Little Rock seminarians can study philosophy locally

St. Gregory University offers its first opportunity for synchronous learning in LR

Published: September 15, 2015

By Aprille Hanson
Associate Editor

Aprille Hanson

House of Formation seminarians Omar Galvan (left), Vince Kozlowski, Ben Riley and Emmanuel Torres listen and watch Dr. Sean Connolly teach from 300 miles away at St. Gregory University in Shawnee, Okla. Each class is displayed interactively on a large screen via Internet feed controlled by laptop.

Aprille Hanson

What are some characteristics that we share with a dog?

“Intellect?” Somewhat, but not so much when it comes to human reasoning, Dr. Sean Connolly explained to four House of Formation seminarians during his Philosophy of the Human Person course Aug. 31.

“Appetite?” Yes, that’s correct, he said, immediately writing the answer on the chalkboard about 300 miles away.

Little Rock seminarians Vince Kozlowski, Omar Galván, Ben Riley and Emmanuel Torres meet three times a week for their 50-minute philosophy class via a live video stream from St. Gregory University in Shawnee, Okla.

“This is working a lot better than things we’ve tried in the past,” Riley said. “We tried to do online philosophy and that’s really tough; you have to have dialogue and doing it online can be difficult not having that question and answer from the teacher … It’s great to actually have the dialogue with the teacher.”

Though they are in a class of about 30, the professor makes sure to include them in discussions. Cameras hang from the ceiling and a large screen at the front of the classroom, which is connected to a laptop, shows the professor. Since the class is a study of our “own identity,” Connolly said it’s imperative to have dialogue.

“Over the years I’ve taught a number of different online courses, and I find that whatever model is followed, that course will stand or fall depending on how much direct and personal conduct the instructor and students have with one another. I believe an education isn’t just the transfer of information, but an engagement between people,” he said. “This is the reason I insisted on using a synchronous video conferencing model for this class.”

When the House of Formation, on the campus of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Little Rock, decided to expand with the annex and classrooms, technology was built in for the purpose of providing distance learning.

“We have over the past couple of years developed a way we could have seminarians here in the diocese study and earn their bachelor’s degree in philosophy and remain in the diocese,” said Deacon Chuck Ashburn, director of the diocese’s Office of Faith Formation.

Before the House of Formation was established in 2009, diocesan seminarians had to study at seminaries out of state.

The Little Rock Theology Institute has had a long-term partnership with St. Gregory University.

“It signifies another step in evolving of our relationship with St. Gregory and the Diocese of Little Rock, which really goes back to the late 1990s with Bishop (Andrew) McDonald when we first began offering faith formation classes at St. John Center,” said Abbot Lawrence Stasyszen, OSB, of St. Gregory Abbey and the chancellor of its university.

The seminarians have so far enjoyed distance learning, even though it’s required some adjustments, they told Arkansas Catholic.

“One of my problems I had was I wanted to raise my hand and he’s not looking at the camera” all the time, Galván said. “I was afraid of speaking up in case other students raised their hand.”

However, Connelly told them to be as involved as the other 30 students in the class. Abbot Lawrence said in the future, there may be the possibility for the Oklahoma students to see the seminarians and vice versa.

Torres said St. Gregory has “wonderful teachers” who understand the Catholic faith.

“As a seminarian going to be a priest it’s better to be taught by someone with a religious background,” Kozlowski said.

Ashburn said the University of Arkansas at Little Rock “has been great” working with seminarians in core courses and will continue, but there’s something special about a Catholic university instructing future priests.

For the first class Aug. 17, Abbot Lawrence sat in with the seminarians at the House of Formation.

“I thought it would be a great experience for me and gesture of importance for me to make the drive over to Little Rock and be present for the first day of the class,” he said.