Intensive Courses—Requirements and DesignPosted on January 23, 2014 by Ryan TormaA number of seminaries, such as Luther Seminary and Bethel Seminary, are developing intensive courses, which bring students on-campus for face-to-face learning for one to two weeks at a time. Instead of 3 hours per week for fifteen weeks, an intensive course might meet up-to 8 hours per day over the course of 5 days.Designing and teaching courses in this format presents a number of significant challenges….
Resisting Disembodiment – Distributed Learning is Not Distance EducationPosted on December 27, 2013 by Ryan TormaWhen I first started working in online seminary education, my boss explained to me, ‘We don’t do distance education, we do distributed learning.’ Working with her and many other wise leaders, I came to understand what they meant. Distance education implies a learned center from which education radiates out. Online learning technologies allow education to be delivered to people who are distant from that center, but they are distant nonetheless.Distributed learning is something different….
The Changing Understanding of How We Learn–Part 2 : What is Effective Learning?Posted on October 27, 2013 by Holly InglisSome of my most significant learning in seminary happened in the cafeteria.The cafeteria was where we all gathered after chapel, drawn in by the aroma of freshly baked cookies and newly brewed coffee, timed to coincide with the “Amen.” That was where we asked the questions of one another that we could not or would not ask in class. That was where we wrestled with ideas and boldly challenged the notions of professors with whom we would not dare publically disagree in class. I would often leave with more questions than answers, but usually the sense of community and mutuality left me with a positive feeling. Enhanced by the delicious cookies, the cafeteria experience became a positive memory of learning for me. We’ll explore why in a little bit.
The Changing Understanding of How We Learn–Part 1: We’re Not in MI Anymore!Posted on October 19, 2013 by Holly InglisHere’s the newsflash–Multiple Intelligence IS OUT! Even Howard Gardner, the author of Five Minds and creator of MI theory, stated that he was over the theory a decade ago and that educators should move on. But if Multiple Intelligence theory is out, then what’s in?
The Impact of Pluralism On Professional Ministry: “Can you hear me now? Good!”Posted on September 25, 2013 by Jennifer ShepherdIn January 2002, during fierce price wars among cell phone companies, the largest mobile phone service provider in America launched its “Can You Hear Me Now?” campaign. I’m sure you remember the television spots that followed the Verizon field tester – aka “Testman” – as he traveled across the country dropping in on locations ranging from the outlandish to the mundane.In each spot he asked, “Can you hear me now?” into a mobile phone. After hearing affirmation, Testman replied, “Good!” and continued on his quest to validate the reliability of Verizon’s infrastructure into which $2-4 billion was invested annually….