2015. He received his certificate through a parcel after it was sent by the university.
Question of striking a balance
Mark Keith Muhumuza, a journalist, says studying for a Diploma in Media and Land Governance at MS Training Centre for Development Cooperation (MS-TCDC) in Arusha, Tanzania in 2014 was not easy. The course involved face to face interactions with lecturers in Arusha as well as online modules.

“The online modules were the hardest I must admit, as they often clashed with my regular office work. It became hard for me to focus as I had to read articles, journals and online text books. After every reading, there would be an assignment,” he says, adding, “It was hard to do the modules during office hours so I had to start at about 9pm until about 1am. Also, I had to make time to chat with the lecturers because this interaction also carried some marks. Because of the load, I often delayed to submit assignments.”

Sometimes, Muhumuza felt like giving up on the course but he persisted.
“My employer was always considerate to let me go for six months every year to complete the course. In as much as it was hard to balance work and the online module, it was worth my time,” he says.

When the internet is poor Naomi Kaburungi, a communication specialist who was Muhumuza’s classmate, says the internet comes with challenges of unreliability.
“There were times we were required to log in for a session at the same time for a discussion and each of us was required to make a contribution. In case you were not available, you would miss out,” she says.

In addition, Kabarungi says, there were moments the discussions were interupted by poor (internet) connectivity.
However, for a person who has no time to travel and spend months studying at their preferred institutions, going online may be the ultimate choice.

The pros
Location is no longer an issue. For a fully online degree, you won’t need to travel abroad, so no money spent on commuting, plane tickets, accommodation, or even the visa formalities. You can simply get a quality international degree from the comfort of your home.
Flexibility is paramount. Online courses give you the possibility to combine independent learning with your work or family responsibilities. You can learn at your own pace, since you won’t be constrained to a fixed timetable.

Do a thorough check on institutions
Dr Mary Mutyaba Wanda, the academic registrar of Ndejje University, notes that if online courses are well moderated and monitored, students would enroll for them.
“These courses are a flexible and convenient way of learning especially for busy individuals who want to upgrade their education skills but hardly have any time for attending classes,” Dr Wanda says.
The flexibility comes with studying at any time they want, even from the comfort of their home.
She advises students to always do a thoroughly background check on the institutions as a way of finding out if the courses offered are accredited or not.