NCEA - Catholic Distance Learning Network

Mission

The Catholic Distance Learning Network is sponsored by the Seminary Department of the National Catholic Educational Association for the purpose of advancing the education of future priests within a distributed learning framework shared by all member schools. We sponsor courses that foster excellence in human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation within seminaries through the sharing of resources between them.

Rationale

The National Catholic Educational Association’s Seminary Department provides a number of services to its member institutions, including an annual convention, a biennial institute for the preparation of seminary formation staff, ad hoc consultation, special gatherings, various research projects, and the publication of the Seminary Journal. Our desire is to extend the range of our services into providing coordination between seminaries to teach courses online to students enrolled in member schools. In doing this, we hope to strengthen the process by which member schools share human and material resources with one another. It is our expectation that this will not only offer learning opportunities not currently available to students, but that it will also improve the quality of teaching through a combination of the principles of adult learning and the use of appropriate technologies to establish student-oriented learning environments.

Goals

  1. Any seminary or theological school that enjoys membership within the Seminary Department of the NCEA has the right to offer online courses in the Catholic Distance Learning Network provided the faculty member offering a course has successfully completed a qualifying certificate in distance learning.
  2. Courses offered through the network address one or more of the Catholic formation areas -- intellectual, human, spiritual, or pastoral -- alongside global vision issues concerning evangelization/inculturation, ecumenism/unity, interfaith dialogue, and authentic human development.
  3. Cross-registration within the network is freely offered for all students.

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Funded by a grant from the Wabash Center -- Spring 2007.

Last Updated April 6, 2007. © Catholic Distance Learning Network. Made on a Mac by Jeff Geerling.
Teaching Standards:
According to ATS Guidelines 10.3.3.3: "Programs of distance education shall demonstrate the collaborative nature and research dimensions of theological scholarship that foster critical thinking skills. According to the degree program requirements, distance education programs shall seek to enhance personal and spiritual formation appropriate to the school’s mission and ecclesiastical tradition and identity, be sensitive to individual learning styles, and recognize diversity within the community of learners. Courses shall provide sufficient interaction between teachers and learners and among learners to ensure a community of learning and to promote global awareness and sensitivity to local settings."