What is GATE?

GATE offers training to faculty members of theological schools, equipping them to teach for "transformational learning." The series of four annual workshops introduces participants to the philosophy and methods of "transformational education," equipping them to teach for transformation, training them to become transformational leaders, and enabling them to design curriculum with life transformation in mind.

Traditionally, theological education has emphasized the transfer of information from teachers to students through classroom lectures with exams testing memory recall. Such education, however, does not necessarily prepare people for real life ministry. GATE applies tested pedagogical methods to theological education, training teachers to teach for life transformation and not merely information recall.

Key to the GATE training is the workshop approach where participants are actively involved in the learning process. The training itself models the methods theological educators are learning and will use in their classrooms to ensure that transformational learning can occur. Students come to appreciate the need for what they are learning, they actively contribute to the learning process, and they make immediate application.

For many educators, embracing transformational education entails a subtle paradigm shift from a "Teaching Paradigm" that focuses on content presented in the classroom to a "Learning Paradigm" that identifies the desired learning and selects methodologies that best facilitate that learning.

Assessing transformational learning is more challenging than assessing the acquisition of knowledge; transformation of learners is best assessed in terms of the impact they have in the church and society. Recognizing the desired impact is therefore crucial to planning for successful transformational learning.