Online Divinity Degrees: Two-Dimensional Preparation for a Three-Dimensional World

http://www.dbts.edu/2019/01/02/online-education-a-few-comments-on-dan-w…

1. Having taught online and in-class, I strongly prefer in-class. This is not only because of the points mentioned in Wallace’s article, but also because I think online education hurts the most vulnerable. Consider the following points to see why I think so.
2. I believe online education works wonderfully for the self-motivated. Some online students I have had would not have further benefitted educationally by being in-class. These, however, are the exception. Many students look only to what they need to do to pass/graduate. They never look beyond to what they need to succeed in future ministry. Part of this is simply maturity. Older students tend to do much better in online, while younger students do not. This observation is anecdotal, but I am confident other online professors would say the same. In sum, I believe online education requires more investment of the student, and some students do well, but the less-motivated do not.
3. Following the last point, students who need in-class education (the less-motivated) will naturally select online education. As Wallace notes, they do this even when they live on campus. Finding that they can take the easier path, they choose the one with less obstacles to their laziness. Online education feeds such problems. For their sake, let’s remove the temptation.
4. Additionally, less motivated students are much more likely to (falsely) believe they can multi-task. Ask nearly any online student if they watched the class video without doing anything else during the “class.”[1] Focused attention is sometimes a challenge in the classroom; it is nearly always a challenge for non-motivated online students.
5. While there is plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting the inferiority of online theological education,[2] one more firm evidence is the recent change to the Air Force’s chaplaincy program. They now note that “a qualifying degree program requires no fewer than 72 semester hours or 108 quarter hours of graduate-level work with 2/3 of those course hours completed in residence.”[3] Recently, I was speaking with a chaplain for the Navy and he noted that they were talking about adding a similar requirement. Why? He said that it was because there is a notable difference between those who took their MDiv online and those who took it in residence.
6. Wallace’s article is an application of John Frame’s vision of a seminary. Frame argued that seminary education must be personal. See the following articles: Learning at Jesus’ Feet and Proposal for a New Seminary.
7. Interestingly, when Frame originally began speaking about this, there was no major push for online theological education. He was criticizing theological programs that did not engage the student personally. Similarly, while Wallace’s article argues against online education, it also argues against large, impersonal schools as well. Sometimes students will tell me they chose * Seminary because of Professor X. But in reality that student may never have a conversation with professor X, because that professor has 200 other students in the class. That professor will certainly never read his work (a GA will do that). In the end, one can become lost amidst the large schools. A smaller student to faculty ratio is important, for it provides the opportunity for the relationships Wallace speaks of in his article.[4]
8. One weakness of Wallace’s article is his lack of attention to the local church. The purpose of a seminary is not the purpose of a local church, and some of the things Wallace mentions can and should happen in the local church setting. Indeed, the one major benefit of online education is that it allows people to remain in their local church. Let me say a few words about this:
   1. At DBTS we recognize the primacy of the local church, and we do not think discipleship is our primary obligation. Nevertheless, we take seriously the opportunity we have to aid in the formation of students, and we seek to work alongside the pastors who send their student here to be trained. Accordingly, I don’t think this is an either-or situation.
   2. If I could have stayed in my local church and taken online education, I think I would have missed valuable experience that prepared me for ministry. I was involved in three churches during my training. First when pursuing an MA, I was at a small country church, where I was able to teach Sunday School. I got to know the local pastor and to share in his burdens, sorrows, and joys. Later when I pursued the MDiv, I went to the church that hosted the seminary, and I learned quite a bit about ministry there. A big church is a different matter than a small country church! Halfway through my seminary experience, I helped in the ministry of revitalizing a struggling church in the city. This, likewise, was an entirely different experience of ministry. These together were a part of God’s education plan for me, and I truly believe I would have been less prepared for ministry by remaining in the local church I grew up in. Indeed, if God called me back to that church, I think I would be better prepared to serve them. I am not arguing that my experience should be normative, but I am suggesting that God may call people to move to another area in order to prepare them better for His service.
   3. In sum, I am not against online education. I think some good has come from it. Nevertheless, I think on-campus education is better for many, if not most students.

[Jim] Following the last point, students who need in-class education (the less-motivated) will naturally select online education. As Wallace notes, they do this even when they live on campus. Finding that they can take the easier path, they choose the one with less obstacles to their laziness. Online education feeds such problems. For their sake, let’s remove the temptation.

Online education feeds laziness?!!!

As a side note: DBTS does not offer online education. This seems to be universal - if a school doesn’t offer it the school disses it.

Online education feeds laziness?!!!

I think you are not being fair with Tim’s comments about that. His comments at that point are about students who are on campus and choose online because they are lazy and don’t want to show up for class.

Why not argue with the substance of that?

As a side note: DBTS does not offer online education. This seems to be universal - if a school doesn’t offer it the school disses it.

First, DBTS and Tim didn’t diss it. He said, “I am not against online education. I think some good has come from it.” This idea that disagreeing with something is “dissing it” has to go away quickly. That seems more often a technique to avoid interaction with substance.

But isn’t this more likely philosophical? They may not offer it because they don’t think it is a good method that fits with their purpose. Saying that and interacting with alternatives isn’t a bad thing.

Again, why not interact with the substance of his article?

[Larry]

Online education feeds laziness?!!!

I think you are not being fair with Tim’s comments about that. His comments at that point are about students who are on campus and choose online because they are lazy and don’t want to show up for class.

For much of the later half of my career in IT, I worked from home half the time.

• My employer had to approve of this arrangement
• Only employees who were in the top two tiers of salary reviews (in my case a 5 or 4 on a scale of 5) were eligible to work from home
• I found myself more productive at home than at the office. How:
  • I “saved” myself at least an hour and a half a day by NOT driving to the parking ramp, walking to the office
  • I probably saved half an hour a day by eating a sandwich at home instead of options at work

Did I multi-task at home? You betcha! That’s productivity!

[as a aside … one can speed up audiobooks or youtube videos and really gain some time]

[TylerR]

Tim’s article is very good. I still remember when he was my apologetics professor at Maranatha … online! I do wonder, however, why we are even having this conversation about virtual and online education in 2018. The formal “move and go to university” model for pastoral education isn’t sacrosanct. It certainly isn’t required by Scripture, or even the model Scripture presents. This doesn’t mean it isn’t good and useful. It just means it certainly isn’t the only way. It’s not necessarily even the best way. It’s just the way we’re used to.

Whatever else will be said in this conversation, my bolded statement will remain true.

“One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’.” Titus 1:12

This picture comes to mind:

At the end of the day … the market place of supply and demand rules!

Students:

• Some students will choose online education
• Others will choose resident education

Schools:

• Some schools will grow in enrollment
• Some schools will decline in enrollment

My own take is that:

• Online education is a disruptive technology
• I follow the banking industry closely. Chime is the new disruptive bank (fintech) that impacts brick and mortar banking.

I don’t know the numbers, but I’m guessing that Liberty’s Seminary has a greater enrollment than Central, Maranatha, Detroit, Faith, and BJU combined

[TylerR]

In these discussions, it’s important to distinguish between online and virtual; they’re very different.

How so?

Are you talking about synchronous vs asynchronous?

[Jim]

“One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’.” Titus 1:12

This picture comes to mind:

Except, of course, that guy doesn’t seem to be showing many physical signs of his “gluttony!” Either he exercises (a lot!) or he’s not eating all that much.

Not sure why education has to be all online or all offline. I majored in math and computer science, so being able to interact personally with the other students and in the labs was a big plus. I wouldn’t have wanted to do my major and minor classes online.

However, I was also in a lot of classes that were gigantic lecture halls, with little to no instructor interaction, and no labs or personal internships or anything like that. I could have taken all of those classes online with little to no loss at all. I estimate I could have taken almost 2 of my 4 years of undergrad at home.

Grad school was another matter entirely, since every course (except for some electives I wanted for personal enlightenment) was towards my major. I wouldn’t have wanted to do any of those classes only online.

Yeah, I don’t think the future is going to be all one or the other. On the other hand, as the technology improves for live interaction with multiple participants, the differences between “online” and “in person” will gradually shrink as well.

But a blend seems likely to be the ideal for a while.

I find it hard to imagine that telepresence will ever be quite as good as physical presence, but that could just be a lack of imagination on my part. It has already come a long way, and in a short time!

(Just to clarify terms, I’m using “online” to include “virtual”… which is also online, afterall.)