This document provides guidance on effective online teaching for theological education. It discusses the definition of distance education and technologies used, including internet growth trends. Online learning is growing rapidly and will likely surpass traditional classroom learning. The document reviews learning theories of pedagogy and andragogy and their application to online contexts. It emphasizes building community and presence through tools like profiles, discussions, and spiritual elements. Course design considerations include syllabus building, modules with timeframes and content, and establishing an online presence and etiquette to facilitate learning.

1. Effective Online Teaching for
Theological Education
(EOT4TE)
R. Dale Hale, PhD
Director of Distributed Learning
Asbury Theological Seminary

3. Distributed Learning
in the 21st Century

4. Think Different!

5. Think Different!

6. Think Different!

7. Think Different!

8. Think Different!

9. Think Different!

10. Definition of Distance Education
• “…education or training courses
delivered to remote (off-campus)
location(s) via audio, video (live or
prerecorded), or computer
technologies, including both
synchronous and asynchronous
instruction.”
» National Center for Education Statistics

11. Technologies Used in Distance Education
• The rate of growth of internet use is
currently 2 million new internet users
per month
• More than half the nation is online
• About two-thirds of the population use
computers.
» (2001 U. S. Census)

12. WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS
March 2010
World Regions
Population
( 2010 Est.)
Internet Users
Dec. 31, 2000
Internet Users
Latest Data
Penetration
(% Population)
Growth
2000-2010
Users %
of Table
Africa 1,013,779,050 4,514,400 110,931,700 10.9 % 2,357.3 % 5.6 %
Asia 3,834,792,852 114,304,000 825,094,396 21.5 % 621.8 % 42.0 %
Europe 813,319,511 105,096,093 475,069,448 58.4 % 352.0 % 24.2 %
Middle East 212,336,924 3,284,800 63,240,946 29.8 % 1,825.3 % 3.2 %
North America 344,124,450 108,096,800 266,224,500 77.4 % 146.3 % 13.5 %
Latin America/Caribbean 592,556,972 18,068,919 204,689,836 34.5 % 1,032.8 % 10.4 %
Oceania / Australia 34,700,201 7,620,480 21,263,990 61.3 % 179.0 % 1.1 %
WORLD TOTAL 6,845,609,960 360,985,492 1,966,514,816 28.7 % 444.8 % 100.0 %
INTERNET USAGE STATISTICS
The Internet Big Picture
World Internet Users and Population Stats

13. WORLD INTERNET USAGE AND POPULATION STATISTICS
March 31, 2011
World Regions
Population
( 2011 Est.)
Internet Users
Dec. 31, 2000
Internet Users
Latest Data
Penetration
(% Population)
Growth
2000-2011
Users %
of Table
Africa 1,037,524,058 4,514,400 118,609,620 11.4 % 2,527.4 % 5.7 %
Asia 3,879,740,877 114,304,000 922,329,554 23.8 % 706.9 % 44.0 %
Europe 816,426,346 105,096,093 476,213,935 58.3 % 353.1 % 22.7 %
Middle East 216,258,843 3,284,800 68,553,666 31.7 % 1,987.0 % 3.3 %
North America 347,394,870 108,096,800 272,066,000 78.3 % 151.7 % 13.0 %
Latin America / Carib. 597,283,165 18,068,919 215,939,400 36.2 % 1,037.4 % 10.3 %
Oceania / Australia 35,426,995 7,620,480 21,293,830 60.1 % 179.4 % 1.0 %
WORLD TOTAL 6,930,055,154 360,985,492 2,095,006,005 30.2 % 480.4 % 100.0 %

14. National Telecommunications
and Information Administration

15. ATS Access
Connection Speed Visits % visits
Cable 12,048 41.36%
DSL 7,082 24.31%
T1 6,266 21.51%
Unknown 3,539 12.15%
Dialup 189 0.65%

16. State of Online Learning
• In the 2006–07 academic year, 66 percent
of the 4,160 2-year and 4-year Title IV
degree-granting postsecondary institutions
in the U. S. offered college-level distance
education courses.

17. • The overall percentage includes 97% of
public 2-year institutions, 18% of private for-
profit 2-year institutions, 89% of public 4-
year institutions, 53% of private not-for-profit
institutions, and 70% of private for-profit 4-
year institutions.
– SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics. (2008). Distance Education at Degree-
Granting Postsecondary Institutions: 2006-07

18. • In examining the various technologies used
in distance education, Waits and Lewis
(2003) reported that 90 percent of
postsecondary education institutions made
use of asynchronous Internet instruction,
which was the most widespread media for
course delivery.

19. • 2010 – 2015
– Traditional Campus decline from 14.4 to
4.1 million students
– Online classes will grow at a compound
rate of 11.08% (Traditional and Online)
– Exclusively online students will grow at an
annual rate of 23.06%
– IF trend is correct, by 2018 we could see
more online than in physical classroom

20. Learning Theories
• Pedagogy: Study of teaching
(education, attendance on children)
• Andragogy: methods or techniques
used to teach adults

21. Pedagogy
• Lecture
• “Minds full of mush”
• Rote memory and
regurgitation

22. Androgogy
• Adults learn when
they see the need
• Adults learn when
they can apply the
lesson
• Adults learn best
when it is based on
their experience

23. The Online Lab
What better way to educate our students
than to meet them where they are. It is
possible for an online student to receive
instruction on Thursday and put it into
practice by Sunday.

24. Our Guiding Concerns
• Equivalent or superior educational
experience in terms of learning
objectives
– teaching the same thing differently
– training for faculty, initial and ongoing
– syllabi review at multiple levels
– means of assessment

25. Our Guiding Concerns
• Theological education as
(trans)formative educational
experience
– the collaborative classroom (Not
correspondence courses)
– students must be fully present/engaged
– discussion forums
– student responses, Virtual to Geophysical

26. Transformations
 “Tools of our trade”
 Communication patterns
 Library utilization
 Passive to active learners
 Knowledge enablers
 Local to global

27. Changing Teaching Tools
 Typewriter to computer
 Mimeograph to scan-to…
 Chalkboard to PowerPoint
 PowerPoint to Electronic Whiteboard
 Hardware to software to web 2.0
 Card catalogs to online databases

28. Benefits of New Tools
 Access to more information
 Variety
 Engage multiple learning styles
 Enhanced organization of materials
 Anytime, anywhere, with any device
capabilities

29. “We’ll try anything once.”
- Joel Green
former VP for Academic
Affairs/Provost

30. Gadgets or Tools?

31. What’s Next?
• Mobile Learning
– Mobile phone/smart phone
– “Slate” Tablets
– E-readers
– Lighter/faster computers (matching cost)
• Learner-generated content impacts
future learners
• “Access” will be overtaken by application

32. What’s Next?
• Virtualized world
– Multiple entry points to one “classroom”
• Open education
– “The world is my parish” – J. Wesley
• Web 2.0 diaspora?
• “To infinity and beyond” ???
– Not unwise to consider “Star Wars” tech
• Think “next generation”

34. Building the Course

35. Tweaking the Syllabus
Making your syllabus work online

36. Building the Syllabus
• Course Title
• Number of Credits
• Prerequisites
• Course Description

37. Contact Information
• Name of Professor
• Email address
• Office Phone
• Office Fax
• Office Mailing Address
• Picture of Professor

38. • Date of Course
• Enrollment Limitations
• Competencies to be developed by the
student
• Required Textbooks
• Recommended Textbooks
• Additional Course Bibliography

39. • Course Requirements and Due Dates
• Means of Evaluation
– reviews
– research papers
– examinations
– interaction in classroom
• Course Schedule

40. Introduction
• Personal Introduction
• Important piece to online syllabus
– Students gain insight into who you are
– Sets the tone for the class
– Connect with students
– Put your own flavor into your introduction
– Passion can come out here

41. Break-time
Aaaaah!! Stretch. Stand up.
Breathe deeply. Flex fingers,
arms, legs. Stretch. Sit down.

42. What does “MOODLE” mean?
a. Sound a Swedish cow makes
b. Deep confusion (eg – “someone is be-
moodled”)
c. Mobile objects or deep learning exercises
d. Modular object-oriented dynamic learning
environment

43. The Grand Tour
What is in Moodle?

44. Profile
• Purpose of the Profile
–Introduce participants, faculty, and
staff to each other
–Builds community
• Allow participants to make connections
• Reveals the person behind the name*

45. Course Components
Resources and Activities

46. Course Information Center
• Course Related
– Course News
– Course Syllabi
– To Professor
– Course Questions
• Community Related
– Prayer Forum
– Open Forum

47. • Community is built here
–Consider video welcome
–Welcome the posting of prayer
concerns and praises
–Class related questions are asked
here
–Open forum = the hallway

48. • Video streamed introduction
–Similar to the first day of an on-
campus class
–Introduce yourself
–Introduce the course
–The challenge: Be brief! (2-3
minutes)

49. Resources
• Generally passive in nature – meaning
students are not required necessarily
to perform.
• Possibilities
– Web page
– Text page
– Web link: video link, other page, etc
– Uploaded file

50. Resource Use
• Instructions
• Written lecture
• Link to extra information
• Ideas?

51. Activities
Assignments, forums, quizzes,
other.

52. Assignments
• Assignments allow the teacher to
specify a task that requires students to
prepare digital content (any format)
and submit it by uploading it to the
server.

53. The Forum
Heart of the collaborative classroom

54. The Forum
• Threaded discussion format
– Limitless “conversation” is possible with
the threaded discussion option
– Threaded discussions allow coherent
conversation over a period of time

55. – Give explicit directions
• Tell your class where to post or respond
• Tell your class how many postings or
responses to make
– Example: “By Tuesday May 23, post a response of
75 words or less in the Discussion Center
explaining why it was necessary to develop the
Nicene Creed and how this affects the church
today. Then reply to two of your classmates
responses.”

56. Expectations
• Feedback and Interaction from you
– Continual feedback in forums, and on
assignments, is VITAL to student’s
success
– Respond to student posts daily - it doesn’t
take much time!
• Prof.’s frequency of response correlate’s with
student’s perception of “successful” class
• Lack of prof. response and posts
communicates that you do not care
• Students will begin to post less then

57. Expectations, cont…
• Feedback and Interaction from student
– State in modules and syllabus that they
are required to interact on a regular basis
• Requires you to create discussion questions
and stimulate conversation in each module
• DO NOT assume this will automatically
happen, it requires planning and direction
– Ask students to give you feedback on a
regular basis - this works!

58. • Course Modules
– Course modules are the lessons for your
class
– Modules are designed within a time frame
• Professor sets the time allowed per module
(example: one module per week)
• Necessary for ExL participant’s schedules
• Keeps the entire class on task

59. • Items each module must include:
– Beginning and ending dates and time (ET)
– Reading assignments
– Other assignments (Papers, group projects)
– Instructions for collaboration with peers in the
Discussion Center, team folders
– Collaboration topic
– Where to send all course material (each time)

60. Creating An Online
Learning Environment
And
Online Etiquette

61. Paradigm Shift
• Professor moves from role of “lecturer”
to role of “leader” and “facilitator”

62. • Requires frequent online interaction in
smaller amounts of time
– On-campus class: class time = 3
hours/wk (not including office hours,
grading papers, etc…)
– Online class: interact with class once/day
or at least once every other day - time
spent will differ

63. • Same learning “shift” required for
students
– Frequent interaction leads to success
– Unlike some on-campus learning
environments, participation is required!
• Effective communication is the key to
success!

64. Online Etiquette
Learn how to communicate
effectively online

65. Be . . .
• Aware of communication styles
– The verbose
– The quiet
– The “lurker” – Financial Aid problems
• Vigilant for student safety
– Design a class where student’s feel
welcome to participate
– Where it’s safe to ask questions and
discuss

66. Be . . .
• A professional
– ALWAYS read your message again before
sending
– Check for spelling
• Aware of how your communication is
perceived by others
– Explicitly state your position
– Place “body language” or implied
communication in quotes (no, really!)

67. Be . . .
• Aware of how your communication is
perceived by others
– Read your own posts with student’s eyes
– Be sensitive
– Use emoticons

68. Common Emoticons
:) or :-) Expresses happiness, sarcasm, or joke
:( or :-( Expresses unhappiness
:] or :-] Expresses jovial happiness
:[ or :-[ Expresses despondent unhappiness
:D or :-D Expresses jovial happiness
:I or :-I Expresses indifference
:-/ or :- Indicates undecided, confused, or skeptical.
:Q or :-Q Expresses confusion
:S or :-S Expresses incoherence or loss of
words
:@ or :-@ Expresses shock or screaming
:O or :-O Indicates surprise, yelling or realization of an
error ("uh oh!")

69. Do . . .
• Use introductions for class community
builder
• Facilitate interactivity

70. Do . . .
• Engage
• Not ignore bad
behavior/conversation
Introductions
Online discussions
Group projects
Prompt answers Calendar
Use media

71. Conflict
• Occurs
• To be expected
• Learning is change
– Change is a conflict
– Expect some students to be
conflicting/conflicted
• Lack of communication can cause
conflict
– Remember online etiquette

72. Teaching Presence
• Difference between true facilitation and
teaching
• Teaching happens before, during and
after “hours”
• TEACH the course – be the teacher

73. Social Presence
• Does NOT refer to social networking
• Immediacy – at once present as a
living, breathing human being.
• Different from the non-personal
computer interface
• Personhood established and
maintained

74. Spiritual Presence
• Theological training
• Prayer forum
• Application

75. Finding your “virtual”
voice
• Face-to-face course personality/skill
• Who are you online?
– Allow your personality to come through
– Does your content define who you are or
do you deliver the content from your
perspective?
– The way you present is a reflection of
your personality

76. –Community is built here
• Introduce yourself here with a
“Welcome” message
• Have your class introduce themselves
• Welcome the posting of prayer
concerns and praises
• Ask students to post extended absence
notices here

77. –Class related questions are asked
here
• All course related questions from the
ExL participants need to be asked in
the Discussion Center
• Compare to on-campus classes, when
students ask questions the whole class
hears it

78. • Course Modules
– Course modules are the lessons for your
class
– Modules are designed within a time frame
• Professor sets the time allowed per module
(example: one module per week)
• Necessary for ExL participant’s schedules
• Keeps the entire class on task

79. • Items each module must include:
– Beginning and ending dates and time (ET)
– Reading assignments
– Other assignments (Papers, group projects)
– Instructions for collaboration with peers in the
Discussion Center, team folders
– Collaboration topic
– Where to send all course material (each time)