Philosophy of Education
The purpose of a philosophy of education is to clarify educational concepts, strategies, and outcomes. At Lincoln Christian University, our particular philosophy of education draws its form and substance from the shared theological values of the campus community. It is these shared values that give rise to the curriculum and its content. It also gives expression to the covenantal character of this educational community and its commitment to our mission, vision, core values, and basic beliefs.
The foundation of our philosophy is the shared belief that truth is revealed by God in the natural world, in the written Word of God, and in the person of Jesus Christ, the Living Word. This revealed truth in all three dimensions is the heart of our curriculum and has for us three key aspects: creational, propositional, and relational.
The creational aspect of truth requires a careful examination of the created, natural world and the collective knowledge of humankind throughout history. The propositional aspect of truth requires a purposeful process that focuses on the transmission of the truth revealed by God in Scripture through His Holy Spirit. The relational aspect of truth requires a deep knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ as “the Truth” that involves not only mental understanding but also personal experience as learner-disciples led by the Holy Spirit within a covenant community.
At the heart of our educational philosophy is the reciprocal relationship between the student and the faculty in the teaching-learning process. Students are valued as learners who are integral to our educational and spiritual community. Central to this process is the recognition and acceptance of the diverse nature of learners and the diverse ways in which they learn. This diversity is reflected by age, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, life experience, interests, abilities, giftedness, and different learning styles.
The faculty are valued as teachers who do more than teach. Their education, expertise, and experiences are crucial components of the teaching and learning that occurs here, but faculty also serve as role models, mentors, advisors, encouragers, and partners in learning. It is their commitment to lifelong learning, to scholarship, to creativity, to the discovery of new knowledge, and to ongoing development that creates a vibrant learning community.
This community of teachers and learners strives to strengthen the learning partnership in a variety of ways. We employ a variety of educational strategies, both pedagogical and andragogical, to address the diversity of our learners’ ages and life experiences. We promote a variety of settings and opportunities for learning, both formal and informal, focusing on individuals and on groups, located inside and outside the classroom, occurring on-campus and around the world, and involving both scholarship and service, academics and ministry.
At the core of this partnership is the desire to achieve learning outcomes that reach the highest levels in all the learning domains, from memorization to critical application. We want learners who do know basic ideas, interpretations, and information, but can also critically analyze those as needed, synthesizing them in ways that allow for more informed judgments, so that our students can apply them to new situations and practical problems in our increasingly complex and diverse world. Ultimately, we want learner-disciples who continue to grow in all areas of their lives in order to contribute not only to the “common good” but to the Kingdom of God.