(Featured
in the Today's Catholic and Lake Shore Visitor;
distributed by the Catholic News Service)
You might say that Stan Orbanick went to the University
of Notre Dame last fall without having to make the six-hour
drive to the legendary South Bend, Ind., campus with its
golden dome, basilica and football stadium.
There
were no walks from the school library with an armful of
books. He didn't have to worry about finding a seat in a
crowded classroom. In fact, he could pretty much get up
and leave when he wanted.
Sound
impossible? Not if you happen to be the taking an "e-course"
offered on the Internet. Students simply turn on their computer
and travel the internet's information superhighway to a
Web site which provides them with course materials they
can read from the computer screen or download to be printed.
In
Orbanick's case, it was an e-course introducing the sacraments
offered by Notre Dame in a pilot program — part of
the Satellite Theological Education Program (STEP) at Notre
Dame's Institute for Church Life — geared to acquainting
people with this new way of learning.
Orbanick
was one of nine people in the Diocese of Erie to sample
free of charge one of the three e-courses offered during
the 2000-2001 school year. He was the only one to finish
a six-week course which included new course material each
week, a weekly on-line "chat" with the instructor
and fellow students, and an online multiple-choice test
after each section of material. "To have this available
in your own living room at any time of the day— that
made it attractive to me," says Orbanick, a retired
production supervisor from Erie's St. John the Baptist Parish.
Active in the eastside parish's Rite of Christian Initiation
for Adults program and small faith-sharing groups, Orbanick
says the knowledge he gained has helped him in his ministry
and in his understanding of the Catholic faith. "The
course material was wonderful, beyond what I expected,"
says Orbanick, who received a certificate for completing
the course. "It offered a vast array of material for
you."
And,
he adds, it was so easy to do. If you have a computer, Internet
access and a desire to learn you can find out for yourself
as Notre Dame offers six noncredit courses for the 2001-2002
school year at $65 apiece. All instructors for the six-week
courses are faculty from Notre Dame. Courses are:
—
"The American Catholic Experience" with Jay Dolan,
Ph.D., Oct. 22-Dec. 10.
— "An Introduction to Sacraments" with Jesuit
Father Joseph Weiss, Oct. 22-Dec. 10.
— "An Introduction to the Letters of St. Paul"
with Jesuit Father Jerome Neyrey, Jan. 22-March 11, 2002.
— "Eucharist: Source and Summit of Christian Life"
with Jesuit Father Joseph Weiss, Jan. 22-March 11, 2002.
— "The Christian Conscience and Ethical Dilemmas:
Guidance from the Catholic Tradition" with Maura Ryan,
Ph.D., March 18-May 6, 2002.
— "From Proclamation to Scripture: An Introduction
to Biblical Literary Forms in the Gospel with Father Michael
Driscoll, March 18-May 6, 2002.
According
to Joseph Streett, director of religious education for the
Diocese of Erie and a member of the STEP advisory board,
the e-courses offer students access to solid theology from
a trusted source already known for its quality. "You
have top-notch theologians that most people in the Diocese
of Erie will never have access to," says Streett. And
all in the convenience of your own home, he adds.
Last
year, the Erie; Reno, Nev.; and Winona, Minn., dioceses
participated in the pilot program. This year, they will
be joined by the Archdiocese of Atlanta, Ga., and the Diocese
of Richmond, Va.
Typically,
Streett says, the first week of a course will focus on an
introduction and to see if your computer has the technical
requirements needed to access material. Then, the course
is offered one week at a time.
Students
are responsible for visiting the course Web site and reading
the material. The instructor will "chat" online
with students at a designated time each week. A weekly self-assessment
also will be given.
Streett
termed the course "user-friendly." Words that
might be difficult to understand are highlighted, he explains.
One click with the computer's mouse will take a student
to a special dictionary explaining the word in simple terms.
Along
with the text, students will find "links" which,
when clicked on with a mouse, will take them to areas which
offer more information on the topic. "You can go as
far as you want to go to expand your knowledge," Streett
says. Streett says about 15 students will be allowed to
participate in each class. Classes may be broken into sections
if several more students register. Registration deadline
is 30 days from the start of class.
One
of those who could register is Orbanick, who says anyone
who does will gain new insights into their faith. "It's
the wave of the future," he says.
