Online Learning
Queen’s College has always tried to adopt technology and distance learning that aids in the delivery of theological education. In the 1990’s it was the correspondence courses in our Associate in Theology (ATh) program to provide lay education and diaconal training. In the 2000’s we launched our Bachelor of Theology by Distance. This program allowed students pursuing ordination to build on ATh courses completed, by adding a residential year of study at our St. John’s campus, followed by a parish internship in their local contexts. We also offered Intensive Courses, both at our St. John’s campus and at various sites across the province. These courses provided a week of intensive in course learning, and allowed students to do preparatory work and assignments at home.
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Even before the Covid Pandemic in 2020, Queen’s College had begun to experiment with courses using Go To Meeting and Google Classroom. So when the pandemic hit, Queen’s was easily able to adapt to the new reality. And we never looked back. Now all of our programs and course offering are available both onsite and online via Zoom, with many courses using the pedagogical tools of Google Classroom and Canvas.
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Our Chapel, too, has become hybrid. Daily offices are led by students via Zoom from their local context from around the province and beyond. Our weekly Eucharist is also streamed through Zoom, and oftentimes our guest preacher has delivered their sermon from the comfort of their own home or office.
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Our online offerings are not just about learning and spirituality, but also about community. Many think that online is no substitute for “in person” in terms of creating and maintaining community (We like to use the terms onsite and online when discussing our gatherings as we believe that both people online and onsite are physically embodied and in person). Genuine community can be achieved online; we just have to be intentional about it. Here is a short story as to why we think this is possible.
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During the pandemic we had two students enroll, wife and husband, Darlene and Mckinley; Moravian students from Hopedale, Labrador. For context, Hopedale is approximately 1000 KMs away from St. John’s in the remote northern part of the province. Vert quickly a deep sense of community developed between Darlene, Mckinley, their fellow students and also faculty. Perhaps it helped that initially that everyone was online, but even after we returned to onsite gatherings, the sense of community continued to deepen.
Then, one day something beautiful happened. Darlene and Mckinley had to travel to St. John’s for appointments. They kept their visit to town a secret and showed up at the College unannounced. It was like Christmas! Everything came to a halt at the College. There was exclamations of joy, there were some tears shed, and great big hugs. It was like a family reunion but the bounds between us had been built digitally.
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Online learning and worship are core to who we are becoming at Queen’s College. We will continue to embrace technology that enable us to fulfill our mission of theological education. Technology and online learning, though, are not an end in and of themselves. Instead, they are a means to creating transformative learning communities centred on the hospitality and grace of Jesus of Nazareth.
