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Institute for Faith and Learning
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      • Dr. Bill Sterrett, Hale Endowed Chair of School Leadership
      • Dr. Holly Oxhandler, Professor, Associate Dean for Research, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
      • Dr. Larry Lyon, Vice Provost, Dean of the Graduate School
      • Dr. Min Y. Pack, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
      • Dr. Tom Hibbs, J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus
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    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture
      • 2026 Technology and the Human Person in the Age of AI
      • 2024 Renewing and Reimagining Institutions for the Common Good
      • 2023 Called Together in an Age of Discord
      • 2022 Art Seeking Understanding
      • 2021 Living Accountably
      • 2019 The Character of the University
      • 2018 Stewardship of Creation
      • 2017 The Bible and the Reformation
      • 2016 Higher Learning
      • 2015 The Spirit of Sports
      • 2014 Faith and Film
      • 2013 Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker for Our Time?
      • 2012 Technology and Human Flourishing
      • 2011 Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University
      • 2010 Human Dignity and the Future of Health Care
      • 2009 Secularization and Revival
      • 2008 Bottom-Up Approaches to Global Poverty
      • 2007 Friendship
    • Baylor Symposium on Nicaea: Creed, Culture, and Christendom
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
      • Bailey Lecture Video Archive
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      • 2019 LFP National Conference
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      • Pruit Memorial Symposium
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    • Faith Animating Online Education
      • Starting Points
      • A Christian Imagination about Online Education?
      • Cultivating Character and Online Learning
      • Additional Resources
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    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
    • Recommended Reading
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    • The Christian Reflection Project
      • Acedia
      • Advent Ethics
      • Aging
      • Anger
      • Apocalyptic Vision
      • Attentive Patience
      • The Book of Acts
      • Caring for Creation
      • Catechism
      • Chastity
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      • Mysticism
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      • Patterns of Violence
      • Peace and War
      • Pentecost
      • Pornographic Culture
      • Prayer
      • Prison
      • Prophetic Ethics
      • Racism
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Baylor BU Institute for Faith and Learning Media and Resources Faith Animating Online Education Starting Points
  • Faith Animating Online Education
    • Starting Points
    • A Christian Imagination about Online Education?
    • Cultivating Character and Online Learning
    • Additional Resources
  • Institute for Faith and Learning Video Archive
  • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
  • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
  • Recommended Reading
  • External Resources
  • The Christian Reflection Project

Starting Points

Take a step back and ask: what really matters most? 

The challenge to teach online may seem daunting. But looking afresh at our course syllabi and schedules might be an opportunity to reframe our objectives around the most important questions.

What is the point of our course? What purpose (or whom) does it truly serve? How might we convey that to students?

Might there be new questions that have come from recent events that might be asked through the lens of the Christian faith?

Are there new opportunities to ask students about the reality of suffering and healing and the fragility of human life? Or about justice, mercy, confession, forgiveness, and reconciliation? Might there be opportunities to reflect upon trust and hope in God, especially in times of distress?
 

Be clear and ask good questions.

Online education requires us to become even clearer when we explain from a distance our course goals, expectations, and details of course material. Our care to communicate clearly also gives us the chance to grow in the art of asking our students good questions, maybe better than we did when we taught in a classroom.

When we reflect upon the teaching ministry of Jesus, we realize that he asked questions that went to the heart of the matter. Sometimes his questions were direct, other times not. But his questions always sought to bring greater understanding in those who heard them. Asking questions sometimes serves the task of learning far more powerfully than simply asserting an answer.
 

Think about opportunities to cultivate virtue “virtually.”

Is character formation of students possible in online contexts? Character formation is challenging in any context, but it need not be impossible online. We must try.

Might we cultivate attentiveness as we carefully read a difficult text or try to understand the results of a laboratory experiment?

Might we express the virtue of hospitality as we teach and learn online?  

Might we cultivate a learning community through online collaborative assignments and projects? Message boards or other collaborative assignments, for example, might be ways for students to appreciate how their own learning truly depends on others. In so doing, we might be helping our students to appreciate the gift of friendship especially in the midst of difficulty.

Might we extend charity to one another as we realize that our own learning (and indeed well-being) depends upon the common good?

Might we cultivate the virtue of discernment, to help students better navigate a virtual world? For an excellent discussion of intellectual virtue formation, see Jason Baehr’s “Educating for Intellectual Virtues.”

Institute for Faith and Learning

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The Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture
Missio
Communio
The Christian Reflection Project
Media and Resources
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Baylor BU Institute for Faith and Learning Media and Resources Faith Animating Online Education Starting Points
  • About
    Back
    • Staff
    • Campus Impact
      Back
      • Dr. Bill Sterrett, Hale Endowed Chair of School Leadership
      • Dr. Holly Oxhandler, Professor, Associate Dean for Research, Diana R. Garland School of Social Work
        Back
        • Faith and Learning at Baylor
      • Dr. Larry Lyon, Vice Provost, Dean of the Graduate School
      • Dr. Min Y. Pack, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
      • Dr. Tom Hibbs, J. Newton Rayzor Sr. Professor of Philosophy and Dean Emeritus
    • Connect with us
  • Conferences and Symposiums
    Back
    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture
      Back
      • 2026 Technology and the Human Person in the Age of AI
        Back
        • Call for Proposals
        • Invited Speakers
      • 2024 Renewing and Reimagining Institutions for the Common Good
        Back
        • Conference Schedule
        • Invited Speakers
        • Photos and Video
        • Conference Volume
      • 2023 Called Together in an Age of Discord
        Back
        • Travel Information
        • Conference Schedule
        • Featured Speakers
      • 2022 Art Seeking Understanding
        Back
        • Conference Schedule
        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
      • 2021 Living Accountably
        Back
        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2019 The Character of the University
        Back
        • Plenary and Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2018 Stewardship of Creation
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2017 The Bible and the Reformation
        Back
        • Co-Sponsors
        • Featured Speakers and Panels
        • Video Archive
      • 2016 Higher Learning
        Back
        • Featured Speakers and Panels
        • Video Archive
      • 2015 The Spirit of Sports
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2014 Faith and Film
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2013 Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker for Our Time?
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2012 Technology and Human Flourishing
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2011 Educating for Wisdom in the 21st Century University
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2010 Human Dignity and the Future of Health Care
        Back
        • Featured Speakers
        • Video Archive
      • 2009 Secularization and Revival
        Back
        • Video Archive
      • 2008 Bottom-Up Approaches to Global Poverty
      • 2007 Friendship
    • Baylor Symposium on Nicaea: Creed, Culture, and Christendom
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
      Back
      • Bailey Lecture Video Archive
    • Other Conferences and Events
      Back
      • IFL@25
        Back
        • Select Pictures from IFL@25
      • 2019 LFP National Conference
        Back
        • Presenters
      • Art & Soul
      • Pruit Memorial Symposium
        Back
        • 2001 Celebrating Augustine's Confessions
        • 2002 Christianity and Economics
        • 2003 The Schooled Heart
        • 2004 Slavery, Oppression, and Prejudice
        • 2005 Global Christianity
      • Baylor University Medical Ethics Seminar
        Back
        • 2016 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2017 Medical Ethics Seminar
        • 2018 Medical Ethics Seminar
      • One-Time Conferences
  • Programs
    Back
    • Missio
    • Communio: A Retreat for Baylor Educators
    • Crane Scholars Program
      Back
      • Application Requirements
      • Program Activities
      • Program Leaders
      • Media
    • Conyers Scholars
    • Vocare
    • Reading Groups and Guest Speakers
    • Soundings Project
    • Forming Character in the Classroom
      Back
      • About the Program: Called to Character
      • Past Workshops
  • Events
  • Media and Resources
    Back
    • Faith Animating Online Education
      Back
      • Starting Points
      • A Christian Imagination about Online Education?
      • Cultivating Character and Online Learning
      • Additional Resources
    • Institute for Faith and Learning Video Archive
    • Baylor Symposium on Faith and Culture Video Archive
    • Bill and Roberta Bailey Family Lecture in Christian Ethics
    • Recommended Reading
    • External Resources
    • The Christian Reflection Project
      Back
      • Acedia
      • Advent Ethics
      • Aging
      • Anger
      • Apocalyptic Vision
      • Attentive Patience
      • The Book of Acts
      • Caring for Creation
      • Catechism
      • Chastity
      • Children
      • Christianity and Islam
      • Christmas and Epiphany
      • Cities and Towns
      • Cloning
      • Consumerism
      • Death
      • Disability
      • Easter
      • Food and Hunger
      • Forgiveness
      • Freedom
      • Friendship
      • Gambling Culture
      • Generosity
      • Global Wealth
      • Health
      • Heaven and Hell
      • Hospitality
      • Immigration
      • Inklings of Glory
      • Lent
      • The Letter of James
      • Marriage
      • Membership
      • Monasticism Old and New
      • Moral Landscape of Creation
      • Mysticism
      • Parables
      • Patterns of Violence
      • Peace and War
      • Pentecost
      • Pornographic Culture
      • Prayer
      • Prison
      • Prophetic Ethics
      • Racism
      • Sabbath
      • Schools in a Pluralist Culture
      • Scripture
      • Sermon on the Mount
      • Singing Our Lives
      • Sports
      • Suffering
      • Traveling Well
      • Virtual Lives
      • Vocation
      • Where Wisdom Is Found
      • Women and the Church
      • Women in the Bible
      • Work
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