online education Archives - ABHE Knowledge Center

Cura Personalis in Online Undergraduate Christian Higher Education

In the postmodern world, Christian colleges are called more than ever to educate for wholeness (cura personalis) – not only in the cognitive domain, but also in the psychomotor and affective domains as well (Dockery, 2007; Rovai, Baker, & Cox, 2008). This is a concern both for on-campus courses and for online courses. However, a search of several databases demonstrated that there is a gap in the literature regarding research involving affective learning in Christian online programs. Only two studies were found that focused on affective topics in undergraduate Christian online education (Lyke, 2006; Rovai & Baker, 2004), and neither of these had a stated emphasis on instructional design.

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Muting the Faculty: Helping Faculty Transition from the Lectern to Digital Media

Online classes are no longer a new phenomenon in the academy, but they continue to be unfamiliar territory to many veteran professors. Some faculty hesitate on philosophical grounds, while others simply do not wish to alter their teaching style. Regardless of the motivation for faculty protest, technology has permanently changed higher education. In one sense, the Internet, with its seemingly limitless supply of information, is the new professor. Online classes can be designed to encourage student engagement, but they do not necessitate a lecturing instructor. This is an understandable threat for seasoned faculty. Though “muted,” experienced and high-quality teachers remain a necessary component of student learning. Undergraduates need to be guided toward first-hand discovery of foundational content, given opportunities to think about, reflect on, critique, and apply the readily available information. Students can be led through these online learning exercises if faculty are willing to reconceptualize their work of instruction, namely replacing the majority of their lecture materials with effective course design elements and digital media. The following article is intended to assist academic leaders to understand the unique nature of online pedagogy, appreciate the responses of hesitant faculty, and to discover multiple ways to help faculty develop an “online” voice.

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Spiritual Formation: Putting the Pieces Together In An Online Course

The concept of spiritual formation has received increasing interest since the turn of the century (Willard, 1998b, p.101), and has become an important component of theological education, especially among those institutions that are members of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS), in that, one of the key outcomes expected of member schools is “personal and spiritual formation” (Handbook, 2005-2007). This article will endeavor to briefly explore the concept of spiritual formation, along with the disciplines involved in this process, and will then consider how such disciplines can be integrated into the online learning platform, and last to propose means by which one may assess spiritual formation in the student/ class.

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