Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS)

Urantia Book Internet School

Introduction
Purpose and Method
Rules of the School
Schedules of Courses (registration information here)
The School Needs Your Help

Introduction

One of the duties of Urantia Foundation is to provide means and methods to disseminate the teachings of The Urantia Book worldwide. Many readers have expressed a need for a place where they could join and study The Urantia Book with experienced, long time readers. This in turn leads to the development of teachers and leaders. The Internet School is envisioned as a means to help students from all over the world study The Urantia Book in an electronic setting that frees the students from the constraints of distance, timetables, and physical presence. Courses will be given in small classes under the guidance of an experienced teacher/facilitator using the "Questions and Response" technique. The Urantia Book Internet School is designed to help the student:

develop a progressive approach to difficult concepts
enlarge his or her comprehension by going deeper into the revelation;
learn teamwork and the fostering of good will, and
develop methods for presentation and dissemination of the teachings.

Purpose and Method of The Urantia Book Internet School

Interpreting the truths and teachings in The Urantia Book is not the purpose of the School. The Fifth Epochal Revelation came to us in book form expressly because the Revelators wanted each human being to have a first hand experience with the revelatory material. Thus, the Internet School's purpose is to provide a tool to assist each student in experiencing the Revelation first hand and to promote, improve and expand his/her comprehension through a non interpretive, non-invasive, and non aggressive pedagogy.

The Method

The teacher/facilitator will placeon the UBIS website a set of study questions and page references related to the course topic. Students will select and prepare responses to three of the six study questions provided by the Teacher/Facilitator. Sometime during the study week, students will enter their responses to the questions in the appropriate place provided on the UBIS website. At the beginning of the "Discussion Week" the students may view all the responses, and the teacher and the students may then discuss the responses by entering their comments on the website. The 8-week format is divided into 4 PERIODS of 2 weeks each: week #1 study and questions, week #2 discussion. Week #9 is the "Summary Assignment" and concluding comments week . This method is designed to provide two functions: to allow new readers to study in a friendly, supportive atmosphere, and to provide an opportunity for students to develop skills as teachers/facilitators . The Teacher/Facilitator's role is to provide study questions adaptable to all levels of familiarity with the text and to encourage students to experientially integrate and creatively synthesize the material in the assigned reading.

Organization of the Courses The UBIS courses are ten weeks in duration. The first week is a "pre-course" week for the purpose of Roll Call, personal introductions, and other information. The course then begins, having an 8-week format which is divided into 4 PERIODS of 2 weeks each: week #1 is for study, week #2 discussion. The final week, week #10, is the Summary Week.

Bi-Weekly Procedure:

The Urantia Book Internet School courses are presented on the UBIS website. After Registration, students go to the website on the first day of the "pre-course" week, and sign in. They answer the roll call, enter their personal introductions, and read the information provided by the Teacher/Facilitator. This is followed by the 8-week course: the course is divided into 4 PERIODS of 2 weeks each. The student goes to the website, reads the teacher's comments and selects study questions for that week's study assignments. The students enter their responses to the study questions on the website during Week #1 of PERIOD 1. Week #2 of PERIOD 1 is the Discussion week. The student goes to the website, reads all the student responses, and participates in the week's discussion. This procedure is repeated for the next three 2-week PERIODS.

How to Begin a Course:

After reading the "Rules of the School", and reading through the COURSE OFFERINGS on the UBIS website, you may select and register for a course. A confirmation message and Log In information will be sent to you via your email address. At the conclusion of the 2-week registration period, the "Pre-course Week" takes place. The student needs to log in and respond to the Roll Call. On the first day of PERIOD 1, log in, enter your password, and go to the website classroom. You will read the teacher's Introduction and the study questions for the reading assignment for that week. Enter your Responses to the questions on the website by first week's deadline; At the beginning of the second week all of the student's responses will appear on the website, and the discussion begins. You participate in the discussion by logging in on the website, going to the classroom, and entering your discussion comments.This procedure describes the two-week activities of PERIOD 1. Each course is made up of four 2-week PERIODS and a concluding "Summary Week".

The Rules of the School

The Urantia Book Internet School is dedicated to the study of The Urantia Book and is sponsored by Urantia Foundation to help the community of Urantia Book readers. All interpretations and comments are those of their authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Urantia Foundation. When subscribing to the Internet School you agree to the following:

To interact with other students and teachers according to the spirit of the teachings of The Urantia Book by being respectful of the differing levels of comprehension, diversity of perspective, and varied communication skills of fellow readers;
To adhere to class deadlines and study requirements;
To respect the privacy rights of fellow students by keeping course content, student repsonses, and discussion within the confines of the classroom site;
To use the classroom site for discussion of course topics and The Urantia Book and refrain from engaging in discussion of other non-related topics, texts, or websites;
To refrain from exceeding the maximum length of 150 words when entering responses to the study questions.

The Schedule of Courses

The "Schedule of Courses" and information on how to register may be viewed here before Registration begins. Registration takes place on the UBIS website. Registration is on a "first come, first serve" basis for 1st and 2nd time applicants. Due to the popularity of UBIS courses we will wait-list applications from students who have already taken two courses or more until the second week of registration. This ensures that our courses are open to new as well as returning students. Each class is limited to 20 participants. After Registration begins, the courses offered for the Semester can be viewed by clicking on COURSE OFFERINGS on the HOME page of the UBIS website. Click here to go to the Schedule of Courses and Registration Information.

The School Needs Your Help

This project can become a very efficient means to study The Urantia Book worldwide if it is well organized and wisely conducted. It is an exciting project which requires time and dedication. It is not a one man show but team work. Interested and dedicated individuals who want to participate are welcome to submit ideas and improve its functioning. It is clear that this school can function only with benevolent individuals dedicated to serve The Urantia Book community of readers. The school needs experienced readers with educational skills (either formal or informal), computer skills, and the available time to serve as teacher/facilitators. In addition, those interested in preparing and presenting a course should first experience a course as a student. We welcome your participation and look forward to hearing from you.

Dorothy Elder
UBIS Director- English Version
delder03@sprynet.com

Urantia Book Internet School (UBIS)