Remotely Close: A Practical Guidebook for Christian Online Higher Education

After ten years of online education, I had earned an MA and a Ph.D. Though incredibly grateful for this time of learning and growing, there was still something amiss once it was all finished. It wasn’t easy to figure out why I felt this way, but it finally came to me. Ultimately, I cannot point to one meaningful long-term friendship that was formed with either a peer or professor. The accessible, convenient, and affordable pathways of online educational delivery systems paved the way for me to achieve my learning goals, and for that, I am thankful. Yet, the feeling of being robbed of the human element and the benefit of gaining another’s perspective remained.

Online education is here to stay. No one is arguing that fact. Even now, new technological advancements continue to emerge, offering innovative approaches to helping people to continue learning. I celebrate this and encourage it, but not at the expense of the human element. This book puts forward research-based findings that offer evidence that students, professors, and schools are far more likely to achieve their goals when solid friendships exist.

A solidly Christian and Biblical perspective undergirds and supports the results of this one-and-a-half-year doctoral research project that is the basis for this book. Questions that are considered through these pages include:

1. Why do relationships matter in online education?
2. Who is responsible for creating relational connections in online education?
3. Where and when can social opportunities happen in online education?
4. Is there a Biblical precedent for learning in relational communities?
5. Are there dangers to learning in isolation?

By using inspirational true stories, Biblical examples, and data gleaned from the research, arguments are made that all in online education win if genuine friendships exist and we enjoy the support of a Christian community.