Title: Introduction to Theological Education (INT 2501)

Description: Graduate Course (master’s level, three credit, semester length program introduction for two degree programs). [This is course redesign: additional degree program, different modality]

Part 1: Project Scope

The whole course. (I have work time and support for this.)

Part 2: Background

Gap: Students very often enter seminary with uneven Information Literacy skills and habits as well as an underdeveloped understanding of the various disciplines comprising theological education.
Audience: First year, degree-seeking, non-traditional seminary students.
Training Goal: Students will be able to generate research questions. (This one of a few.)
Main Assessment: On a chosen topic, students will develop 3 appropriately scaled research questions: for a small (500-1500 word) project, a semester/course (+/- 5000 word) project, and for a degree project/thesis. At least two iterations of this assignment with expert feedback would be desirable.

Part 3: Design Approach

Format/Structure: Semester long (14 week [+2 week-long breaks]) asynchronous, instructor-led course.
Possible Technology: This will need basic integration with our school’s current LMS/Student management system, but past that it is TBD.

Part 4: Implementation

Context (where, when, how): Course will be piloted for the seminary Fall of 2024.
Org Considerations: Once the technology is sorted, the main organization hurdle will be the shift to asynchronous an asynchronous course. There are a decent number of conceptual barriers and biases, spoken and unspoken.