But Can You Teach Theology Properly On The Web?

Joan Robson, Course Coordinator, Faculty of Education, Australian Catholic University, PO Box 256, Dickson, ACT 2602. Email j.robson@signadou.acu.edu.au

Kerrie Hide, Head of School of Theology, Australian Catholic University, PO Box 256, Dickson, ACT 2602. Email k.hide@signadou.acu.edu.au

Keywords

On-line, Teaching, Learning.

Abstract

There are still sceptics who do not see value in teaching their particular area on-line. Theology is taken as a representative discipline in this case, and is analysed to identify the attributes needed in a face-to-face educational environment to enable teaching and learning, and examples from various fields supporting these attributes in presenting units on-line, are delineated.

This analysis highlights the diverse nature of the component parts of a discipline such as theology, and their different levels of flexibility in presentation on-line. Likewise, within a democratic ideology of education, the individuality of the teaching required to cater for the needs of all students is acknowledged. Consequently, while generalisations concerning the suitability, or otherwise, of on-line teaching of disciplines for cohorts of students are shown to be unjustifiable, there remains a need, in a rapidly developing on-line environment, to seek teaching strategies which will expand on-line teaching with the goal of supporting a bigger range of on-line learners.