Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

1. Laying the Foundation
2. Weaving Truth and Life

LEVEL 1: RECALL—I Remember the Information
3. Recall, Rehearsal, and Retention
4. Lectures that Transform

LEVEL 2: RECALL with APPRECIATION—I Value the Information
5. The Role of Emotion in Learning

LEVEL 3: RECALL with SPECULATION—I Ponder How to Use Information
6. From Content to Experience
7. The Power of Cognitive Dissonance

BARRIERS to CHANGE
8. Identifying Barriers
9. Overcoming Barriers

LEVEL 4: RECALL with PRACTICE—I Begin Changing My Behavior
10. Transformative Learning
11. Learning Tasks Leading to Practice

LEVEL 5: RECALL with HABIT—I Do Consistently
12. Building a Habit
13. Sustaining a Habit

THE LEARNING CYCLE
14. From Habit to Character

Notes
Bibliography
Author and Subject Index
Scripture Index

About the Author

Muriel I. Elmer (PhD, Michigan State) is a retired adjunct professor for Trinity International University where she taught in both the educational studies and the intercultural studies PhD programs. She has taught nursing and intercultural communication at various institutions and has been an international consultant and educator for many cross-cultural organizations. She was the director of child survival programs and a training specialist at World Relief as well as a missionary in South Africa.

Duane H. Elmer (PhD, Michigan State) has taught in over seventy-five countries and has provided cross-cultural training to Fortune 500 companies, relief and development agencies, mission organizations, churches, and educational institutions. He previously served as director of the PhD program in educational studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has also conducted peace and reconciliation efforts in several countries. His books include Cross-Cultural Conflict, Cross-Cultural Connections, and Cross-Cultural Servanthood. The Elmers live in Winfield, Illinois.

Reviews

"In an unpretentious, transparent, conversational manner, Muriel and Duane Elmer both warn and instruct. Traditional, truncated 'talking is teaching' approaches to education are not merely inadequate, they can be spiritually malignant or even lethal. The Learning Cycle blends biblical insight, educational theory, and research into an accessible and powerful conceptual framework that has revolutionized my teaching and can do the same for yours."
*Ralph E. Enlow Jr., president of the Association for Biblical Higher Education*

"In our training course to help camp leaders create their own Bible study curriculum in Latin America, we discovered very few resources to help people apply Scripture. The Elmers' learning cycle revitalized our 2020 version of both teacher and student editions. Their book provides abundant insights for helping people obey truth, whether found in God's Word or any subject matter. Driven by a passion to close the gap between hearing and doing, the Elmers include practical strategies like asking students to do a barrier analysis by asking, 'What obstacles might you encounter if you obey this truth? How can you prepare to overcome them?' Their style of writing engages the reader, intertwining deeply personal experiences with insights from brain research and the social sciences. This book also crosses cultures perfectly."
*Lisa Anderson-Umana, director of leadership development with Christian Camping International, Latin America*

"I am very pleased you are holding The Learning Cycle by Muriel I. Elmer and Duane H. Elmer in your hands. My guess is you are a teacher, whether in a formal vocational setting, or as a parent, Sunday school teacher, or business leader. You know that the operation of teaching and mentoring is a complex one. How does one person ever hope to communicate with others given the challenges and influences each listener has pressing in on his or her heart and mind, and so conditioned by culture and circumstance? Drs. Muriel and Duane Elmer bring decades of study and experience to help readers of this book learn to be maximally effective in the high and holy craft of teaching. They model these things in their own lives. I know. I've worked with them in the past and have seen firsthand how effectively and empathetically they nurtured their students across a wide range of crosscultural settings. In fact, I have been a beneficiary of their work. I recommend this book to you knowing that they are the 'real deal,' and their book will inspire you to reach your students in an effective way."
*Jerry Root, author of C. S. Lewis and a Problem of Evil, professor at Wheaton College*

"Duane and Muriel Elmer are extremely gifted at helping ministry leaders grow to their full potential. This resource is practical and truly transformational if you apply what they are suggesting. My own ministry has been forever shaped by their insights. I'm so grateful that they have made this resource available so many more people can benefit from their experience and wisdom."
*Mary T. Lederleitner, author of Women in God's Mission and Cross-Cultural Partnerships*

"Muriel and Duane Elmer have been trusted wise guides to teachers, shepherds, and leaders around the globe for many years. The love of God and his kingdom fuels their endeavors including this volume. The Learning Cycle is a culmination of their life's work, sharing the wisdom they have gleaned from years of study, teaching, and service. A must-read for Christian educators."
*Deborah Colwill, associate professor of educational and leadership studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School*

"The Learning Cycle provided the foundational principles for training and motivating twenty-one hundred Rwandese church members and over a thousand short-termers from Saddleback and also undergirded the strategy for change that made their Western Rwanda HIV Initiative so successful."
*Gil Odendaal, former global director of the HIV/AIDS Initiative at Saddleback Church*

"In the recognition of common grace, this book blends current research in social sciences and neuroscience with decades of teaching experience and theological reflection as it seeks to help Christian practitioners understand how to improve their teaching. It will be especially useful for theological educators who tend to have had little exposure to this kind of educational training and wish to develop as reflective practitioners. It was especially encouraging to see the final chapters on the topics of habit and character."
*Marvin Oxenham, director of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education Academy*

"Why is it that the vast majority of what we are taught is soon forgotten? Why is education most often ineffective? Why do we assume that emotions are divorced from cognition? The Elmers make a strong case for teaching that leads to deep learning because it is initially meaningful and continues through the learning cycle toward the full development of the learner. They uniquely make the case for life-changing learning, supported by recent research in neuroscience, the social sciences, Scripture, and their own compelling stories as teachers. My hope is that this book will stimulate a gracious revolution of transformative teaching for thousands of educators."
*James E. Plueddemann, author of Teaching Across Cultures, former director of SIM International*

"If you want to critically reflect on how your teaching may lead students toward integrated life learning, the Elmers are here to help. They offer practical research findings and application within this renewed presentation of the Learning Cycle certain to elevate any Christian educator's craft."
*Michael A. Ortiz, international director of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education, associate professor of intercultural studies at Dallas Theological Seminary*

"The publication of The Learning Cycle occurs in the context of challenging times for education and educators. Around the world, some question the value of education; others demand tangible results from educators and their institutions. With this current reality facing education, it is propitious for teachers to consider the nature and purpose of teaching and learning. Should teaching limit its focus to the transfer of information, insights, and knowledge to students, or should it seek to achieve transformed habits of thinking and doing in leaners? The Learning Cycle by Muriel Elmer and Duane Elmer is a substantive resource for educators wrestling with this question. It is required reading for anyone longing for teaching and learning to produce more than recall of information or mastery of insights."
*Tite Tiénou, dean emeritus, research professor of theology of mission, and Tite Ténou Chair of Global Theology and World Christianity at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School*