Here are some general perspectives on academic assessment from the Wabash Center’s blog for theological school deans:
Israel Galindo
The new book by GRACE members Israel Galindo and Marty Canaday, Planning for Christian Education Formation: A Community of Faith Approach (Chalice Press) is immediately available in print and e-book format.
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Recently I ran into one of those perennial educational sticky questions that operate on different levels. The question operates on a range from the philosophical to the pragmatic, and, regardless of the level at which the conversation takes place, emotions can fly high. The question takes several forms, but basic variations are, “Can everything be measured?” or, “Can every kind of learning be measured?” One unspoken question is, “Should learning be measured?”
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I recently attended a panel on continuing education. One of the questions at the center of conversation had to do with effective models for continuing education programs. Some sound ideas were shared, but many missed the mark, educationally speaking. Whether we design a program for continuing education or any other educational event we will do well to keep certain principles of learning in mind. The following are principles and practices for effective learning experiences.
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In 1990 I was asked to design a course for Trinity College in their adult education program (yes, I’m still tossing out files. I’m doing pretty good on this New Year’s Resolution no. 7. Not so much on the others). This was a degree completion course for adults in mid-career and mid-life. The project of designing that course turned into some on-going consultation work, and eventually led to the creation of a life-changing retreat.
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As I was throwing out some old files and materials (New Year’s Resolution no. 7, still working on it) I came across the results of a survey we conducted through Educational Consultants over a decade ago for a large local church. The comprehensive survey yielded a list of thirty-four distinct program “goals” educational leaders wanted to focus on. Needless to say, when you get that many distinct goals on a wish list it’s a sure sign of organizational fragmentation.
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Throwing out some old files and materials (New Year’s Resolution no. 7) I stumbled across an old final exam from a course I offered over two decades ago when I was teaching adjunctively. Reviewing the course material I was struck at how clunky the course was. Whoever let me loose on those poor graduate students during those years will be doing hard time in Purgatory. Being young and foolish is one thing; young, foolish, and passionate is a deadly combination. It seems I had yet a lot to learn about pedagogy and course design.
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I’ve been observing several persons in the process of making decisions. Some of the decisions are personal in nature (quitting one job to take another, ending or starting a relationship, going back to school, moving). Others pertain to leaders making organizational or institutional decisions (dealing with employees, closing a program, dealing with a crisis). In only a few of those instances have I observed persons making quick and decisive choices from several options and then moving toward a new direction. Most people struggle through a long winding, angst-filled process of uncertainty and indecision before achieving resolution and finding direction. Most can’t identify their options, much less come up with new ones.
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For some years I’ve been working with a group of teachers who have been motivated to improve their courses and their classroom performance. These teachers were in a teaching in-service seminar I gave some years ago (almost a decade ago!). It was one of those rare experiences when everything seemed to click: the right people in the same room at the same time sharing the same interest and serendipitously finding the right seminar. A small group from this seminar has continued to pursue their work of becoming excellent teachers, and it has been gratifying to see.
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I often challenge Christian educators that we need to stop giving mere lip service to the importance of Christian education in our churches. It’s not enough to preach its critical importance in helping people grow in faith. It’s not enough to urge leaders to get serious about providing effective Christian education in our congregations. When it comes down to it, Christian education will never improve until resident Christian educators, pastor and staff, start functioning like real educators.
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