Limitations to Access and Curriculum Methodology

Overview to Using Discipling for Development Materials

Discipling for Development® is a relational mentoring / coaching / discipling approach to whole-life discipleship with those serving marginalized communities. D4D uses three modes (training, mentoring / discipling, coaching) as the means to develop and empower individuals and communities. It is not a content-driven or project-driven methodology, and anything less than relational discipling / mentoring / coaching cannot expect to see transformed lives and communities as a primary outcome.

Adult Learning and Oral Methodologies are used at the local level in communities that are most often best served by oral learning and in equipping mentors / coaches (alongsiders). These methods are empowering in their own right, but also make the skills and knowledge most accessible to marginalized communities.

If actually using the lessons as they are written, some basic elements of the adult learning methodology are described below.

How Adults Learn
What motivates adults to learn? Adults learn for the purpose of enhancing their practical lives, especially by solving their problems. Therefore, the lessons address various issues / problems that guide the learners to think through individually and especially in small and large groups, how to solve these problems.

Learning in Small Groups
When adults discover for themselves the truths of God’s Word and other key subjects, they better understand and apply these truths to their own lives. Participation in group discussion is key to adult learning.

A person remembers 75% of what he says but forgets 90% of what he only hears. Therefore, small group leaders should be trained to “facilitate” group discussion rather than to lecture group members.

Using Starters
Adults are voluntary learners. Stories, object lessons, or role plays are easily understood and are enjoyed throughout a community, making learning compelling. Therefore, we begin each lesson with a starter that illustrates a current problem in the community. They launch the learners into problem-solving thinking and are then able to solve the issues themselves.

Five Important Questions
Adults self-discover answers to life’s issues by considering and discussing thought-provoking questions. After the starters these questions are discussed by the group:

1. What did you see? (sense: hear, taste etc.)

2. What was happening, which must lead to - what is the main problem?

3. Do we have this problem?

4. Why do we have this problem? What are examples of this issue in our communities?

5. What can we do to solve this problem?

These are some minimal guidelines for use of adult learning methodologies. They do not replace coaching and discipling but are a step in an empowering direction.

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