During the first 10 years of the 21st century, the number of students in higher education taking at least one online course nearly tripled (for more, check out "The Rise of Online Higher Ed"). There was also considerable growth in the number of fully online students. Just as the church tends to change more slowly than the culture at large, seminary education seems to shift more slowly than higher education in general. Like most pastors, I attended seminary in an era when online Read More …
distance education
Tweeting at Quality Matters (#1194)
This week I have been in Nashville, TN attending the Quality Matters annual conference. According to their website, Quality Matters "is a leader in quality assurance for online education and has received national recognition for its peer-based approach to continuous improvement in online education and student learning." It is the standard Hodges University has chosen to adopt, and will soon be implementing. As has been the case at all of the professional conferences I have attended Read More …
Online Learning in Congregations (#1185)
Over the last decade online learning has grown from a niche market to something that touches nearly everyone. Increasing numbers of students take online courses as part of their educational programs in K-12 and higher education, and employers continue to shift more and more of their training to online formats. Given these shifts, it is logical to assume that the future of education in the context of congregations will include online learning. The Rt. Rev. Kirk Smith, bishop of Read More …
The Rise of Online Higher Ed (#0984)
In the 1970s, 80s, and 90s higher education was largely assumed as an on campus experience. As technology improved, distance education began evolving from the exchange of documents and media primarily via postal mail to online exchanges. During the 2000s and now in the 10s, the number of students in higher education taking at least one online course grew on an annual basis. It is reasonable to project that in the not too distant future a majority of students will complete at least Read More …