Course Dates: June 4 to July 27, 2007

Cost: $100 per person

The Wabash Center is increasingly aware of the growing number of seminaries that offer at least some of their curriculum online. The circumstances that lead to the use of online seminary courses are many and complex. The pedagogical challenges and opportunities of the online seminary classroom are of particular concern to us.

Therefore, as part of our mission to enhance teaching and learning, we have contracted with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Distance Education Certificate Program – a nationally recognized leader in instructional design for e-learning environments – to offer an 8 week online class for seminary faculty to learn about and experience effective practices for teaching online.

This an introductory course that will present the major elements involved in using the internet for instruction. It will be conducted online to provide hands-on experience with online learning.

The course is designed to accommodate faculty with a wide range of online teaching experience. No prior experience is necessary; course material will be valuable to faculty at more advanced levels as well.

It will use a “principles-to-practice” approach that presents guidelines and strategies for applying principles of online learning to the practices of individual faculties’ online courses.

Each week will include resource materials, readings, and online activities to engage participants in active discussion, debate, case studies, mini-projects, and other group or individual work.

The course will use threaded discussion forums and an asynchronous format, meaning you can log in at any time to read and post messages – although posting early in the week and then later in the week is required for group cohesion.

This is a concentrated, resource-rich, learning experience. You must think through what you’re hoping to learn, to help guide you in selecting resources most relevant to your situation and context.

The approximate time commitment is 8-10 hours per week for reading and activities. To participate, you must be able to login and post responses at least twice every week.

There is no “certificate” that is awarded for successful completion of the course.

You will need a computer with a broadband connection to the Internet, a browser such as Internet Explorer 6.0 or better, and Flash Player Plug-In (or be able to download the free plug-in).

Participants:
Mikael Broadway, Shaw University Divinity School
Teresa Brown, Church Divinity School of the Pacific
Dent Davis, Columbia Theological Seminary
Gloria Doherty, George Fox Evangelical Seminary
Rob Douglass, Ashland Theological Seminary
Brian Dunn, St. Peter's Seminary
Steven Edscorn, Memphis Theological Seminary
Robert Freeman, Fuller Theological Seminary
Peter Gräbe, Regent University School of Divinity
Barry Hamilton, Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan College
Mark Hoffman, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg
Gayle Koontz, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary
Julie Lytle, Episcopal Divinity School
Christian McConnell, University of St. Michael's College
Robert O’Gorman, Loyola University Chicago
Juan Oliver, General Theological Seminary
Duane Priebe, Wartburg Theological Seminary
Douglas Rutt, Concordia Theological Seminary (IN)
Ken Sawyer, McCormick Theological Seminary
Patricia Schoelles, St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
James Schwenk, Evangelical Theological Seminary
Jane Thayer, Seventh-Day Adventist Theological Seminary - Andrews University
George Thompson, Interdenominational Theological Center
Scott Thumma, Hartford Seminary
Jean Trumbauer, United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities
Steve Veteto, Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary
Sarah Wile, Sewanee: The University of the South
Nathan Yoder, Eastern Mennonite Seminary