Reader/writer and Zotero blues...

It's been two weeks since my last post... but rest assured that I'm not resting! I have been working on the "Background to proposal" document requested by my supervisor(s), and am continuing reading at the same time. It's remarkable how easy (or is efficient a better word?) it is to prepare that document now that I have read broadly and have Zotero assisting me to search through notes.

I am now ready to remove 4b) from my system (see earlier post), as I am satisfied that Zotero will perform the same function much more effectively. It is hard to properly draw from "a repository of ideas" when it is a lengthy document that is continually updated.

My reading recently has been as follows:

• Mary Hess's Engaging technology in theological education.
  
• Gresham's (2006) The divine pedagogy as a model for online education, Teaching Theology and Religion 9(1), 24-28 - and it's logical co-requisite...
• ... Kelsey's (2002) Spiritual machines, personal bodies, and God: Theological education and theological anthropology, Teaching Theology and Religion 5(1), 2-9.
  

I am actively exploring the main objections to theological education at a (virtual) distance, which I suggest to be the themes of formation, community, and embodiment. Kelsey's and Gresham's work feeds nicely into the category of embodiment, which of course draws on the example of the incarnation of Jesus. Kelsey's anthropological centering is nicely addressed by Gresham, who suggests that the embodiment objection to online education is the result of misunderstanding the implications of the incarnation. Gresham (2006, p.27) proposes that “virtual instruction can be incarnational if it points students toward response to the gospel in their daily lives and if the instructor communicates his or her own lived participation in the truth”. Communication, says Gresham (2006), is more important than presence; indeed, unless the instructor is able to personally communicate with students, Gresham questions whether a classroom is in itself incarnational.

I'm enjoying seeing all of this debated.

Now, to my Zotero issue...

I have been singing the praises of Zotero in this blog, and only yesterday I was asked to demonstrate it to students on campus here. However, I have a problem. The associations with Zotero in my documents are being lost! I have reported the issue (see this thread) and have since been corresponding with one Zotero support person via email. I have sent some document samples in the hope that the issue can be revised (ignore the last post in the thread linked to above - it's being followed up). I have to say that I am exceptionally impressed with the support I have received so far, even though the issue is not yet resolved. In the meantime I am continuing to edit the document and adding citations manually. It will be easy to link the proper citations in later!

I am back to reading one article per day (I have now planned which articles on which days) and have also started Mezirow's Learning as transformation. I was also referred to a recent PhD thesis submitted by someone here in Auckland on the subject of transformation in theological education... I hope to meet with the Dr behind it soon!