Studying isn’t meant to be too easy. If it doesn’t stretch you, you probably haven’t learnt much. Having said that, the requirements of the modules are not too complicated. Most of the modules require 2 assignments to be completed, one an oral presentation and one a written report. There may be people who would like to attend the modules and not complete the certificate requirements and that’s perfectly good too. A set of assignment titles will be given at the start of the course and you can choose to do the assignments on any two titles. Further detail on the format of assignments will be given in the course materials.
Writing a Report
The aim of writing the report is to spend time investigating and learning about the subject so the formatting and style are less important. Reports should be around 2000 words, although there are no set limits, but this guideline gives an idea of how much investigation is helpful.
The report should have an introduction which outlines the areas being studied and your focus on the question. There should then be a few sections laid out, each looking at some point of interest you have studied. The report should finish with a conclusion outlining what you have found.
There should be references within the report to other work you have looked at. These should also include Bible references. There are several ways to mark a reference but for simplicity, the key is to note the author, year and page number. For example…
Packer says ‘they may have had their way, but I know my God,’ (Packer, 1977, p.34).
Bible references should have the chapter and verse and choice of translation…
‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35, NIV)
References should be copied accurately and at the end of your paper you should have a list of all the references and books you included in your studies. It might seem heavy but it helps someone who is reading what you wrote find the same information. For simplicity I would recommend the following format, however, the key is that the information is all there and your references are consistent:
A book:
Author Surname, Initials or forename, Year, – Title, Publisher, Publisher’s Address.
For example…
Barrett, Matthew, 2019, – ‘None Greater – the undomesticated attributes of God,’ Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
A website:
Authors of Website, Title of Page, When Viewed, URL.
For example…
New Testament Church of God, Aylesbury – Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, Full Text, accessed, 7th Nov 2019:
http://www.ntcg-aylesbury.org.uk/books/knowledge_of_the_holy.pdf
Bible Translations:
Translation, Year, Publisher, Publisher’s Address.
For example…
New International Version (NIV), reprinted 2011, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.
The key for the report is to have logical steps that people can follow and outline what you have found. Hopefully, you will enjoy learning something and it will make more sense as you write it.
Writing an Oral Presentation
One assignment should be an oral presentation. The topic for the presentation will be chosen from a selection in the module information. This is an opportunity to share something you have been studying and let others learn from it. It shouldn’t feel too oppressive. The presentation is meant to be a short talk, between 5 and 15 minutes and you should talk about 3 or 4 points of interest.
The assignment should be accompanied by a slide-show presentation. The first slide should include your name, the module title, the date and the title of your presentation. A few slides should follow each of which should present a few connected points with references where appropriate.
The presentation will be marked by the assessor of the course. If you are doing the module at another church, your pastor or tutor will mark your presenting and the slides should be forwarded to the College to be assessed.