Engaging Learners Online 增促在线学习者

The coronavirus has changed and is still changing our society and lives. Online interactions have become part of our new normal. It is the most common way to meet, work, learn, and even worship. As the post-coronavirus recovery stretches longer, we cannot ignore the fact that online interactions are here to stay. And we need to keep in step with the changes and safety requirements in society. The new challenge is to engage the learners online in keeping with our mission to train leaders who will transform lives and society.

Under the emergency mode, we have begun our second semester with everything done online until the end of the year. But online learning is more than throwing our traditional lectures online through zoom. We have to realign our curriculum with a new framework of virtual communication and management through remote classrooms, online assignments, virtual collaboration, and so on to engage our virtual learners. Even our chapel services have to be adapted to go virtual for the sake of community safety. The encouragement in Hebrews 10:25—“not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (ESV)—has taken on richer implications.

However, what we think determines how we respond. The more sustainable solution, in the long run, is to move towards a hybrid teaching-learning system. An openness to hybrid teaching-learning system allows us the freedom to maximise teaching-learning from both the traditional classroom and online classroom formats without sacrificing the core essentials of theological education. Our encounter with God should take centre stage and non-negotiable in everything we do. At the same time, to keep students engaged online, teachers would also have to re-evaluate and adjust the process in the teaching value chain—from reducing direct instruction to letting students explore content through experimentation, discussion, guided practice, and independent research. Adding instructional scaffolding and adequate e-resources are vital to assist students in the learning process.

Therefore, we covet your prayers as we transit into the new normal of post-coronavirus. To develop effective teaching-learning, we need to equip our teachers with appropriate tools. We need to train our teachers to optimise the teaching value chain effectively. We also need to harness the availability of technical expertise to make hybrid teaching-learning engaging. And of course, we need to develop an adequate online library to support the training. As the Lord leads you, please feel free to give generously to the college fund or to lend us your technical expertise in online learning. And may our partnership in training more leaders to transform lives and society bear fruits to the glory of our God. Amen.

冠病疫情已经改变并继续在改变我们的社会和生活。网络上的在线互动已成为我们新常态的一部分。这已成为我们会面、工作、学习甚至是崇拜最常见的方式。随着冠病后疫情时期恢复时间的延长，我们无法忽略在线互动方式将会继续存在这一事实。我们需要与社会的变化和社交安全的要求保持同步。我们面临新的挑战在于增促在线的学习者，这让我们可以继续我们的使命，能继续培训转化生命和社会的领袖。

在这种突发状况的状态下，我们已经开始第二学期的课程，所有课程都以在线的方式进行，这样的方式一直要持续到今年年底。但是在线学习不仅仅是通过Zoom将我们的传统教导以在线的方式呈现。我们也必须通过远程的课室，在线作业，虚拟协作等方式，以新的虚拟沟通和管理方式来调整我们课程的设置，增促我们以虚拟方式学习的学习者。 甚至为了实现社交安全要求，我们的教会崇拜也必须虚拟化进行。 希伯来书10:25的鼓励 — “你们不可停止聚会、好像那些停止惯了的人、倒要彼此劝勉．既知道〔原文作看见〕那日子临近、就更当如此。”（和合本） — 这节经文具有更深的含义。

然而，我们的想法决定我们如何去回应。从长远来看，可持续的解决方案是朝着混合教学的体系去发展。一个开放的混合式教学体系使我们能够自由地在传统课室和在线课室形式中取得教学的最大化，又不会牺牲神学教育的核心要素。经历神应该在我们心中居首位，这也是在我们所做一切事中无法推诿的事。同时，为了增促学生保持在线状态，教师还必须重新评估和调整教学价值链，减少直接的指导，让学生通过实验，讨论，指导实践和独立研究来探索学习内容。 加上支架式教学和充足的电子资源也对学生进行学习提供了重要的帮助。

因此，我们期待您为我们过渡到冠病后疫情的新常态时代而祈祷。 为了发展有效的教学方式，我们需要为教师们配备适当的教导工具。 我们需要培训我们的老师更有效地优化教学价值链。 我们还需要使用专业技术去结合混合式教学体系。 当然，我们还需要一个适合的在线图书馆来支持培训。 若上帝感动您，您可随时向学院的基金慷慨捐款或是提供您在线学习的专业技术。 愿我们能一起配合在培训更多转化生命和社会的领袖事工中结出更多果子，荣耀我们的神。 阿们。

Academic counseling would commence between 28 Sep – 9 Oct 2020 and would be conducted online via Zoom. 学术咨询将于2020年9月28日至10月9日开始，并将通过Zoom在线进行。

A confirmation link containing the Zoom link to the meeting would be send to you upon confirmation of your booking. Zoom链接将在经确认后寄给参与学术咨询者。