Course Format

What does a Semlink experience look like? What do I receive with my course materials? How long does it take to complete a course? Continue reading below to get a brief picture of what taking a Semlink course might look like for you.

> Course Materials
> Course Timeline

A typical Semlink course consists of two main components: a set of recorded lectures and a course notebook. Both are available in a number of different formats that you can select during the registration process. Most courses come with a CD-ROM that contains everything you need aside from textbooks to complete the course.

Lectures: Each course comes with a full audio lecture set. These lectures were recorded in a live classroom at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and then edited for use with the Semlink program (except for the ITS courses).

CD: The CD-ROM contains these lectures in a compressed .mp3 format. These discs will often play in standalone MP3 players and many home DVD players can also read these files. While you are not permitted to share these lectures or give them away, you can also copy the .mp3 files onto whatever portable MP3 device you may have (for example, the Apple iPod) to be able to take the lectures with you wherever you go.

Audio CDs: All lectures are delivered on audio cd's which is great for use in car stereos and portable stereos that don't have the capability of playing .mp3 files. While the entire lecture series, when compressed in .mp3 format, can fit on a single CD-ROM, it requires approximately 20 audio cd's to hold the lectures for a typical Semlink class.

Audio Cassettes: All lectures are delivered on audio cassettes which is great for use in car stereos and portable stereos that don't have the capability of playing .mp3 files. While the entire lecture series, when compressed in .mp3 format, can fit on a single CD-ROM, it requires approximately 20 audio cassettes to hold the lectures for a typical Semlink class.

Course Notebook:Also included with every Semlink course is a course notebook. These notebooks have been designed in-house by a team of Semlink Notebook Writers. They contain full syllabus and introductory information, complete lecture outlines, appendices and a workbook section that can be completed as you listen to each lecture. These notebooks are designed to help you process what you are learning as you listen to the lectures.

CD: The CD-ROM contains the full course notebook electronically as a .pdf file, viewable in Adobe Acrobat. If you prefer to have a paper copy, you are able to print the pages you need. The CD-ROM takes up very little room on a shelf, and is well-suited to students who travel often or who intend to continue studying overseas where space in luggage is at a premium.

Printed Notebook: If you elect to purchase the printed version you will be provided with a hard copy of the full course notebook in a three-ring binder.

[top]

Timeline: Upon receiving your course materials, you will have six (6) months to complete your Semlink course (20 weeks for language courses). During this time, you must listen to the lectures, complete all the readings, all assignments and projects, all examinations and fulfill all the interactivity requirements. Courses can have up to 30 hours of lecture material, and typically require about 1000 pages of reading in addition to a midterm and final examination, and any assignments.

Flexibility: This does not mean that you have to take the full six months to complete your course. Many students find that they have a month off of work and can devote significant time to working on a Semlink class every day of that month. This is the Semlink advantage: you can work at your own pace, and you can fit a Semlink class into almost any timeline you have available.

Minimum Time Required: There is a minimum amount of time you are allowed to spend on a Semlink class--not as an enforced rule, but as a practical outworking of how the program is set up. Each course has certain interactivity requirements, and these are designed to be spread out across the duration of your course. One type of interactivity requires emailing your Semlink Teaching Fellow back and forth a minimum of three times. This takes time--about a week for each interaction. So while there is no official minimum amount of time you must spend on a Semlink course, we have found that there is a practical minimum of about one month that is required in order to complete your interactivity requirements. You can expect to allow five (5) business days for each Teaching Fellow response.

 

[top]