Dominican University on the Internet

I n t e r n e t C o m m i t t e e f o r t h e
Order of Preachers

2.1.4 - Dominican University on the Internet

What is it?

People around the world could study using materials provided over the Internet, and by submitting their work to a professor using the Internet. This is similar to study at a correspondence university, except that the correspondence and all reading materials could be provided electronically.

Why do it?

Courses provided in this way can be made available to a wide number of people at a low cost, making university study available to students who could not afford physically to attend classes at one of our established institutions. Two groups spring immediately to mindthose in the developing countries without a good theological institute and those at an established Dominican place of study who are seeking a broader curriculum than their particular institute can provide.

Is it really possible?

Certainly. There are already some on-line study centres on the Internet. Check out

Yahoo! Education:Distance Learn

The Province of Toulouse has a proposal before us to do this (DomUni). Aquinas Institute in St. Louis, Missouri, already has concrete plans to expand their distance learning program using the Internet.

What resources would be needed?

We already have the infra-structure to do this. We would require tutors and administrators, as well as technical computer people to support the enterprise. See the Toulouse proposal for more detail. The total resources needn't be all in the same priory or even the same province. The Internet makes possible a cooperative teaching project.