PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: A PROPOSED CURRICULUM DESIGN MODEL + NORMA McKINNON + Vice President for Academic Affairs Atlantic Baptist College In his article, "An Apology for the Christian University,"[Faculty Dialogue 17 (Spring 1992), pp. 39-50], Michael Beaty attempts to address the broad array of approaches to Christian education. He begins his discussion at the lower end of the Christian education continuum with the minimalist conception, progressing to the upper end with his conception of a Christian university. There are at least two points to be challenged in Beaty's discussion of Christian education. The first involves the guiding mission of the Christian Liberal Arts College and the second point of interest is Beaty's view of curriculum integration. Beaty's conception of a Christian university "implies that those who teach there recognize that the guiding mission of the university is to equip its students to think about the world and live in the world on the basis of a Christian point of view" (p. 46). It could be argued that the Christian perspective alone would not adequately prepare students to join the Christian human race. Many Christian educators believe that a Christian perspective is but one part of the Christian worldview needed to prepare students to think and live Christianly. A worldview is an integrated view of life; it consists of a Christian perspective; it is holistic; it is exploratory; and it is pluralistic (See 1 Arthur F. Holmes, The Idea of a Christian College (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdsmans Publishing Co., 1991), p. 58. To think about the world and live in the world on the basis of a Christian point of view alone may be a simplistic or inadequate view of the desired educational outcome for students. Secondly, and more importantly, is the way in which students develop this worldview. According to Beaty " . . . courses will be in the curriculum as either required or electives designed to foster the integration of faith and learning" (p. 46). It could be argued that this is only the first step to curricular integration. At the upper end of the Christian education continuum, the ideal approach to Christian education progresses much further. Beaty's conception falls short of integration. He does touch on integration when he suggests that "at a Christian university some of the psychologists who are Christians will be attempting to see how our community's authentic Christian beliefs bear on the information, methods, and theoretical models which make up the domain of their field and vice versa" (p. 47). Ideally, Christian educators go beyond the notion of ensuring that the Christian perspective is in keeping with the disciplinary perspectives. Christian education means application of the Christian conceptual framework to the knowledge and skills being taught. Furthermore, co-curricular and extracurricular programs and activities 2 should exhibit integration of the Christian conceptual framework as well. The definition of the integrated curriculum design is a blending of the content to be learned in such a way that the parts or specialties are no longer distinguishable. Teaching religious content courses, such as Basic Christian Thought and Old Testament/New Testament survey courses, in no way constitutes the integration of faith and learning. These courses parallel the secular curriculum but there is no integration per se. Integration of faith and learning involves application of the Christian model or conceptual framework to every course in the curriculum and every co-curricular (for example, community service and athletic) and extracurricular program (for example, career and psychological counseling). The educational model in a Christian university begins to take shape in the mission of the school and is thoroughly articulated in the conceptual framework for the university and provides the conceptual foundation or framework for the philosophy of education. The Christian university espouses the Christian model (doctrines of the Christian faith) which also permeates the program philosophy, program conceptual framework, and program objectives. From the program objectives, the Christian model is integrated into the program and lesson outlines and the modes of evaluation. Following is the proposed Curriculum Design Model for Christian education. 3 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CURRICULUM DESIGN MODEL C C U School Mission O R Conceptual Framework N R Philosophy of Education T I Program Conceptual Framework I C Program Philosophy N U Program Objective U L Program Outline O A Subject Sequence U R Course Descriptions S Course Objectives M Lesson Outline E E Lesson Objectives V E Lesson Content A T Teacher Activities 4 L I Student Activities U N Evaluation Modes A G T S I O N The difficulty with Beaty's conception of integration is that it falls far short of true curricular integration. Requiring students to take religious content concurrently with secular content, or even if one goes a step further and incorporates segments of the Christian model into course content, is not adequate preparation for thinking and living Christianity in contemporary society. If the Christian university is true to its mission, faith and learning must be integrated, and for the fulfillment of the mission to be realized, educators must attend to curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular integration. References Beaty, Michael. "An Apology for the Christian University." Faculty Dialogue 17 (Spring 1992), pp. 39-50. Holmes, Arthur F. The Idea of a Christian College. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1991. 5