Therefore, educators designing and developing curriculum for online adult students need to integrate faith in a way that reveals their own thorough understanding of the Christian worldview: they must embrace the task of identifying the faith assumptions of their own disciplines, so they can then challenge their students to do likewise.įour-Lens Model Considerations for Developing Online Courses More importantly, they argue that faith integration must undergird pedagogical practices with a thorough understanding of a biblical worldview. Merely encouraging personal relationships between educator and student … interspersing spiritual disciplines within a chosen method of teaching … sufficiently satisfied at the curricular level … the addition of biblical precepts, and/or … programs and activities. Stephen and Jane Beers offer some clear insight when they explain that faith-learning integration involves more than The Christian instructor’s first responsibility when developing courses is to create a clear curricula that reflects a biblical worldview and answers questions of meaning, significance, purpose, and reality from a biblical standpoint. This idea of faith integration and worldview formation within the Christian academy is important to the discussion of course development, as course design determines the kinds of ideas students will engage, influences the kinds of learning experiences students will have, and affects the kinds of epistemological underpinnings students will carry with them once they leave the academy. These ideas are not only unbiblical, but also counterproductive to a Christian academic ethos. Students often come to the academy immersed in an individualistic worldview that celebrates self-centeredness and ignores larger questions of meaning. The Importance of Faith Integration and a Biblical Worldview to the Christian AcademyĪlthough one could assume the integration of faith and a biblical worldview at a Christian college, the ways and means of providing such are often ambiguous to students and teachers alike. This essay addresses the development of online courses for adult learners using the Four-Lens Model, developed by Richard Kiely, Lorilee Sandman, and Janet Truluck within the context of a biblical worldview. This faith-based, mission-centered approach requires Christian educators to develop courses that not only meet the educational needs of the student population, but also reflect a biblical worldview and integrate faith and learning. 3 Although profitability is a positive outcome of online programs, as Christian educators, interest in such programs should include a focus on a deeper appreciation and understanding of how Christian online education can be used to carry out the faith-based mission of the Christian university. Of the non-profit universities surveyed, 62% reported that their online programs were profitable in the sense that their revenues exceeded their expenses. Online programs have been shown to be profitable and have served to keep many institutions financially solvent during lean economic times: a survey of ninety-six institutions found that nearly all of their online programs were either profitable or broke even. 2 Many institutions have recognized these trends and are focusing on developing and delivering programs for adults and online learners. Department of Education forecasted a 25% increase in enrollment for students between the ages of 25 and 34 and a 12% increase in enrollment for students who are 35 years old and over by 2018. In fall 2008, over 4.6 million students took at least one online course, an increase of 17% from fall 2007. The advent and popularity of online learning and the increase of older, adult learners going back to school have changed the landscape of postsecondary education. Williams is an Assistant Professor in the College of Theology, Arts, and Sciences at Malone University. Foote is an Instructor in the School of Business and Leadership, and Ms. Quinn is an Associate Professor in the School of Business and Leadership, Ms. They offer suggestions and practical examples of the integration of faith and learning using an adult learning theory model for course development. The authors note that with this opportunity, care must be taken to keep the integration of faith and learning in the forefront of course development. Mary Quinn, Laura Foote, and Michele Williams argue that the growth in online learning and in the number of adult students provides opportunities for Christian colleges and universities to reach a larger segment of this population.
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