Design principles for holistic student formation in online programs

What is it about?

This paper sets out 10 design principles for theological educators to use in designing online courses that contribute to the holistic formation of theological students. It describes how we developed these principles from our design-based research study at an Australian theological college. It is a "sister" paper to a previously published article, which sets out our findings of what aspects of the online learning experience where reported by students to impact on their holistic formation. (Hockridge & Bower, 2023, 'Learning Design for Holistic Student Formation', Distance Education, 44(2). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2023.2198484)

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Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Holistic or spiritual formation of students can be challenging to address in formal higher education programs of study. Even more so when students study at a distance or online, with limited face-to-face interaction. This paper sets out ten design principles intended to assist theological educators to shape whole programs or individual subjects in ways that support and enhance the holistic and spiritual formation of students. Though undertaken in a theological education context, the findings may also be relevant for educators in other disciplines seeking to support holistic student formation in online learning contexts.