Education: A Mirror of Society

Over 500 Students Reportedly Killed in North-East Insurgency

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This article reflects a January 2015 estimate released by a northern students’ association. The figure was not presented as an official government death toll but offered an indication of the effect of the insurgency on students and education in the region.</span></p></blockquote><h2>Association Estimates Student Deaths</h2><p>Indications emerged yesterday of the estimated number of students who may have lost their lives to the insurgency affecting the North-East of Nigeria.</p><p>According to the Northern Students Association of Nigeria, more than 500 students had been killed in direct attacks on schools and students in the region within the previous three years.</p><p>The figure excluded a significant number of students who were receiving treatment for different degrees of injury, some of which were critical.</p><p>The leader of the association, Musa Terrang, said the group compiled the figure through its committees working with the National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigerian Red Cross.</p><h2>Attacks on Schools and Students</h2><p>Boko Haram, the group blamed for many of the attacks, regarded Western education as sinful and repeatedly targeted schools, teachers and students in the troubled region.</p><p>At Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, 59 boys lost their lives when armed attackers raided the school at night in February 2014. Some of the students were shot, while others were burnt to death in their dormitories.</p><p>In April of the same year, Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State. At the time this article was written, most of the girls had yet to regain their freedom or return to their families.</p><h2>The Effect on Education</h2><p>Schools, teachers and students had borne a heavy part of the insurgency’s impact.</p><p>The group’s hostility towards Western education made educational institutions important targets. Apart from the loss of life, numerous schools were closed or destroyed, teachers fled affected communities, and many parents became afraid to send their children to school.</p><p>In the absence of a comprehensive official figure showing the full impact of the insurgency on education, the estimate released by the students’ association offered an indication of the scale of damage suffered by the sector in the region.</p><h2>Update</h2><p>The attacks did not end with the period covered by the original report. School abductions and attacks later spread to other parts of northern Nigeria.</p><p>In 2024, Amnesty International reported that 82 of the 276 Chibok girls were still believed to be in captivity and that at least 1,700 children had been taken in 17 documented mass school abductions since the Chibok attack.</p><p>UNICEF also reported that 19 attacks on schools were documented in 2022 and 2023, resulting in the closure of 113 schools in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.</p><p>The figures confirm that insecurity has not only taken lives but has also denied many children their right to education.</p></div>
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Over 500 Students Reportedly Killed in North-East Insurgency

Editorial note: This article reflects a January 2015 estimate released by a northern students’ association. The figure was not presented a...

Platforms for Free and Flexible Online Learning

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post was first written during the early growth of Massive Open Online Courses. Some platforms and payment arrangements have since changed. The list now includes MOOC platforms, free educational resources and an online university.</span></p></blockquote><p>Learning is a continuous process—it never ends.</p><p>Over the years, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other online learning platforms have emerged to provide lifelong learning opportunities to people in different parts of the world where internet access is available.</p><p>They provide endless opportunities to learn new things, acquire new skills and remain up to date in one’s area of interest.</p><p>In case you are wondering what Massive Open Online Courses are, MOOCs are online courses offered to a large or unrestricted number of learners over the internet. Many can be studied free of charge, although certificates and graded assessments may require payment.</p><h2>Benefits of Online Learning</h2><p>The benefits of taking online courses are numerous. Apart from gaining knowledge, learners enjoy flexibility and opportunities to interact and share ideas through discussion forums.</p><p>From my personal experience with edX, people with busy schedules can also learn at their own pace through self-paced or archived courses.</p><p>Learners may earn certificates that can support career development and strengthen their CVs, although a certificate alone does not guarantee employment.</p><p>There are several platforms where learners can enrol in courses of interest. For a start, I would personally recommend edX, where I earned several certificates from different courses.</p><h2><a href="https://www.edx.org/">edX</a></h2><p>edX offers online courses and programmes from universities and other recognised institutions.</p><p>Many courses can be audited free of charge, giving learners access to lectures, readings and some practice materials. Learners who want graded assignments and verified certificates generally need to enrol in the paid track.</p><h2><a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/">Khan Academy</a></h2><p>Khan Academy is not strictly a MOOC platform, but it is one of the most useful free online learning resources.</p><p>Learners can study Mathematics, Science, Computing, Economics, History and several other subjects through videos, articles and practice exercises. It also allows learners to study at their own pace.</p><h2><a href="https://www.uopeople.edu/">University of the People</a></h2><p>University of the People is an online university rather than a MOOC platform.</p><p>It describes itself as tuition-free because students are not charged for instruction. However, learners pay an application fee and assessment fees for the courses they complete. Financial assistance may be available to eligible students.</p><p>The university provides an opportunity to study for recognised online degree programmes without the cost normally associated with conventional universities.</p><h2><a href="https://iversity.org/">iversity</a></h2><p>iversity offers online courses in different subject areas, including some free MOOCs and paid professional-development courses.</p><p>I undertook two courses on the platform and would also recommend it. The platform is now part of Springer Nature, but it continues to provide online learning opportunities.</p><h2><a href="https://nou.edu.ng/">National Open University of Nigeria</a></h2><p>The National Open University of Nigeria provides a large collection of digital course materials covering different university programmes.</p><p>The materials can be read online or downloaded for educational use. They may be useful to students, teachers and anyone seeking additional learning resources.</p><h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/learning">YouTube Learning</a></h2><p>YouTube is not a conventional MOOC platform, but it contains a large amount of educational content.</p><p>Learners can search for subjects, topics or skills and find video lessons, explanations and tutorials. YouTube also provides organised courses and learning playlists for topics requiring more than a single video.</p><p>However, because anyone can publish on YouTube, learners should consider the qualifications of the creator and confirm important information through reliable sources.</p><h2><a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a></h2><p>Coursera is one of the largest MOOC platforms, offering courses, specialisations and degrees from universities and companies worldwide.</p><p>Many courses can be audited for free, while certificates and full programmes typically require payment.</p><h2><a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/">FutureLearn</a></h2><p>FutureLearn provides online courses from universities and cultural institutions around the world.</p><p>Learners can access many courses for free for a limited time, with options to upgrade for certificates and extended access.</p><h2><a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Udemy</a></h2><p>Udemy is an online learning marketplace where instructors offer courses on a wide range of topics.</p><p>While many courses are paid, there are also numerous free courses available, especially for beginners.</p><h2><a href="https://www.open.edu/openlearn">OpenLearn (The Open University)</a></h2><p>OpenLearn offers free courses and educational content from The Open University.</p><p>It provides short courses, articles and interactive learning materials across various subjects.</p><h2>More Learning Opportunities</h2><p>These are only a few of the many online learning platforms and educational resources available on the World Wide Web.</p><p>edX also made the software behind its learning platform open-source. The Open edX platform now allows universities, governments and other organisations to establish and manage their own online learning sites.</p><p>As online learning continues to expand, more courses and platforms will become available.</p><p>I will continue to add useful platforms to this list as I discover them.</p><p><strong>Happy learning!</strong></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
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Platforms for Free and Flexible Online Learning

Editorial note: This post was first written during the early growth of Massive Open Online Courses. Some platforms and payment arrangement...

Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><p>On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donations and pledges totalling about ₦98.165 million from different individuals and groups. The PDP governors contributed ₦22 million—the full cost of the nomination and expression-of-interest forms. (<a href="https://thenationonlineng.net/2015-jonathan-gets-n98-165m-donations-for-nomination-form/">thenationonlineng.net</a>)</p><p>Less than two months later, on 20 December 2014, the governors again announced another large donation during a fundraising dinner at the Presidential Villa for Jonathan’s re-election campaign.</p><p>Each of the 21 PDP governors pledged ₦50 million, bringing their combined contribution to ₦1.05 billion. The entire fundraising event reportedly generated more than ₦21 billion. (<a href="https://www.icirnigeria.org/pdp-raise-n21-billion-for-jonathans-re-election-bid/">icirnigeria.org</a>)</p><p>This happened at a time of supposed austerity, when Nigerians were constantly reminded of falling oil prices and the need for governments to reduce spending.</p><p>Yet, at that same period, politicians appeared to be on a spending spree.</p><p>It may have been difficult to determine exactly what governors belonging to the opposition All Progressives Congress were contributing to their own party. However, the huge sums openly pledged by the PDP governors raised important questions about the sources of campaign donations and the priorities of political officeholders.</p><p>The governors and their supporters might insist that the donations came from personal or privately raised funds. Still, where public officials make such large political donations while workers in their states remain unpaid, citizens have every right to ask questions.</p><p>Whenever it is election season, governors seem to know where and how to raise money for campaigns. But when it is time to pay workers’ salaries and allowances, the familiar response is:</p><blockquote><p>“There is no money.”</p></blockquote><p>Several governors who made generous donations at the fundraising event had workers in their states complaining about unpaid salaries and allowances.</p><h2>The Situation of Teachers</h2><p>Benue State was particularly known at the time for disputes over the payment of workers and teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the state embarked on a prolonged strike over the government’s failure to implement the ₦18,000 national minimum wage. Public primary schools remained closed for about seven to eight months while the disagreement continued. (<a href="https://www.lawyersalertng.org/post/benue-of-primary-schools-teachers-strikes-and-wages">lawyersalertng.org</a>)</p><p>Teachers and other workers in several states, including Abia, Plateau, Ondo and Akwa Ibom, also complained at different times about delayed salaries and unpaid entitlements.</p><p>In Ebonyi State, teachers employed under a Universal Basic Education programme reportedly complained that they had not received their allowances or salaries for several months.</p><p>In Niger State, the planned recruitment of additional teachers in early 2014 was quietly suspended. Whether the decision resulted solely from a lack of funds may be difficult to establish, but the cancellation reflected the low priority often given to teacher recruitment and school staffing.</p><p>The contrast was difficult to ignore.</p><p>Governments claimed that there was no money to employ teachers, pay salaries or improve schools, yet enormous sums could be raised once election campaigns began.</p><p>It appeared that politicians were more prepared to save or raise fortunes for political activities than to meet the basic responsibilities of government.</p><p>Sadly, the education sector often became an easy target.</p><p>Teachers could be told stories, given promises and expected to continue working without pay. They were often treated as though demanding their salaries was an act of disloyalty rather than a legitimate request for money they had already earned.</p><h2>Teachers Are Not Doing the Government a Favour</h2><p>A teacher who goes to work every day without receiving a salary still has rent to pay, children to feed, transport costs to meet and other responsibilities.</p><p>How can such a teacher concentrate fully in the classroom?</p><p>How can the government demand dedication, professionalism and improved examination results from someone who has worked for months without receiving a salary?</p><p>The failure to pay teachers does not affect teachers alone. It affects their families, students and the wider education system.</p><p>A demoralised teacher is less likely to prepare lessons properly, purchase teaching materials or remain committed to the profession. Some may leave teaching entirely for other work that offers greater financial security.</p><p>Meanwhile, many politicians do not send their children to the same public schools affected by their decisions. Their children may attend expensive private schools or institutions outside Nigeria, while the public education system they are responsible for continues to decline.</p><p>Perhaps that is why they do not always feel the consequences of their actions.</p><h2>What Does Our Spending Say About Our Priorities?</h2><p>A government’s priorities are often revealed more clearly by how it spends money than by what it says in speeches.</p><p>A governor may publicly describe education as the foundation of development. But when teachers are unpaid, classrooms are overcrowded and schools lack essential facilities while political campaigns receive generous funding, the real priority becomes obvious.</p><p>Successful nations invest seriously in education. They do not treat the payment of teachers or the provision of school facilities as favours to citizens.</p><p>Education is a responsibility of government and an investment in the future of society.</p><p>If the truth must be told, Nigeria does not have an unlimited amount of time to correct these problems. A country that neglects teachers is gradually destroying the people who are expected to prepare its next generation.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>More than a decade after this article was first written, the names of the political leaders have changed, but the problem has not completely disappeared.</p><p>Nigeria’s national minimum wage was increased to ₦70,000 in 2024. However, reports in 2025 indicated that several state governments had yet to implement it fully for their workers, including teachers.</p><p>Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory went on strike for more than three months over unpaid salaries and arrears. Teachers in Abia State also declared a strike over unpaid entitlements and concerns about the implementation of the minimum wage, while teachers in Taraba reportedly faced several months of salary arrears. (<a href="https://businessday.ng/news/article/unpaid-salaries-strikes-derail-nigerias-education-goals/">businessday.ng</a>)</p><p>At the same time, political parties and candidates continued to spend enormous amounts on nomination forms, campaigns, rallies and other election activities.</p><p>The lesson remains unchanged: whenever political leaders can find money for elections but cannot find money to pay teachers, the problem is not always the complete absence of resources. Sometimes, it is a question of priorities.</p><p>Teachers should not have to beg for salaries they have already earned.</p><p>Our politicians need a change of heart.</p></div>
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Politicians and Teachers: Money for Campaigns, None for Salaries

On 30 October 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan obtained the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential nomination form after receiving donati...

English for Scammers: A Humorous Guide to Better Business Writing

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<p>Many of us are accustomed to receiving spam emails containing dubious claims, questionable proposals and offers that are simply too good to be true. The sole intention of the senders is usually to swindle unsuspecting recipients out of their hard-earned savings.</p><p>Sometimes, while reading through such messages, one is forced to ask:</p><p><strong>Did these people ever attend a basic English Language class?</strong></p><p>Their grammar is often so poor and their message so difficult to understand that one may delete the email before reaching the end.</p><p>However, if scammers wish to improve their fortunes—or at least improve their English—help appears to have arrived in the form of a handy book titled <em>English for Scammers</em>.</p><p>Before anyone misunderstands the title, the book is not actually intended to help scammers become better at committing fraud. It is a humorous business-English guide written by Dorothy Zemach and Chuck Sandy and published in 2014. Its real purpose is to help legitimate writers avoid the grammatical, structural and stylistic mistakes commonly associated with scam emails.</p><h2>Why “Nigerian” Scammers?</h2><p>You may have noticed the similarity between the original title of this review—<em>English for “Nigerian” Scammers</em>—and the title of the book.</p><p>Nigeria has unfortunately become strongly associated with advance-fee fraud, popularly called <strong>419</strong>, and with the activities of “Yahoo-Yahoo boys”, as internet fraudsters are commonly known.</p><p>The expression “Nigerian letter scam” became internationally recognised because of fraudulent messages claiming that large sums of money needed to be transferred out of Nigeria. In such schemes, the recipient is promised a share of the money but is first required to pay certain fees or provide banking and personal information.</p><p>However, internet fraud is not limited to Nigeria or Nigerians. Similar scams are operated from different countries, and even the so-called Nigerian-letter format has been used by fraudsters outside Nigeria.</p><p>The quotation marks around “Nigerian” in the original title are therefore important. The intention is not to suggest that fraud is a Nigerian profession, but to reflect on the damaging reputation created by those Nigerians involved in it.</p><h2>What the Book Examines</h2><p><em>English for Scammers</em> contains genuine examples of correspondence similar to the messages commonly sent by scammers.</p><p>The examples are analysed for their:</p><ul><li><p>format;</p></li><li><p>tone;</p></li><li><p>forms of address;</p></li><li><p>spelling;</p></li><li><p>punctuation;</p></li><li><p>capitalisation;</p></li><li><p>grammar;</p></li><li><p>sentence structure; and</p></li><li><p>suitability for formal business communication.</p></li></ul><p>In other words, the book examines the small details that can make a letter appear professional—or immediately suspicious.</p><p>If you are lucky enough to be a scammer, one or more of your messages may even have found its way into the book. You may need to read it again!</p><p>That, of course, is said in jest.</p><p>The book is not recommending fraud. It uses the strange and often exaggerated language of scam correspondence to teach legitimate writers how to communicate more effectively.</p><h2>Not Only for Scammers</h2><p>The book, available <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/408740">here</a>, takes readers through the step-by-step process of writing an acceptable business letter. This is what makes it useful to non-scammers as well.</p><p>Its stated purpose is to help readers avoid writing like scammers and prevent their genuine business emails from ending up in the recipient’s junk folder. It teaches readers how to write clear, direct and appropriate business correspondence.</p><p>This is particularly important for small-business owners and entrepreneurs.</p><p>A person may have a legitimate proposal or genuine business opportunity, but the email may still be ignored if it contains:</p><ul><li><p>an unclear subject line;</p></li><li><p>an inappropriate greeting;</p></li><li><p>excessive capital letters;</p></li><li><p>spelling and grammatical mistakes;</p></li><li><p>an exaggerated story;</p></li><li><p>an unrealistic promise;</p></li><li><p>unnecessary references to religion or charity;</p></li><li><p>an urgent demand for action; or</p></li><li><p>a suspicious request for money or personal information.</p></li></ul><p>Such mistakes can make an honest message resemble a scam.</p><p>Therefore, anyone involved in legitimate business communication should understand the common features of fraudulent messages and avoid reproducing them.</p><p>In that respect, <em>English for Scammers</em> could become a useful companion.</p><h2>Structure of the Book</h2><p>The book contains eight chapters, and each chapter ends with exercises that can be used for self-study.</p><p>The exercises may also be useful in business-letter writing classes and professional training programmes. A final examination at the end of the book allows readers to review what they have learnt.</p><p>The approach is humorous, but the lessons are practical.</p><p>Readers learn not only how to correct grammatical errors, but also how to use an appropriate tone and organise a message in a way that inspires confidence.</p><h2>My Personal Experience</h2><p>On a personal note, the book was a useful and gentle refresher on how to write—and how not to write—a formal or business letter.</p><p>Formal-letter writing was something I had last studied several years earlier during my secondary-school days. Reading the book therefore reminded me of many small but important rules that are easily forgotten.</p><p>It is a book I hope to keep for a long time. It could save me considerable trouble if I ever need to write a business proposal, formal request or professional offer.</p><p>I would particularly recommend it to business start-ups, students and anyone who communicates with customers or organisations through email.</p><h2>Update: July 2026</h2><p>The book’s basic lessons remain useful, but online scams have become more sophisticated since it was published.</p><p>Poor grammar and strange spelling may still be warning signs, but they should no longer be treated as the only indicators of fraud. Modern scammers can produce grammatically correct messages, copy official logos and impersonate recognised companies or government agencies.</p><p>A well-written email can still be fraudulent, just as a poorly written email may come from a legitimate person who is not fluent in English.</p><p>The most important questions are therefore:</p><ul><li><p>Is the sender’s identity verifiable?</p></li><li><p>Does the email address match the organisation being represented?</p></li><li><p>Is the offer realistic?</p></li><li><p>Is the sender asking for money or sensitive information?</p></li><li><p>Is there unnecessary pressure to act immediately?</p></li><li><p>Can the information be confirmed through an independent and official channel?</p></li></ul><p>Good English can make a legitimate business message more credible, but good English alone does not make a message genuine. </p><h2>Disclaimer</h2><p>This is not a paid review. It is my personal assessment of the book.</p><p>I received a coupon for a free copy from the authors during the closing days of <em>College Writing</em>, an online English course taught on the edX platform by one of the book’s authors.</p></div>
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English for Scammers: A Humorous Guide to Better Business Writing

Many of us are accustomed to receiving spam emails containing dubious claims, questionable proposals and offers that are simply too good ...

Why Are We Being Wicked to the Chibok Schoolgirls?

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<div style="text-align: justify;"><h2>A Nation United in Tragedy</h2><p>Recently, the small nation of South Korea suffered a disaster involving a ferry that sank with hundreds of schoolchildren on board. In the wake of the accident, the nation went sober, and there was widespread anger directed at the government, the captain of the ship, disaster-management teams and all parties that might have been involved in regulation and rescue.</p><p>It was a disaster of “national scale”, especially because of the hundreds of schoolchildren involved. Media houses in the country minimised their reporting on other matters to provide up-to-date information on the tragedy. The resources and technological wealth of the country were mobilised towards the rescue effort.</p><p>The pages of the nation’s newspapers were filled with up-to-date photographs of grieving parents, divers involved in the rescue effort and the remains of the ship as it sank further into the sea. International news organisations also played their part by keeping the world informed and independently investigating the likely cause of the accident.</p><p>Essentially, the entire nation was consumed by the tragedy. An article published by Reuters summed up the emotional mood of the country as the lifeless bodies of some of the children were pulled from the sunken ship.</p><h2>A Different Response in Nigeria</h2><p>Compare that incident with some recent events in Nigeria.</p><p>Hundreds of schoolchildren have been murdered in cold blood. Some were butchered, while others were burnt alive in their dormitories. Yet, the government remained indifferent. In fact, the nation’s president even attended a political gathering barely a week after one of such incidents—a reminder of the insensitivity of those in power and the wider insecurity troubling the country, particularly the North-East, where Boko Haram fighters operated with near impunity.</p><p>More troubling is the fate of the more than 200 schoolgirls recently abducted from their school in the small town of Chibok, Borno State.</p><p>The girls have been in the hands of their captors for weeks—most probably being abused—yet the nation pretends as though “all is well”.</p><p>To further aggravate the pain of the victims’ families, a few days after the kidnapping and barely 24 hours after a major bomb blast near Abuja claimed scores of lives, President Goodluck Jonathan attended a political rally in Kano State. He was pictured celebrating with his political associates before a cheering crowd.</p><p>No brief visit was made to Chibok, the school or the families of the abducted girls.</p><h2>Public and Media Indifference</h2><p>The Nigerian population has also been largely indifferent. There has hardly been any major protest demanding the freedom of the girls.</p><p>While international media organisations such as Al Jazeera have continued to update viewers on the girls’ fate and interview government officials, our local news has been filled with political events, proceedings of the ongoing National Conference and other less urgent matters.</p><p>Only a few organisations, such as <em>Premium Times</em> through its editorial, have made strong statements on the matter, registered their protests and called for mass action until the government takes substantial steps to free the girls from their abductors.</p><h2>The Danger of Remaining Silent</h2><p>To sum things up, this is a nation ruled by the wicked and populated by divided people.</p><p>Children are being kidnapped, maimed and killed in horrific ways, yet some people still find reasons to blame the victims—probably because it is not happening within their own “safe zones”.</p><p>Nobody wants to act because they feel comfortable and unconcerned about events elsewhere. Yet, experience has taught us repeatedly that what goes around may eventually come around.</p><p>Pastor Martin Niemöller captured this danger in the following words:</p><blockquote><p>“First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.<br />Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.<br />Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.<br />Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”</p></blockquote><h2>The Time to Act Is Now</h2><p>Your time to act from your comfort or “safe zone” is now.</p><p>Use your Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and every other social-networking account available to you to support mass action for the freedom of the more than 200 schoolgirls in captivity.</p><p>Make a difference. Use the popular hashtag <strong>#BringBackOurGirls</strong>, or any other platform available to you, to campaign for the freedom of the girls.</p><p>Act now.</p><p>Save our girls. Save our future!</p><h2>Update: The Continuing Kidnapping of Schoolchildren</h2><p>In the years since this tragedy, some of the abducted girls have been rescued or released through negotiations, but many remain unaccounted for.</p><p>Disturbingly, the pattern of targeting schoolchildren has continued across Nigeria. From mass abductions in states such as Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger to more recent cases of school kidnappings, these incidents show that the crisis is far from over.</p><p>Schools—once considered safe spaces—have become targets, and families across the country now live in fear. The need for sustained attention, accountability and decisive action to secure the freedom and safety of all affected children remains urgent.</p></div>
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Why Are We Being Wicked to the Chibok Schoolgirls?

A Nation United in Tragedy Recently, the small nation of South Korea suffered a disaster involving a ferry that sank with hundreds of schoo...

My First Online Course with edX: Challenges, Learning and a Certificate

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote><p><strong>Editorial note:</strong> This post reflects my experience with edX during the early years of Massive Open Online Courses, when online learning was still unfamiliar to many Nigerians and challenges such as expensive data, unstable 3G connections and limited mobile-device compatibility were common. Much has changed since then, but the post remains a personal record of the introduction of MOOCs and my early experience of learning online.</p></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLPan0NCygGMNgH-i7I8vHyWDEiuJdoLrJyPPHAWb5UFmp3_8eQkBhQQuyl4fWJidxeXCUMvBzqZjST57oKTFuOUUgtuDh6N2dm3r6Z38qqAr2J-2gv5ME6Tg8aLq9ExyhXr1cBc105Y/s1600/295px-EdX.svg.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="edx courses, logo" border="0" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLPan0NCygGMNgH-i7I8vHyWDEiuJdoLrJyPPHAWb5UFmp3_8eQkBhQQuyl4fWJidxeXCUMvBzqZjST57oKTFuOUUgtuDh6N2dm3r6Z38qqAr2J-2gv5ME6Tg8aLq9ExyhXr1cBc105Y/s1600/295px-EdX.svg.png" title="edx logo" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p>Studying online and earning a certificate was still unimaginable to many people at the time. Although I did not doubt the possibility of earning a verifiable certificate from an online course, like many others, I never imagined that the experience would be anything close to that of a “real” classroom until I joined edX.</p><p><em>Click here to read more about edX, the available courses and how to </em><a href="http://www.akomst.blogspot.com/2013/11/study-online-for-certificate-at-harvard.html?m=1">register</a><em>.</em></p><p>Having successfully completed my first online course and earned a certificate for my achievement, I was excited to share my personal experience with edX—the platform on which I enrolled as a virtual student.</p><p>edX is a Massive Open Online Course platform that offers courses in diverse areas of interest, taught by universities and other educational institutions from around the world.</p><h2>Choosing a Course</h2><p>After an initial rush in which I registered for several courses related to my interests, I eventually settled for only one because of challenges I had not anticipated.</p><p>Every course had its own requirements and prerequisites, which students were expected to possess to understand the course and meet the minimum grade required for a certificate.</p><p>I dropped some courses along the way when I discovered that I did not possess the necessary materials or prerequisites. More importantly, I faced challenges relating to internet connectivity and time.</p><p>I finally settled for <strong>ColWri 2.2x: Principles of Written English</strong>. It had relatively simple entry requirements but was not short of quality or standard. In fact, it was quite engaging, even for someone who already spoke English.</p><h2>Internet and Data Challenges</h2><p>Like the other courses, lecture videos were released each week, and every student was expected to watch them either by streaming or downloading them for offline use.</p><p>My main challenge was streaming the videos. The 3G service provided by the mobile networks in my area was either unavailable or unstable, so I had to download the videos and watch them offline.</p><p>However, edX lecture videos were of high resolution and quality. As a result, the files were large, and downloading a single video could take hours, sometimes with several failed attempts.</p><p>The video sizes created another problem. Since I depended on my Android smartphone throughout the course, my monthly data subscription could not cope with regular video downloads. I sometimes had to use a friend’s BlackBerry device because BlackBerry data subscriptions were relatively cheaper and offered more data at the time.</p><p>Even after downloading the videos, it took me some time to work out how to watch them. The default video players on many phones did not support the resolution or format of the edX videos. In my case, I only solved the problem after installing a third-party application, MX Player.</p><p>Some courses provided transcripts of each video. However, transcripts were not always a complete substitute for watching the lectures.</p><h2>Assignments and Time Constraints</h2><p>Most videos focused on a particular topic and were accompanied by homework.</p><p>Each assignment had a submission deadline. Students could also be required to read additional materials on the platform or an external website before answering the questions.</p><p>These activities could be time-consuming. In fact, lack of time almost made me withdraw from all my courses.</p><p>I eventually dropped every other course except ColWri because I was repeatedly missing assignment deadlines.</p><p>For ColWri, I was able to meet the deadlines by devoting my weekends—when I was less busy—to watching videos, reading course materials and completing the homework.</p><p>In the end, I earned a certificate.</p><h2>What I Gained from the Course</h2><p>My experience with ColWri was thrilling. It completely changed my view of online learning.</p><p>The course was challenging, not only because of poor internet connectivity and limited time, but also because of the effort, skills and intelligence expected from each student.</p><p>Apart from earning a certificate, enrolling in ColWri contributed to my personal development. I was privileged to learn new things while improving what I already knew.</p><p>A post on this blog, <strong>“Education Sector: Solving the Unemployment Problem,”</strong> was originally written as a draft essay and submitted for assessment during the course.</p><p>The essay was edited several times, thanks to the innovative peer-review system used on edX and the useful editing techniques taught during the course.</p><p>It was therefore a journey of learning, personal development and improvement.</p><p>At the time, I was also enrolled in <strong>Medicinal Chemistry</strong> on edX, and I could confidently say that I was learning. I hoped to share that experience in the future.</p><p>As a way of displaying my achievements and encouraging others to enrol in courses related to their interests, I also created a dedicated page on this blog as a hall of certificates from online courses.</p><p><em>Click here to view my certificate or certificates.</em></p><h2>Update: Online Learning and edX Today</h2><p>Online learning is no longer as strange as it appeared when this article was first written. Students and professionals now regularly use online courses, video lessons, virtual classrooms and other digital learning platforms to acquire knowledge and workplace skills.</p><p>The edX platform has also changed. Learners can still audit many courses without paying, although free access may be limited to selected materials and a particular period. Graded assignments, examinations and verified certificates are generally available through the paid verified track. Financial assistance may also be available for some eligible courses.</p><p>The course I took, College Writing 2.2x, is still represented on edX through a course now listed as <strong>Academic and Business Writing</strong>. Its description continues to identify it as College Writing 2.2x and focuses on academic and business writing, grammar, vocabulary, revision and editing.</p><p>Internet access and smartphones have also improved considerably since my first experience, although data costs, unreliable connections, electricity and access to suitable devices remain challenges for many Nigerian learners.</p><p>The tools may have improved, but the basic lesson from my experience remains the same: online learning requires commitment, time management and a willingness to overcome challenges.</p><p>A certificate is valuable, but the knowledge and personal development gained during the learning process are even more important.</p></div>
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My First Online Course with edX: Challenges, Learning and a Certificate

Editorial note: This post reflects my experience with edX during the early years of Massive Open Online Courses, when online learning was ...

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