Online

For about a year now I have had an interesting part time job. I am one of the facilitators for an online class offered by my alma mater, FWBBC. I have guided two classes through the "Introduction To Biblical Studies" class and I am currently working with a group in a class entitled "Christian Ethics."

I think the great value of the virtual classroom is the level of interaction students are required to have to get a good grade. I have spent a number of years in both college and seminary and I know it is possible to be present without really being present. Let me explain what I mean. You don't have to ask any questions and if you are lucky you won't be asked any directly. It may even be possible to borrow someone else's notes or get with a study group of more diligent students before the exams thus allowing you to be present without being present. This kind of hiding in plain view is not possible in an online class. The students have to give their answers or opinions on each issue we bring up. What's more, they are expected to interact with one another as the discussion progresses.

Now, is this better than the traditional classroom setting? The answer to that question is both yes and no. As I have already stated, it does have some positive elements, but can you really know the other members of your class or your instructor in a virtual classroom? I do believe it is a solution for many who can't relocate to a traditional campus and yet want the intellectual discipline of serious study.

All that being said, I would like to meet all of the folks who have gone through the classes I have been the facilitator for. If they stay with the program through graduation and actually receive their diplomas at FWBBC, I want to be there. Online interaction is a good thing, but it does not quite measure up to the real thing, at least in my mind.