When Palesa Nqubezelo first joined the Comprehensive Online Education Services (COES) directorate at the University of Pretoria in 2023, she wasn’t sure what to expect. As a holder of a bachelor’s degree in education, she was eager to contribute to her field of study, but unsure how the theory would translate into practice. What she found was not just a workplace but a launchpad for her dreams.

At COES, the office responsible for the University’s UPOnline offering, Nqubezelo joined a vibrant group of interns working across various functions, from learning design to supporting fully online students on their academic journeys. Each day brought new challenges and opportunities, pushing her to collaborate with experienced professionals while also giving her room to innovate.

“My experience working at COES has taught me about myself both professionally and personally,” Nqubezelo says. “I was introduced to a whole new side of education in the online space, and it made me think about all that goes into creating an enjoyable online experience for students. I also got to dip my toes into the person I am in a professional setting.”

Hands-on learning experiences

COES, one of the first directorates to collaborate with the Department of Human Resources on internships, provides young professionals like Nqubezelo with transformative opportunities. Through this programme, interns gain hands-on experience, contribute fresh ideas, and work alongside seasoned professionals, preparing them for impactful careers in the evolving field of online education. In 2024, COES offered mentorship opportunities to eight interns, providing them with work experience in fields like learning design, online system management, and marketing and communication.  

Nqubezelo is based in the COES Online Education department. Her primary role involves building content on the Blackboard learning management system and creating multimedia elements for individual modules. Working with Learning Designers, a big part of her day-to-day tasks includes ensuring that a module is cohesive in terms of its content and overall look and feel.

“My Senior Learning Designer guides and prompts us throughout the whole module-building process. With that guidance, I’ve learned to navigate the module-building process and understand the various design decisions needed to create a successful and engaging learning experience.

Guidance and growth

She says getting to work in a professional environment while still being a student is a fulfilling experience. “I am continually inspired by the potential to make online learning more accessible, flexible, and tailored to diverse student needs. I believe my future contributions lie in creating interactive, media-rich content and moderating impactful learning experiences, because learning has to be enjoyable and not just a box to check off your to-do list.” 

Dr Eugenie Wolff, Project Manager: Online Education, emphasises the importance of the internship programme. 

“The COES internship programme is a transformative experience that equips interns with critical skills in learning experience design, multimedia integration, and educational technology,” she says. “Given that the interns have completed undergraduate degrees in related fields, a unique opportunity to merge their educational or multimedia backgrounds with hands-on experience in learning design is created. By transforming content into engaging and interactive learning experiences, our interns contribute to meaningful projects within COES and build a strong foundation for their future careers. The blend of creativity, pedagogy, and innovation they develop here will serve them well in an ever-evolving digital landscape.” 

Building a vision for the future

Nqubezelo, who is currently busy with her Master of Education dissertation, says the experience gained at COES helped her grow personally and professionally. 

“My dream is to build a fulfilling and diversified career as a Learning Designer, becoming highly skilled and well-versed in the field. I do not know what that looks like exactly, but I do know that I continue to explore ways to create impactful learning experiences that truly engage students.”