No abstract

Traditionally, the Bible curriculum in many K-12 Christian schools is based on memory work. If students can correctly reproduce a passage of Scripture, then they are somehow considered to be “educated.” The authors of this paper suggest that a Bible curriculum should be shifted away from this traditional approach and towards an approach that is based in constructivist philosophy. Such a shift is necessary if the goal is to move students toward a mature and thoughtful Christian life. After establishing the need for this shift and describing what the shift would entail, the authors offer brief vignettes of classrooms where the constructivist approach is being used. These vignettes should provide readers with ideas for application of the constructivist approach.

Lifelong learning skills have been shown to benefit students during and after college. This paper discusses the use of the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI) in a first-year composition course. Reflective writing assignments and pre- and post-semester ELLI data were used to assess student growth as lifelong learners over the course of a semester. Statistically significant gains in lifelong learning dimensions were made by students in the study as compared to those in a control group who received no direct instruction. The authors reflect on the outcomes of the project for students and instructors and question the general assumptions often made about the outcomes of a college education, namely, whether students gain lifelong learning skills simply by virtue of attending college, or is more instruction on these “intangible” qualities needed?