Transformative Learning

We took our seats in my dad's office on the beautiful campus of Boyce College. Sunlight streamed in through the window on the far side of the narrow room, a rare but welcome sight on a February afternoon in Kentucky. As my dad pulled up a chair to sit across from us, I (Natalia) grabbed my laptop and list of questions and Meg started the audio recording. In our attempt to understand the role of books in Christian higher education, we wanted to talk to a professional in the field for insight and advice. The director of the business program at Boyce, my dad, to whom I will refer as Dr. David Bosch, is a voracious reader, a devoted follower of Christ, an enthusiastic educator, and a learner at heart. 

On Saturday mornings, Sunday afternoons, in the evenings, and between classes, he can be found with a book in his hand, devouring its contents eagerly. He reads mostly academic books during the school year, fiction books on breaks, and a mixture of both over the summer. He cites Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis and Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller as influential in shaping him as a person. When asked what some of his other favorite books were, he reached for a volume on his built-in bookshelf with an ornate blue cover - The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan. For fiction, he loves anything by Leon Uris.

In his role as a college educator, Dr. Bosch tries to use a combination of textbooks and popular press books in the classroom. While textbooks give important information, other books enhance the students' understanding of a few specific topics in the class. Generally, students enjoy this reading more than textbook reading, and the information is more current and detailed. In addition, it gives them examples of the types of books they can read long after the class, and their formal education, ends.

Dr. Bosch said that, in order to truly understand the role of books for educators in Christian higher education contexts, it is important to know what sets Christian education apart from any other type of college education. Most colleges are simply transactional: students pay for classes and professors do their best to impart knowledge. Christian education, on the other hand, does not (or should not) exist to simply fill students' heads with knowledge. Dr. Bosch argues that Christian education is not only transactional; it is transformative. What students learn at Christian colleges should transform the way that they live. It should nourish them spiritually and teach them to renew their minds in order to live lives visibly been changed by the redemptive work of Christ. 

How does a Christian educator fill this role, and how do books play a part of this? Of first importance, says Dr. Bosch, is consistently reading the Word of God. If a professor has not been refreshed by the word and instead finds his faith withering, how can he nourish and lead others in their faith? Educators must faithfully abide in Christ and must let their instruction flow from being renewed by the Spirit each day.

Besides Scripture, Dr. Bosch finds books on teaching methods very helpful. Discussion as a Way of Teaching, The Discussion Book, and Small Teaching have all shaped the way he views teaching in a classroom. These books have given him insight into the most effective ways students learn and how he, as an educator, can facilitate a healthy learning environment. 

They have encouraged him to move beyond simply lecturing to discussion-based classes where the learner can process information, not just regurgitate facts. Thus, books on teaching and learning styles can be extremely beneficial for educators who want their students to thrive within the classroom and, as a result, live to glorify God in their chosen professions.

"I may be a mile ahead of you in some areas in life, 

but I can learn from you in other areas of life."

-Dr. David Bosch