Section outline

  • Welcome to Getting Started with the Institute of Ministry

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    Institute of Ministry · Course welcome

    Welcome to Getting Started with the Institute of Ministry

    This short, one-time orientation gives you a calm place to learn how the Institute’s learning platform works before your substantive course begins. Nothing here assumes that you have used an online learning platform before.

    Study commitmentApproximately 50 minutes across twelve short units.
    How it is deliveredOnline, self-paced and designed for computers, tablets and phones.
    AssessmentOne harmless practice assignment and one practice quiz; neither contributes to an academic grade.
    Who may beginEvery learner beginning their first Institute course. Complete it once only.

    What this course is about

    Getting Started teaches the practical skills shared by every Institute course: signing in, recovering your account, finding your course, moving between activities, tracking completion, uploading an assignment, taking a timed quiz, finding feedback, managing notifications and obtaining help.

    Who this course is for

    It is for every new Institute learner, including those who are entirely new to online study. Experienced learners should still complete it once so that they understand the Institute’s particular layout, completion controls and support routes. Once completed, it remains valid for later Institute courses.

    What you can expect

    You will work through twelve brief illustrated units, practise uploading an ordinary file and take a low-stakes quiz so that the controls are familiar before any assessed work begins. Some later courses may not use every activity type, but the orientation prepares you for those that do.

    Before you begin

    Use the device on which you expect to study, make sure you can access your email, and have a small non-confidential file available for the practice assignment. Do not upload identity documents, pastoral records or anything sensitive.

    Support, accessibility and communication

    If something does not work as described, contact institute@apostolicoldcatholic.org. If disability, health, caring, language or access needs affect how you use the platform, ask for assistance or a reasonable adjustment. The Formation Policies explain the Institute’s general learner-support and assessment arrangements.

    How to begin

    Open Unit 1 — Welcome — start here, continue in order through Unit 12, submit the practice file and complete the practice quiz. When the course is complete, return to your substantive course; you will not be asked to repeat this orientation.

    Required, assessed and further reading

    This orientation has no academic assessment: its practice assignment and practice quiz carry no marks. In your later Institute courses, the course guidance will tell you what forms part of the assessed content and what is optional enrichment.

    Where a source table uses the key, ✓ means that teaching drawn from the source forms part of the assessed content; it does not mean that you must leave the course and read the linked source in full. ✕ means that the source is optional enrichment and is not assessed directly.

    Further reading is offered in the spirit of generous formation, not formal obligation. Those who engage with it often approach their work with greater depth, reflect with greater honesty and bring something richer to their formation. Think of it as an open door: the Institute has gone to the trouble of finding it for you, and there is much worth walking into.

    External links open on third-party websites. The Institute does not host, control or endorse third-party content, and links may change over time.

    I am Bishop Ashley Deutschmann, Bishop-Rector of the Apostolic Old Catholic Mission and Course Director of the Institute of Ministry. I am glad to welcome you. Please begin carefully, ask when you need help, and give the work the honest attention it deserves.

  • Getting Started — Your Learning Platform Orientation

    Twelve short units | Approximately 50 minutes | Practice assignment and quiz

    What this course is for

    This one-time orientation introduces the Institute of Ministry learning platform before you begin substantive course work. It is deliberately low-stakes and belongs to no particular academic or formation course.

    By the end, you will be able to

    • Sign in and recover your account safely.
    • Find your courses and move confidently through activities.
    • Use completion controls and understand access notes.
    • Submit a file to an assignment.
    • Take and submit a quiz, including a timed attempt.
    • Find feedback, downloads, profile settings, notifications, and help.

    Before you finish

    Mark all twelve units as done, submit the harmless practice file, and complete the practice quiz. Your completed orientation then remains valid for every later Institute course; you do not repeat it.