Book Learning: Raising Questions and Becoming an Expert

Abstract

The context: In my large “Intro to the New Testament” course, I deliberately assign an anthology on hermeneutics written at a higher level than this beginning seminary class. I have used this teaching tactic with adult learners (our average age is thirty-three) on campus and online and with full and part time students. The pedagogical purpose: This tactic helps students learn how to raise questions about material they read and how to dig deeper in order to gain reading comprehension in new areas. Description of the strategy: Everyone in the class reads all the assigned chapters. The class is split into groups, one group per chapter (groups usually consist of three to five students). Each group is to become “experts” on their chapter. In order to do this, students should plan on reading the chapter multiple times if necessary. Students are to use whatever tools necessary to understand the chapter. Tools can include a dictionary, the internet, and talking with others in their group or outside the course. Students are also required to read the other assigned chapters. For each of the other chapters that they read, they are to raise two or three thoughtful questions about the content of the chapter. When the reading is complete, the questions are turned in at the beginning of class. I then distribute the questions for each chapter to the “expert” groups. The expert groups meet for about fifteen minutes during class time and choose three to five questions to discuss in their groups and agree on answers. I encourage them to pick challenging questions. Each expert group then reads the questions they chose and answers them for the class. Discussion follows. In online classes, the answers are posted in a forum. Everyone is expected to read the forum and to participate in discussion. Why it is effective: This tactic helps students to embrace the knowledge they have gained as their own rather than as a set of notes and explanations copied down from the teacher. Students begin to experience confidence in the hermeneutical strategy on which they became experts. In addition, the process of raising thoughtful questions about other hermeneutical strategies helps them understand that material. After this assignment, students are ready to begin trying the hermeneutical techniques they have read about. And they understand the process of biblical interpretation as potentially incorporating a variety of approaches.