Sounds neat, right?
Dave Bourgeois, a business professor, will be offering a new class this summer that will cover just that:
This coming summer (2010), I will be offering an online course in Internet ministry in my role here as a professor at Biola University.
I am very excited about this course and hope it can become a regular course that I teach at Biola and possibly expand to other programs at other colleges.
I haven’t met Dave personally (although we spoke on the phone yesterday, so looking forward to future conversations!) but this course seems like it could probably fit a number of the readers here.
If you’ve got the time, interest, and resources to participate, it might be worth a look.
Here’s what the syllabus is looking to include:
Using the Internet and Social Media for Ministry
DESCRIPTION
The Internet is the greatest communication technology ever developed by man. It is imperative that the church learn how to use it to its fullest potential. This course will study the use of the Internet as a tool for ministry using a combination of readings, online interactions, case studies and hands-on projects. Special attention will be paid to the effectiveness and limits of using the Internet as a ministry tool.
COURSE OBJECTIVES / LEARNING OUTCOMES
- The student will understand the different ways the Internet can be used to carry out the functions of Christian ministry, with a focus on using research-based materials when applicable.
- The student will have developed an understanding of the best practices in using the Internet for ministry purposes.
- The student will know how to develop a strategy for using the Internet in ministry, including the development of goals, researching a target group, and selecting ministry tools.
- The student will have had hands-on experience using many of the tools of Internet ministry.
COURSE FORMAT
Conducted online as part of Biola’s second summer session in the academic calendar, in this online course students and the instructor will interact with the material through journaling, weekly threaded discussions, a paper, and hands-on projects.
Note: I would like to have this course span six weeks instead of the scheduled five. The final scheduling is still “to be determined”.
REQUIRED READING
- Bourgeois, David God In The Tubes: Strategies for Using the Internet in Your Ministry (forthcoming)
- Hipps, Shane. The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture: How Media Shapes Faith, the Gospel, and Church.
- Others to be determined…
The student will also be directed to reading assignments from online sources as well and will visit dozens of online ministry sites as part of this course.
ASSIGNMENTS
- Weekly threaded discussions (40%)
- Each week, the student will be given an assignment that will include reading, reviewing different Internet-based technologies, and interacting with existing online ministries. The instructor will post a set of discussion questions related to the assignment. Students will be expected to answer the questions themselves and then respond to the answers given by other students.
- A personal journal where the student reflects on the applicability of what they are learning to their own ministry or career plans. (10%)
- The student will write a private journal where they will integrate what they are learning with their current ministry or planned area of ministry. This journal is only visible to the student and instructor.
- Technology mini-projects (15%)
- Strategy paper (15%)
- The student will develop a paper outlining an online ministry strategy for their own ministry or one they would like to start.
- Ministry project (15%)
- Students will create an online ministry prototype based upon the strategy paper they wrote. This project may combine some of the mini-projects they created for this class.
PREREQUISITES
Graduate standing or instructor permission.
RELATION TO CURRICULUM
This course can be taken as an elective as part of a degree program at the graduate level.
FINAL EXAMINATION
No final exam.
[HT: Lessons from Babel]
awesome, cool idea. I keep threatening to do something like this at our church, co so many people just don’t understand it (not that I fully do). This sounds a whole lot more professional and better structured that my whim.
haha. you should do it anyways.
This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing the syllabus. I’ve been asked to come and lecture the freshman computer course at Davis College (a Bible College in Johnson City, NY) on Social Media and other technology in ministry. It’s one class session, not a whole course, but I can’t wait!
I would definitely be interested in taking that. Wish I wouldnt have to go through the registration process though. But the syllabus looks interesting.
I like the no final exam, hehehe. Seriously this sounds interesting.
seriously. me too.
This will be interesting. A couple Q’s for my part (albeit rhetorical):
“Weekly threaded discussions (40%)
…Students will be expected to answer the questions themselves and then respond to the answers given by other students.”
What constitutes an answer? Is there a min character requirement? Maybe it would look like this:
(or any other 2 character smily)
F- No response
D-
C- Sentence fragment, with or w/out smilies
B- Complete sentence.
A- Min of two complete sentences with rawkface: m/> <m/
If you pwn the instructor in your private journal- will that count against you?
Of course I'm mostly kidding. This must be legit if it's grad level. W2G Bible Institute of Los Angeles!
BTW- no final exam = sweet. But the geek in me really wants to be tested. #Imadork.
dude. you’re geeking out.
Sign me up for any class that uses a book by Shane Hipps as a textbook. Wonder how he’d feel about that!
hehe.
It was just a matter of time before this type of course offering appeared at the graduate level.
I traded emails with Dr. Bourgeois on this topic. Perhaps a non-academic version of this course for those already in ministry is in the works as well. The course would likely be less “academic” more “practical,” and less expensive than Biola would charge for a graduate course. Consider the neophyte technological ministry anthropologist in me very interested…
ssssssssssssssssssssssssweet! that’s going to be awesome.
I will be interested to see what practical experiences they will have to share in the teaching.
it will be interested in seeing.
Great idea! How can I register for the class?
talk to dave.
spoke with him today. good guy.
Man, this seems like it’s a little late to the game. Better late than never.
someone’s gotta do it.
Glad to see Charles Lee taking the helm of this course over at Biola. Should be interesting to see the cohort move through the semester. Want an early indicator of how it might turn out? How about a FB group already set-up, pre-loaded with peeps from the SM community ready to engage with the students (http://www.facebook.com/BiolaSM). Good stuff, Prof. Lee!
Thanks for the note Kenny…just to clarify… our class is focused on Social Media Marketing for Business
Nevertheless, glad to hear about what took place at Biola previous…don’t think I’m the guy taking over for this particular course…although, I better reach out to the professor.
Ooooh! Social media for biz. Love it even more!
Can’t wait to see what you do with the cohort that comes through.