The Learning Systems WSCLL makes it simple.

Course content is typically delivered on DVD or CD ROM media. Interaction with other students and faculty is achieved through our Online Learning Center, and through phone or web conferencing. And for support, you have access to extensive resources on our WSCLL.net student website and direct access to Jon Raibley, Mark Baker and the rest of the WSCLL team.

Here are a few of the elements that comprise our learning systems.

DVD ROM Media Disks

WSCLL uses video media to take you inside our seminary classrooms. Then, we create a user-friendly interface to give you the tools you need to succeed yet without being overwhelmed by proprietary technology.

We know that some schools prefer to stream audio over the internet or to feature courses that are largely text-based. We have chosen the computer DVD ROM format as our primary delivery model because:

• The DVD ROM remains a rich learning resource long after the course is completed,
• Students can work "offline" from anywhere for much of their coursework,
• Rural and internationally-based students can study without dependence upon costly and unpredictable internet connections for content delivery
• Students report that they come to know our professors as they watch our classroom and studio video.

The Online Learning Center

The Online Learning Center (OLC) is often referred to as an LMS, or Learning Management System. Our Learning Center provides web-based services that strive to create a rich learning environment within which students and faculty engage each other and the fullness of the learning process. If you like, you can view it as your on-line classroom. Some of the resources and tools students find in the Online Learning Center include:

Course Syllabus and Scheduling. While assuring the scheduling flexibility students desire, the OLC helps to provide structure and a reasonable progress schedule for completing the course.
Peer and Faculty Interaction. For many courses, students participate in active discussion groups as they interact with faculty, the course grader / mentor, and other students to achieve social and cognitive outcomes. The learning center also enables the grader / mentor to receive and return assignments more quickly meaning students have the feedback needed to promote course goals.
Course Assignments. Students find details on assignments and are able to submit them digitally. No more mail delays or lost assignments that frustrate students and jeopardize success.
Grading information. Students see their course grades as soon as the grader / mentor completes assignment evaluation.

Audio Courses from the Institute for Theological Studies (ITS)

WSCLL uses a variety of audio courses developed by the Institute for Theological Studies, an organization which provides graduate-level instructional resources for many of the leading ATS accredited seminaries across the country. At Western Seminary, ITS courses serve primarily as program electives or to support degree programs in the areas of church history, New Testament languages, and intercultural studies.

Most ITS courses are provided for the student on audio CD ROM disks along with a comprehensive workbook. Some ITS courses are available on standard audio CDs that may be played in any standard CD player, and a few courses are in audio tape format. If a course is available in differing formats, you will have the option of choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Hybrid Classes

Some students learn best when they have face-to-face contact with a professor during the course of the semester. If this is true for you, then you might consider registering for a hybrid class. Hybrid students receive DVD ROM materials and complete their coursework in much the same way as standard CLL distance education classes. Unlike standard courses, students in these settings come together once or twice during the semester in a regional location to meet with a Western Seminary professor. During these classes students hear lectures, discuss concepts with fellow students, and ask many of their questions.

Western currently supports hybrid locations in Reno, Nevada; the Tri-Cities (Richland, Washington); Seattle, Washington; and Bakersfield, California. Students may choose to attend a hybrid class at one of these locations, or if you are aware of at least ten other students in your area who would like to pursue ministry training, you can ask Western Seminary to develop a hybrid location where you live. (Please note that students cannot receive residential credit for a hybrid class.)

In-Ministry Classes

Many of the students at Western Seminary are already involved in full-time ministry. They have the unique opportunity to apply today's classroom lessons today in their active ministry context. In-ministry classes are specially designed for these kinds of students, men and women who are currently employed in a ministry with limited opportunity to step inside a classroom setting. These classes allow students to draw upon their practical knowledge and immediately apply the classroom concepts to maximize learning. Special requirements exist for admission to the in-ministry track. But if you are employed in a ministry you should consider looking into this unique program. While in-ministry classes are not considered distance education, they are a critical element to a student's ability to complete a Master of Arts in Specialized Ministry without relocating to a Western Seminary campus.