Religious Studies News

You can bring your entire self into the online classroom in a variety of ways. Carol Knight, from our institution's instructional technology department, spent two years videotaping face-to-face lectures in my world religions class “Exploring Religions.” Those lectures are not required but are available for the students. It helps them with pronunciation of key concepts and studying for exams. Taping your lectures can help both face-to-face and online students. If they are uploaded to a secure server, students who miss a class can view a lecture so that they are not lost during the next session. Many students have thanked me for uploading lectures that include discussions and question-and-answer sessions. It helps place the topic or religion in perspective.

Another way to be visually present is through Adobe Presenter Files. For years I developed visual PowerPoint presentations based upon my travels to over fifty countries. They focus upon the religions, culture, rituals, architecture, music, and art of the world. During the past year I have added voice to these presentations. I do not film myself while lecturing. I would rather add voice to illustrations that help students to understand the material we are studying.

Adobe Presenter files add dimension to a class where you want to add material or consider an important ethical or religious discussion. They can also be used in a face-to-face class by placing them on a server and asking students to watch the presentation before class in order to be prepared for a discussion. The advantage of placing these materials on a server is that in face-to-face classes they would take up several days of discussions since they are time-consuming. And students can watch these at their leisure. Online students may complete the assignment in parts and take several days to do it depending upon their schedule.

Let’s take an example from Hinduism. I created the following Adobe Presenter Files:

• Visual Introduction to Hinduism
• Journey through India
• Hindu Gods and Goddesses
• Modern Hinduism and Ethical Issues

Below is an assignment based upon watching and listening to these files:

When I began teaching online I read dozens of books. I made notes of strategies and then developed my own teaching tools based upon my knowledge of our student population. One of the most important strategies is to keep the students engaged. Class assignments are set up as if they are a two- or three-day class (either Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or else Tuesday and Thursday). Since I am a linguist, I know that practicing or studying regularly helps students to retain material better and to become more disciplined. And the dance becomes so much better.

Current research supports a dance strategy and the excellence it produces. E. Fredericksen in Online Education (2000) discovered that instructor–student interaction was the most significant contributor to perceived learning. Karen Swan in Distance Education (2001) suggests that instructors who interact frequently and productively with students “contribute significantly to the success of asynchronous online courses.” And Veronica Thurmond in the American Journal of Distance Education (2002) found that “when students believe that their learning was being assessed in a variety of ways and that they were receiving timely feedback . . . [these factors] were among the strongest predictors of student satisfaction.”

Students receive e-mails from me five days a week. I have attempted to use the calendar option on Blackboard, but students seem to respond better to daily e-mails that remind them of due dates and give information on work they have completed. After grading each assignment, I share one or two of the best reports with the students and ask them to compare their work with the best of the class. After each major unit I send out a tentative grade scale so that students can determine how well they are doing in the class. I am available by phone or e-mail from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Students have never abused the use of my phone. I return their e-mails within hours. They know that I am their partner in the long dance through the semester.