CED 521
Psychology of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Perspectives on Learning
The material included in these notes was derived from the assigned readings in Part I of the textbook, How We Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Guide to Educational Psychology, by Issler and Habermas.
Chapter 1
Why Worry about How We Learn?
Purposes
On page 16 of the text, the authors stated that the subject of educational psychology can be, at times, “overly complicated” and somewhat “mystifying.” They then stated that, “The purpose of the book is to ‘demystify’ the subject (of educational psychology)—to outline a basic biblical theology and psychology of learning,” in an attempt “to make our teaching ministry more effective.”
The authors argued that a book about educational psychology in the congregational context was necessary because “a distinctively Christian perspective on the subject of teaching” was needed, a perspective that “accounts for both natural and supernatural realities directed at the learning process.”
In your own words, describe your understanding of the authors’ call for a distinctively Christian perspective on the subject of teaching. What do the authors mean by “natural and supernatural realities”?
Three Set of Skills
The authors stated that the book would focus on three sets of skills that a teacher would address through their reading of this book. These included:
1. Selecting Teaching Methods. How do we select appropriate teaching methods based of the demands of the content and the needs of the students?
2. Diagnosing Learning Problems. What dynamics are at work when the learning process is difficult?
3. Anticipating Teachable Moments. How would you define the phrase, “teachable moments”?
Three Propositions about the Nature of Learning
To further illustrate their assumption that the nature of Christian learning is unique, the authors offered and discussed three propositions regarding the nature of learning. As you read these propositions, speculate on the question, “How would I approach the task of Christian education in the congregational context if this statement was 100% truth?”
Proposition #1
What is learning among believers resulted solely from the work of God?
Proposition #2
What if learning among believers resulted solely from human effort?
Proposition #3
What if Christian students fully understood whatever they heard?
Three Implicit Fallacies that Form Barriers to Learning
On pages 20-23 of the text, the authors listed and described three implicit fallacies that offer form barriers to learning in the congregation context. These are listed below. For each statement, be prepared to describe your understanding of the limitations and flaws associated with the sentence.
To Teach is To Tell
To Tell is To Know
To Know is To Do
A Definition of Learning
At the bottom of page 23, the authors stated their basic definition of learning from a Christian perspective. That definition is printed below:
Learning for Christians is change that is facilitated through deliberate or incidental experience, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, in which they acquire and regularly integrate developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, values, emotions, skills, habits, and dispositions into an increasingly Christ-like life.
· What is your reaction/response to this definition?
· What words included in this definition stand out to you?
· What would be your definition of learning from a Christian perspective?
Five Elements of Learning
In an overview of the material to be included in the remainder of the book, the author listed and briefly described five elements of learning. These included:
Levels of Learning—What can we learn? (covered in Chapter 2)
Extent of Learning—How well can we learn? (covered in Chapter 2)
Avenues of Learning—In what ways can we learn? (covered in Chapters 3-5)
Readiness for Learning—Are we prepared to learn? (covered in Chapters 6-9)
Nature of Learning—What is the essence of learning? (covered in Chapters 10-11)
Barriers to Christian Learning
On pages 24-27, the authors highlighted a number of barriers to Christian learning. Please read and review these barriers. Then address the following question:
· Which of these barriers has been present in your own Christian learning?
· Which of these barriers has been most prevalent in the teaching ministry of your congregation?
A Definition of Christian Education
On page 28, the authors cited a definition of Christian education (which is printed below):
Christian education is a reverent attempt to discover the divinely ordained process by which individuals grow in Christ-likeness, and to work with that process (Harner, 1939, p. 20)
· What is your reaction/response to this definition?
· What words included in this definition stand out to you?
· What would be your definition of Christian education?
Chapter 2
What Can We Learn?
In this chapter, the authors listed, described, and illustrated four domains or levels of learning from a Christian perspective:
1. Affective Level (emotions and attitudes)…associated with powerful feelings
2. Behavioral (or psychomotor) Level (physical skills and habits)…associated with the body
3. Cognitive Level (knowledge and intellectual skills)…associated with the brain
4. Dispositional (volitional or conative) Level (values and tendencies to act)…associated with the will
Please read the entire chapter and be familiar with the specific characteristics associated with each of the four levels of learning.
· During the class session, the members of the class will be divided into four small groups.
· Each small group will be assigned one of the four levels of learning discussed in the chapter.
· Next, one person in each small group will aloud read Luke 15:11-32 (The Parable of the Faithful Father).
· Each small group will then be asked to develop 3-5 learning objectives (associated with their assigned level of learning) for a Bible study lesson on this passage. The members of the group should classify each of these objectives (cognitive learning based on the information in Table 2.1, behavioral learning based on the information in Table 2.4, affective learning based on the information in Table 2.5, and dispositional learning based on the information in Figure 2.1.
· Each group will have approximately 15 minutes to complete their work.
· A spokesperson for each small group will summarize the learning objectives for the entire class.
· The professor will be available for consultation and will make additional comments as necessary.
CED 521
Psychology of Religious Learning
Timothy W. Brock
Perspectives on Learning
The material included in these notes was derived from the assigned readings in Part I of the textbook, How We Learn: A Christian Teacher’s Guide to Educational Psychology, by Issler and Habermas.
Chapter 1
Why Worry about How We Learn?
Purposes
On page 16 of the text, the authors stated that the subject of educational psychology can be, at times, “overly complicated” and somewhat “mystifying.” They then stated that, “The purpose of the book is to ‘demystify’ the subject (of educational psychology)—to outline a basic biblical theology and psychology of learning,” in an attempt “to make our teaching ministry more effective.”
The authors argued that a book about educational psychology in the congregational context was necessary because “a distinctively Christian perspective on the subject of teaching” was needed, a perspective that “accounts for both natural and supernatural realities directed at the learning process.”
In your own words, describe your understanding of the authors’ call for a distinctively Christian perspective on the subject of teaching. What do the authors mean by “natural and supernatural realities”?
Three Set of Skills
The authors stated that the book would focus on three sets of skills that a teacher would address through their reading of this book. These included:
1. Selecting Teaching Methods. How do we select appropriate teaching methods based of the demands of the content and the needs of the students?
2. Diagnosing Learning Problems. What dynamics are at work when the learning process is difficult?
3. Anticipating Teachable Moments. How would you define the phrase, “teachable moments”?
Three Propositions about the Nature of Learning
To further illustrate their assumption that the nature of Christian learning is unique, the authors offered and discussed three propositions regarding the nature of learning. As you read these propositions, speculate on the question, “How would I approach the task of Christian education in the congregational context if this statement was 100% truth?”
Proposition #1
What is learning among believers resulted solely from the work of God?
Proposition #2
What if learning among believers resulted solely from human effort?
Proposition #3
What if Christian students fully understood whatever they heard?
Three Implicit Fallacies that Form Barriers to Learning
On pages 20-23 of the text, the authors listed and described three implicit fallacies that offer form barriers to learning in the congregation context. These are listed below. For each statement, be prepared to describe your understanding of the limitations and flaws associated with the sentence.
To Teach is To Tell
To Tell is To Know
To Know is To Do
A Definition of Learning
At the bottom of page 23, the authors stated their basic definition of learning from a Christian perspective. That definition is printed below:
Learning for Christians is change that is facilitated through deliberate or incidental experience, under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, in which they acquire and regularly integrate developmentally appropriate knowledge, attitudes, values, emotions, skills, habits, and dispositions into an increasingly Christ-like life.
· What is your reaction/response to this definition?
· What words included in this definition stand out to you?
· What would be your definition of learning from a Christian perspective?
Five Elements of Learning
In an overview of the material to be included in the remainder of the book, the author listed and briefly described five elements of learning. These included:
Levels of Learning—What can we learn? (covered in Chapter 2)
Extent of Learning—How well can we learn? (covered in Chapter 2)
Avenues of Learning—In what ways can we learn? (covered in Chapters 3-5)
Readiness for Learning—Are we prepared to learn? (covered in Chapters 6-9)
Nature of Learning—What is the essence of learning? (covered in Chapters 10-11)
Barriers to Christian Learning
On pages 24-27, the authors highlighted a number of barriers to Christian learning. Please read and review these barriers. Then address the following question:
· Which of these barriers has been present in your own Christian learning?
· Which of these barriers has been most prevalent in the teaching ministry of your congregation?
A Definition of Christian Education
On page 28, the authors cited a definition of Christian education (which is printed below):
Christian education is a reverent attempt to discover the divinely ordained process by which individuals grow in Christ-likeness, and to work with that process (Harner, 1939, p. 20)
· What is your reaction/response to this definition?
· What words included in this definition stand out to you?
· What would be your definition of Christian education?
Chapter 2
What Can We Learn?
In this chapter, the authors listed, described, and illustrated four domains or levels of learning from a Christian perspective:
1. Affective Level (emotions and attitudes)…associated with powerful feelings
2. Behavioral (or psychomotor) Level (physical skills and habits)…associated with the body
3. Cognitive Level (knowledge and intellectual skills)…associated with the brain
4. Dispositional (volitional or conative) Level (values and tendencies to act)…associated with the will
Please read the entire chapter and be familiar with the specific characteristics associated with each of the four levels of learning.
· During the class session, the members of the class will be divided into four small groups.
· Each small group will be assigned one of the four levels of learning discussed in the chapter.
· Next, one person in each small group will aloud read Luke 15:11-32 (The Parable of the Faithful Father).
· Each small group will then be asked to develop 3-5 learning objectives (associated with their assigned level of learning) for a Bible study lesson on this passage. The members of the group should classify each of these objectives (cognitive learning based on the information in Table 2.1, behavioral learning based on the information in Table 2.4, affective learning based on the information in Table 2.5, and dispositional learning based on the information in Figure 2.1.
· Each group will have approximately 15 minutes to complete their work.
· A spokesperson for each small group will summarize the learning objectives for the entire class.
· The professor will be available for consultation and will make additional comments as necessary.