The Joy of Teaching (online)

I fell in love with teaching from the moment I was asked to lead a mid-week youth Bible study at my small, non-denominational church in the forests of Washington State. The research, the planning, and the shared experience of exploring new topics with my peers—every aspect captivated me.

Fast forward to the first class that I was asked to design and teach at the University of Aberdeen and the joy was still there! Each slide, film clip, and discussion point of that first “Theology and Popular Culture” course felt like a gift, and I was thrilled to see many students actively engage in thoughtful and creative ways.

Now, nearly two decades later, my passion for teaching hasn't waned—even though the setting has often moved online. In many ways, the shift to digital pedagogies has made me a better, more creative, and attentive educator. Unlike the common misconception that converting a course to an online format merely involves uploading old lectures, effective online teaching requires a lot of innovation. Today’s online pedagogy invites us to diversify our methods, using a mix of synchronous and asynchronous activities to reach our students more dynamically.

Online teaching also prompts me to continuously learn, adapt, and evolve. Just this week, I had to figure out how to use Chat GPT to transform an old Christology outline into an interactive timeline for my BrightSpace platform. It was a moment that highlighted not just the importance of learning new technologies, but also how technology can come to the service of theology.

As I explored in my PhD research, while theologians may not be the first people you associate with cutting-edge tech, the Christian church has a rich history of leveraging emerging technologies for the sake Gospel. From the Apostle Paul's letters that were carried by the Roman road system to modern-day digital churches, information technologies have long shaped the Church’s methods for teaching, preaching, and forming the faithful.

As I look to the future, I’m filled with hopeful optimism. I am excited about the limitless possibilities of using the full spectrum of educational tools to teach the next generation of church leaders. My prayer is that the creativity we embrace in the classroom will continue to breathe new life into parishes worldwide.

Dean Michael