Studying for a degree - online

By Andrea Loebbecke and Kristina Klement Apr 22, 2010, 11:39 GMT

Berlin - Uwe Steinhauer is a baker who runs a small family owned operation near Bad Kreuznach in south-western Germany.

The 46-year-old father of two grown sons is interested in more than just baking. Namely, he's turned on by German literature. A few years ago he took up something totally new when he decided to study toward a secondary school diploma. But because night school wasn't really suitable for someone running a bakery, he accepted an offer to study online from Ketteler College in Mainz.

Students who sign up for online degree programmes can access a large portion of the material through their own computers and can work at their own pace.

'I have basically wanted to get a diploma from secondary school since I was four weeks into my career,' said baker Steinhauer. But that was hardly possible back then. He finished school with enough education to prepare him to take over the family business and became a father at a young age. But he maintained an interest in literature even as he worked nightly making flour and yeast into bread dough.

'As a baker I am usually working in a space that is about 20 to 30 square metres and always with the same people,' said Steinhauer. He wanted to broaden his horizons. Now he finds himself a member of the first online class at Ketteler College scheduled to take tests and receive diplomas in June.

Students who enter the online programme have to fulfil the same requirements as students who attend night school. The students typically are professionals or they have a desire to learn on the side while running a household and raising children.

'There are morning classes for parents who take their children to kindergarten,' said Rolf-Juergen Renard, director of the school. It's often easier to organize childcare during this time period than in the evening, he added.

Students in the online programme must leave their home computers twice a week to attend class in Mainz. The remainder of the coursework can be done in their own time, but they also have to go to the school to take tests. Having that much freedom isn't for everyone, Renard acknowledges.

'You have to be a certain type of person and you have to be well disciplined and have a knack for organizing your time,' he said.

There are a number of advantages to online education. It's no problem for people who are well awake at 6 am while the kids are still sleeping or who can still study at 11 pm.

Steinhauer is optimistic about his chances of getting good grades on the test he has to take to earn his diploma, which qualifies him for university-level coursework if he passes.

'I have the highly motivated teachers and the good cooperation in the classroom to thank for that,' he said. He also received a lot of support from his family. Spending two evenings per week at the school until 10 pm was difficult because he had to get up only a few hours later - at 2 am - to go to work at the bakery. After working he would go back to bed, then get up in the afternoon to study.

Steinhauer doesn't know what he will do with his diploma. His sons, who are aged 20 and 24, are still in education and need a little money. So for now Steinhauer will continue baking, at least overnight.