Online learning on the rise

University of Roehampton, London Online’s MSc in Project Management student, Benjamin Okoroafor shares his experience.

Benjamin Okoroafor chose to enrol on an online Masters in Project Management from the University of Roehampton, London Online because he wanted to learn the skills required to ensure projects in Nigeria were running more efficiently in order to contribute to the development of his country.

Working for the Federal Government as Head of MIS and Knowledge Management in the Presidential Task Force on Power, he was looking for a programme that directly complemented his current skill set and developed his future career prospects.

“Within my role, I am responsible for the management of the entire power sector database, which means that I have the privilege of being directly involved in establishing processes that can influence the way national operations and projects are being handled,” says Benjamin. “It was this responsibility that fuelled my ambition to want to become a better leader and be able to deliver to the best of my ability.”

Benjamin was keen to continue his work and not have to compromise personal or professional commitments the way an on-campus course may have demanded. He says studying online has far exceeded his expectations: “I was expecting a series of recorded lectures, online tests and exams, but the programme format has completely blown me away. It couldn’t be more different.”

Benjamin has found the online social community forums in his programme of great value, as intellectual interactions with peers across the globe have enabled him to gain a more holistic understanding of challenging industry issues.

“Reading varied submissions and perspectives made the learning process much more interesting. Keeping up with the research and findings of every group member and digging deeper into theories and viewpoints takes up nearly 80 per cent of my study time. But I have been able to use these insights to identify capacity and process gaps in data storage and management that need to be improved.

“During my first module, I was asked to complete an honest self-evaluation using one of the management models we had been taught. I was shocked when I realised what had been missing in my management approach, and so I began immediately applying what I was learning,” explains Benjamin.

By the end of his second module, Benjamin says his colleagues and foreign development partners were commending him on the changes he was making: “That was when I knew that what I was learning was having a positive impact on my professional life.”

Benjamin is also embracing the opportunity to network with students across the globe to gain insight into how common challenges in the power sector are handled in other countries.

Just over a year into his course, Benjamin feels he is already better at managing his time and is more analytical. He now sees individual daily activities as projects that must be correctly managed.

“The course is by no means easy and involves commitment and discipline, but I feel that learning to structure my time has also allowed me to become a much better father and husband.”

Benjamin expects to graduate from his programme in 2017. However, he has already seen the professional growth and impact and so has his employer, who is impressed by the process enhancements he has introduced and his approach to management.

“I have learnt how to be a more authentic leader and I genuinely feel that the improvements I have made are helping my employer, which in turn will help my country.”