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NSBT

Academics

Online Learning

An online school of theology

Learning at NSBT is entirely online. While there may be occasional opportunities for gathering in conferences, intensive workshops, special pastoral training events, and eventually graduation exercises, the main forms of teaching and learning, and the supplementary work of student services and support, are conducted online. Online learning employs a variety of methods including discussion boards, videos, and teleconferencing. Students can expect to make use of all of these resources through the course of their journey at NSBT.

Online learning is student-centered. Students are expected to become active participants in the process of gathering information and constructing new knowledge out of it, and not simply be passive recipients of ideas being passed down. Learning is collaborative and interactive. It also requires students to draw upon their own experience, background, and culture as they relate the knowledge they are collectively creating to their various contexts, which are often different. The instructor of an online class serves more as “a guide on the side” than “the sage on the stage.”

How a course runs

Each NSBT course carries three semester credit hours, and students typically concentrate on one course in each session. Every NSBT course is built inside Populi to the same structure, so that a student who has taken one course knows where to find things in the next.

Delivery is asynchronous at its center with a scheduled synchronous element every week. The asynchronous core is the weekly threaded discussion in Populi.

Faculty are present in that discussion rather than watching it.

NSBT does not use course examinations. Faculty review and respond to student work within one week of submission, providing substantive feedback that addresses both academic content and ministry application.

Each instructed course carries a weekly community meeting held by video conference. Attendance is not required and is not graded.

A 3-credit course entails at least 135 hours of work, which means in an eight-week online session students should plan on approximately 18 to 23 clock hours per week of reading, writing, and online communication. While the amount and difficulty of readings varies from course to course, students should generally expect to be assigned up to 500 pages of reading (or equivalent in videos) per credit.

Three non-credit courses sit alongside the degree curriculum and are published in the Academic Catalog as required non-credit class experiences: MCM001 Tutorial for On-Line Learning, MCM002 Library Orientation, and MCM003 Research Skills & Writing Center.

Academic credit hours

A “credit hour” (also called in some institutions an “academic unit”) is the traditional means by which schools of higher education have measured the amount of course work necessary for completion of a particular degree in the Western academic system. The number of credit hours for which a course is listed in a traditional, physical classroom setting is defined by a combination of the number of hours spent in personal, face-to-face encounter in a physical classroom, plus the number of additional hours spent in “out of class” supplementary work such as completing reading assignments, conducting library research, engaging in field interviews, or writing papers. One such academic credit typically represented 45 hours of work, entailing 15 hours of personal encounter in a traditional classroom in a physical classroom, plus an additional 30 hours of “out of class” work.

Online learning presents a challenge to the notion of the credit hour, but it does not abandon the standard. A single credit hour online can still represent 45 hours of learning.

The learning management system

NSBT uses Populi as its learning management system (LMS) for its Master’s degree programs.

Here they will find the digital classroom environment, news postings, reminders for upcoming assignments, and more about life at NSBT. After receiving verification of their acceptance and have indicated their intentions to enroll, students will be given instructions as to how to access Populi, along with their login information and a temporary password.

All new students are required to complete the initial online orientation, and introductory tutorials are provided as part of this orientation process. A tutorial to guide them through Populi can also be accessed on YouTube. Simply search online for “NSBT Logging in Video Tutorial.”

Support

All candidates for a degree at NSBT are assigned at their initial enrollment an academic advisor from among the faculty. All communication between advisors and advisees through email should be conducted through the NSBT email system. Communication between advisors and advisees can also be conducted over the phone or by video conference.

NSBT operates a weekly Writing Lab that addresses graduate-level academic writing, argument, structure, and citation.

Communication policy

NSBT uses institutional communication systems and approved educational technologies to facilitate academic instruction, student support, and institutional operations. Students and faculty are expected to communicate professionally and regularly through approved institutional platforms, including the Populi LMS and institutional email systems.

Faculty and students are expected to:

  • communicate respectfully and professionally at all times;
  • regularly monitor institutional email and course announcements;
  • respond to communications within a reasonable time frame;
  • maintain appropriate academic and ministry-related conduct in all online interactions;
  • protect the confidentiality and privacy of student and institutional information;
  • use institutional communication tools for official academic matters.

Faculty are expected to provide:

  • timely responses to student questions and concerns;
  • regular course announcements and updates;
  • constructive academic feedback;
  • clear assignment expectations and instructional guidance;
  • support for student engagement and participation.

Students are expected to:

  • regularly participate in course discussions and communications;
  • use their institutional email accounts for official communication;
  • communicate respectfully with faculty and peers;
  • seek clarification when needed regarding assignments or course expectations;
  • maintain professional online communication practices.

The Office of Student Services is reached at studentservices@nsbt.org.