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2010 Online Course
for Theological Faculty
Teaching Online

Course Dates: June 1 to July 26, 2010

Course Fee: $100 per person (due upon enrollment)

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 online seminary coursework are of particular concern.

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.

Please direct your questions to the Wabash Center, not the University of Wisconsin program.

Eligibility:
We invite deans, rectors, or principals at accredited theological schools and seminaries in the US and Canada to nominate a faculty member to participate. (Only one applicant from each school.) The deans' letter of recommendation should include a brief description of the seminary’s plans to use online learning in its coursework, and the applicant’s role in these plans.

How to Apply
Application Deadline: April 1, 2010
(Application forms will be available by the end of November, 2009)

A complete application includes:
1. contact information form with basic contact and demographic information.
2. a brief statement explaining why you would like to be enrolled in the course (500 words, 2 pages double-spaced, is sufficient).
3. a brief cv (4 pages maximum)
4. a letter of recommendation from the school’s dean, rector, or principal (only one recommendation per school, please), including a brief description of the seminary’s plans to use online learning in its curriculum, and the applicant’s role in these plans. Please obtain this signed letter of recommendation on institutional letterhead and submit it with the rest of the application materials in a single packet whether applying by mail or attaching documents through the online application process.

We encourage you to apply online (available soon).
Alternatively, < > download pdf here (available soon) and print out an application to fill-in and postmark by April 1, 2010.

Applicants will be selected to create a diverse class of teachers from different backgrounds and experiences, and with different levels of familiarity with online learning. We are looking for teachers who are critically reflective regarding their teaching practice, who are committed to full participation through the 8-week course, and whose participation will have a wide impact on their seminary and colleagues.

More About the Course
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 later, and Flash Player Plug-In (or be able to download the free plug-in).

Course Topics
1. Major differences and similarities between online teaching and face-to-face teaching
2. Online course models and best practice principles (including the “hybrid model” that blends distance education and face-to-face education)
3. The role of the instructor and course management issues
4. The role of the learner and motivation
5. Interactive teaching strategies
6. Facilitation and communication techniques
7. Formation, community, and spirituality in the online seminary classroom
8. Application issues and questions in online teaching

If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
Thomas Pearson
Associate Director, Wabash Center
pearsont@wabash.edu
800-655-7117

Wabash Center

301 W. Wabash Avenue

Crawfordsville, Indiana 47933

wabashcenter@wabash.edu
(765)361-6047 phone

(800) 655-7117 toll-free

(765)361-6051 fax