January 18-February 28, 2009
Online learning course through Western Theological Seminary
Cost: $95
How does online learning work?
Participants will take part in six weeks of online study exploring the history, context and theology of the Belhar Confession and look at its possible impact on the church if North American communions vote to adopt it as a confessional standard. This online course will allow you to learn from people from around the globe!
Facilitators
Dr. Cynthia Holder Rich is the Associate Professor of Continuing Theological Education and the Director of the Certificate in Urban Pastoral Ministry Program at Western Theological Seminary. Cynthia received her doctorate degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. She actively writes and does research in the area of multiculturalism in South Africa and North America. This is the third online course Cynthia is teaching. She enjoys the discussion online and the opportunity it affords for diversity of thought and learning from people all around the globe.
How does online learning work?
In this course, we are using the internet-based teaching and learning software platform called ANGEL, which is used in online degree studies at Western Theological Seminary. While many people are nervous about entering an online course, if you know how to do email and you have even moderate experience looking at web-based material, it will all feel pretty familiar.
This is not a “simultaneous learning” model – participants can and will access all course materials whenever they want to, whether during the day, early mornings, evenings, or late at night. Discussions in the course take place very much like email; participants read what others are posting, respond, and/or share their own insights, questions and concerns on the discussion forums each week.
AN IMPORTANT PART of online learning is recognizing the difference between being in a room with others to learn and being separated by many miles, gathered together only over the computer. Most of us have not yet developed the capacity to read “body language” over the net. SOOOO, if you are sitting in the corner of the course looking interested, no one but you will know! Because of this crucial difference between online and face to face learning, we ask that all participants covenant to do two things each week:
1) Post one response to course resources at least once each week; and,
2) Respond to at least two other course participants’ posts each week.
We encourage people to post first responses by 12 midnight EST, so that the course cofacilitators have some time in the week to respond.You will have opportunity to practice these techniques during this orientation.
IS THERE HOMEWORK?
Yes, there are resources to read each week. You will find as most people do that you may be particularly drawn to some resources more than others, which is just fine. The weekly introduction should help you get into the week’s materials and make a personal plan of how to approach the week’s resources.
ONE MORE THING…
We have found that people of a certain age (and we’re not telling what that is – you know who you are) are more comfortable reading text that is printed on paper than reading it on the computer screen. Some of these people have shared with us during past courses that they have printed off a number of course resources and put them all in a folder or binder. We suggest that you do this judiciously, so to save the earth – and that if you know you won’t read it if it is on the computer (particularly multipage documents), go ahead and print it off. The goal is learning – so do what you need to learn!
Back_to_the_top_of_the_page
