Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

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Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Could anyone give feedback on what it is like to study Greek by e-learning?

I have found two recognised colleges that offer online Greek.

Puritan reformed theological seminary (PRTS) offers what looks like an intensive course in grammar (IS-211 Online Greek I) then in syntax (IS-212 Online Greek II), and

The South African theological seminary (SATS) offers a course in how to use exegetical tools well (BIB33120 Introduction to Biblical Languages), as well as courses in the language proper (BIB4125 Biblical Greek 1 & BIB4126 Biblical Greek).

Has anyone done any of these courses (or other ones)? Is learning Greek online a workable alternative to the face-to-face classroom?
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Stephen Carlson
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Re: Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

Post by Stephen Carlson »

I haven't any experience myself, but I'm responding to bump this to the top of the active post and hope that someone back from vacation can comment.
Stephen C. Carlson, Ph.D.
Melbourne, Australia
Shirley Rollinson
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Joined: June 4th, 2011, 6:19 pm
Location: New Mexico
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Re: Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

Post by Shirley Rollinson »

Stephen Hughes wrote:Could anyone give feedback on what it is like to study Greek by e-learning?

I have found two recognised colleges that offer online Greek.

Puritan reformed theological seminary (PRTS) offers what looks like an intensive course in grammar (IS-211 Online Greek I) then in syntax (IS-212 Online Greek II), and

The South African theological seminary (SATS) offers a course in how to use exegetical tools well (BIB33120 Introduction to Biblical Languages), as well as courses in the language proper (BIB4125 Biblical Greek 1 & BIB4126 Biblical Greek).

Has anyone done any of these courses (or other ones)? Is learning Greek online a workable alternative to the face-to-face classroom?
I haven't learned a language online - but I do teach both Greek and Latin online. It takes a very, very committed student to complete a course satisfactorily - but for some students it's about the only way they can do it. Do all the homework, ask questions of the instructor if you don't understand something, and keep on reading the GNT - aloud, so that you hear Greek as well as speak it.
As an encouragment - the student who won the Zondervan Greek Award at ENMU last year was an online student. And as a further bit of "frosting on the cake" - he drove 250 miles to come to the campus for the awards ceremony, saw the campus, liked it so much he enquired about jobs here, found one that exactly fitted his experience and interests, interviewed for it, got the job, and is now working on campus and able to take in-class courses - so has added Hebrew (only given in-class) to his Greek and Latin.

I'm not teaching Greek online this semester, but last year's course is still up on the web, so if you like to "audit" it, just go to
http://www.drshirley.org/gr201/index.html
Also - the textbook I use for both online and in-class sections is online, at
http://www.drshirley.org/greek/textbook/index.html
You're welcome to browse through it, and if anything's not clear, just send an email and ask :-)
Thanks,
Shirley Rollinson
Stephen Hughes
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Joined: February 26th, 2013, 7:12 am

Re: Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

Post by Stephen Hughes »

Shirley Rollinson wrote:You're welcome to browse through it
Thanks for that.
Shirley Rollinson wrote: It takes a very, very committed student to complete a course satisfactorily - but for some students it's about the only way they can do it. Do all the homework, ask questions of the instructor if you don't understand something, and keep on reading the GNT - aloud, so that you hear Greek as well as speak it.
As an encouragment - the student who won the Zondervan Greek Award at ENMU last year was an online student.
Some people say that self-taught is best taught.

Do you have any strategies for taking the number of successful students out of single digits and into the tens of thousands? (That is serious question) ;)
Γελᾷ δ' ὁ μωρός, κἄν τι μὴ γέλοιον ᾖ
(Menander, Γνῶμαι μονόστιχοι 108)
Shirley Rollinson
Posts: 415
Joined: June 4th, 2011, 6:19 pm
Location: New Mexico
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Re: Greek by e-learning. Does it work?

Post by Shirley Rollinson »

Stephen Hughes wrote: Do you have any strategies for taking the number of successful students out of single digits and into the tens of thousands? (That is serious question) ;)
I wish I could - but I work best with small classes or one-on-one for advanced or special cases.
20 in an online class is my maximum (and that's not for a language, but for subjects like Bib. Arch. or InterTestamental Era or Science and Religion)
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