With the shift from traditional to virtual classroom, convenience is the driving force behind online education and the reason it is steadily gaining grounds as a veritable means of learning.

In this interview with EMEKA AGINAM, Craig Marsh, Chief Academic Officer, University of Roehampton Online spoke on a number of things regarding online learning, the use of technology to increase access to information and the role online education plays in bridging learning gaps towards fast-tracking economic development.

Excerpts:

People may have different interpretations of what online learning means. Can you give us a brief overview of the University of Roehampton, London Online?

In 2012, the University of Roehampton, London partnered with online learning experts Laureate Online Education, part of the Laureate International Universities network – a leading global network of accredited high-quality, innovative institutions of higher education reaching more than 800,000 students worldwide. Through this partnership, we are able to continue the University’s legacy of increasing access to learning and providing affordable online masters degree programmes to men and women all over the world.

This partnership allows the University to continue its reputation as an accessible, multicultural institution providing quality online education that maintains the standards set by the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and by the University’s own regulations.

Over the past decade, online education has recorded phenomenal growth all over the world. What has your organisation’s experience been like in Africa, especially Nigeria?

Online education has become widely accepted over the last 10 years and the rate of growth of online students has greatly outpaced that of students in tertiary education overall. Increased Internet access has allowed for more people to access online programmes easier than ever before, opening up new opportunities for students to pursue tertiary education while overcoming challenges such as physical location as well as work and family commitments.

Flexibility and convenience still remain priorities for students, but the ability to accommodate multiple styles of learning and the opportunity to connect with peers and faculty around the world are added benefits of online learning.

Roehampton Online programmes have proved very popular in Nigeria, with Nigerians representing more than 35% of our student body. We are able to meet the demand of Nigerian students who want to pursue tertiary education but may not have the opportunity to do so at a local campus. For those students who want to earn a degree, especially from a UK-based institution, without leaving their home, family or job, our all-inclusive masters programmes are designed to enrich students’ knowledge, help them develop practical skills that can be applied in their work immediately and promote career advancement.\

What are the benefits of online education compared with traditional learning models?

Online programmes can combine individual instruction with video, audio and written content to provide high-quality courses relevant to working professionals. A single course can accommodate many different learning styles by presenting content in diverse ways such as with streaming video, online discussion forums, reading and even downloads to your mobile device. Our classroom incorporates all of these multimedia elements, and our classroom navigator makes it easy for students to access all of their resources and keep track of their progress throughout the course. Our learning model also facilitates active student engagement and participation through shared activities – where students can discuss and debate what they are learning via an online discussion board, contributing their own experience, values and ideas to the relevant topic and benefiting from the insights of their peers.

Thanks to a 24-hour classroom, one of the things our students tell us they like most about studying with Roehampton Online is the freedom to choose when they study. They also say their online programme allows them to build their schedules in a way that fits their daily life without affecting their work or personal lives.

Online students at the University of Roehampton gain critical-thinking skills and knowledge needed to make an impact in their professions by addressing contemporary trends and issues that relate to their field or industry and helping equip them with the research skills to address those issues and opportunities, both now and in the future. Unlike traditional learning models, they are able to apply the knowledge and skills they learn in class in their jobs almost immediately, meaning that students don’t need to wait until graduation to start seeing the benefits of their education.