Online Learning at Denver Seminary

Online learning has traditionally been built around a passive experience and content delivery. That’s not the case with Denver Seminary’s Next Generation Online Courses. Engagement drives the Denver Seminary online courses experience because our courses are intentionally designed for active learning, student-to-faculty engagement, student-to-student engagement, and student-to-world engagement. Our online course media isn’t recorded in a classroom or office, but professionally produced in our studios, by our media team and Denver Seminary faculty, who are sharing their expertise with you in mind.

Next Generation Online Course Tour

• Active learning engages students in the learning process and regards students as fellow researchers and practitioners.
• Student-to-faculty engagement is a priority at Denver Seminary, and a priority in our online courses. Our Faculty are attuned to student needs, both personal and intellectual; they are accessible, and willing to invest personally in relationships with online students. 
• Student-to-student engagement. We learn best in community. Collaborative work in online courses helps student develop and sharpen the interpersonal and communication skills that are so critical for those in or going into ministry. We are challenged and grow as we interact with the diverse perspectives and ministry situations of our peers. 
• Student-to-world engagement. This is sometimes called “field-based education.” Students are deployed within their ministry environments to try out and put into practice the knowledge and skills they are learning in the classroom. This requires students to contextualize course content, explore their vocations, and hone practical skills such as preaching, evangelism, and pastoral counseling. 

Interactive Learning Activities

Interactive Learning Activities (ILAs) are core components of the Next Generation online experience. Every week of an online MDiv course contains both content and an ILA. These are integrated to maximize learning.

ILAs allow students to engage faculty and one another using tools such as VoiceThread, an asynchronous video discussion platform; scheduled synchronous Sessions via Zoom video-conferencing; and threaded discussions, for conversations that require more deliberate and academic focus. Watch the video above for more details on this interactive learning environment.