EL3517 Evaluation

Mary Hess’s book, Engaging Technology in Theological Education, opened my eyes to the interplay between religious education and the digital culture that we live in. As a Distributed Learner in the Masters of Divinity Program at Luther Seminary, I take for granted the entrepreneurship of this learning model that I engage in on almost a daily basis. This program will be evaluated and scrutinized for years to come because of its major shift in how theological education is provided. This change is due to the new digital technologies available in our culture. Mary Hess articulates and gives vision that is relevant and pertinent to the changing models of theological education in a technological world.

Clay Shirky’s book, Here comes Everybody, looks at the dramatic revolution in society due to the new behaviors that society has undertaken in utilizing the available technology. I thought this book was very accessible because of all the real-world examples and experiences referenced in it. By gaining this valuable and relevant information on how society is adapting new behaviors in response to the technology that is available to us at no or little cost, I am able to better understand human interaction in a digital world. This book was inspiring in that it showed how powerful and yet how simple digital tools can be utilized and the effect they can have on our communities.

The ‘brick n click’ design of this course was very appealing to me. I really liked the idea of completing a major share of the assignments prior to meeting physically. This gives the student an opportunity to introduce him/herself to the assigned readings and major themes in the course and to start to formulate their ideas and notions involving the course. Then the students are allowed to come together with the instructor and work through the information and assignments together, co-teaching and co-learning in a live environment. After meeting together, the students can go back and re-evaluate their ideas and notions based off of the class processes and utilize all of their learning in their contexts.

In order to flourish in EL 3517, it is important to start with the readings and ideas of the class at least two weeks prior to meeting physically in class. Starting the digestion process of the information presented in the assigned readings and video are important as the books contain a lot of valuable information that must be processed. Also, it is important to realize that EL 3517 is not just about utilizing technology in worship services and theological education. Instead EL 3517 is about how digital technology is opening doors for information to be gathered, processed and shared among people in a timely and low cost fashion.

EL 3517 has shaped my future teaching practices by allowing me to better understand the cultural conceptions that I and the students are bringing with us into the learning environment (whether that be physical or digital). I am now able to better understand the group’s dynamics because of my understanding of how society is adopting new behaviors in response to the new technologies that are available for most people. I am also more aware of my own preconceptions and how I not only co-teach but also co-learn in educational environments. In better understanding the interplay between religious (or any) education and digital culture, I am able to understand the notions that are brought into the learning environment and the behaviors that are in relation to those notions.