Empowering Theological Education Through Digital Transformation: Insights from Phoenix Seminary’s Journey with Perlego

In a world where digital transformation is reshaping higher education, seminaries are increasingly exploring how to stay true to their missions while embracing new learning technologies. In a recent webinar, Dr. David Hogg, President of Phoenix Seminary, shared how his institution is strategically implementing Perlego’s digital learning platform to better serve students and faculty alike. 💡

 💰The Challenge: Limited Access and High Costs

Theological education often relies on specialist texts that can be both expensive and difficult to access. Barriers students face include affordability and availability of core learning materials.

Printed theological texts, particularly from major publishers, can cost hundreds of dollars per course. For many learners, this can be a significant burden, and institutions often find themselves navigating complex licensing arrangements and unpredictable costs.

 💻 Why the digital age calls for a new approach 

Phoenix Seminary recognized that to remain student-focused and sustainable, a new approach was needed. Enter Perlego: a subscription-based digital platform offering unlimited access to academic and theological texts.

“Perlego was a clear front-runner right from the get go,” Dr David Hogg said. “We can bring more resources to our online students around the world in a way that is very cost-effective.” 

He also shared the discoverability benefits from Perego integrating with the library LMS, and how the concurrent access model has been a gamechanger: “We have a good physical library, but this was a way to expand our offering to all our students. Hundreds can read the same book at the same time. That’s huge.”

Dr. Hogg framed digital access not just as a convenience, but as a strategic imperative. He described Perlego as an “equalizer”: a tool that breaks down systemic barriers by giving every student access to the same rich library of resources, on any device, at any time, whether they are online or campus-based. The ‘Read Aloud’ text-to-speech tool was highlighted as especially popular with commuting students. 

“Students can start reading instantly. It’s seamless,” he notes, emphasizing how the platform helps overcome delays in purchasing physical books, especially for remote learners, and how it works across platforms – from tablet, to laptop, and phone. 

🤝 Faculty Buy-In: the Key to unlocking Success

Dr. Hogg emphasised the importance of faculty engagement. Digital transformation efforts can falter when academic staff aren’t involved early, don’t see the value and lack confidence with new technologies. 

Phoenix Seminary approached this proactively, with faculty training sessions run in partnership with Perlego. What they found was a platform that didn’t just serve students: it improved their own teaching workflows.

Professors could easily assign readings, link directly to texts, and ensure that all students had immediate and equitable access. This level of consistency, combined with features such as robust note-taking and highlighting, helped to enhance academic engagement on both sides of the classroom.

📚Real-World Benefits: Flexibility, Affordability, Engagement

Throughout the webinar, three core benefits of Phoenix Seminary’s Perlego implementation emerged:

• Cost-Efficiency: Instead of purchasing books individually, students and institutions pay for access via a simple license model. This pricing structure is especially valuable for budget-conscious seminaries.
  
  
• Improved Access: Whether on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, students can access their texts anytime. This flexibility is essential for working students, part-time learners, and those studying remotely.
  
  
• Engaging features: Tools like in-app search, notes, citations, and Read Aloud have helped both students and faculty work more efficiently and stay organized, without sacrificing academic depth.
  
  

🏫 Lessons for Other Institutions: why Trust and Training matter

Dr. Hogg was clear: implementing digital resources is not without its challenges. Concerns around digital literacy and institutional readiness are real. But with the right support and communication, these can be overcome.

His advice to other seminaries? Start with pilot groups. Build trust. Highlight the tangible benefits, like affordability and equity, and work closely with partners who understand the unique needs of theological institutions.

Perlego’s dedicated account support team played a critical role in helping Phoenix Seminary manage the transition smoothly, offering onboarding and training tailored to faculty and students.

💡Final Thoughts

For theological institutions navigating the tension between tradition and innovation, Phoenix Seminary offers a compelling case study in how digital tools can enhance, not replace, the richness of theological education.

As Dr. Hogg put it, “Digital transformation isn’t about abandoning our roots. It’s about using new tools to deepen access, enrich learning, and serve our students more faithfully.”

Find out more about how Perlego can make course materials accessible and affordable for your theology instItution: