A Facilitator discussing the Tutorial presentation.

The “Tutorial” is one of our core methods in the CMI / Church Ministries Institute (or OBK) at this stage of its ‘evolutionary’ development. The new student should not fear the “tutorial” or mistake it as a major “complication” – in their lives. Historically, one can look into the Oxford Tutorial, or the “Precept Tutorial” of Princeton Seminary to obtain a broader overview of the subject. But for our own immediate purposes, the following will get us started:

• A “tutorial” is an assigned “reading” of about 10 to 15 minutes in duration.
• Usually one central theme is to be developed by the student and presented to the class or group.
• Tutorials should present the student’s own views and quotations should be reference and short.
• Tutorials ‘critically evaluate’ the issue under consideration with life-application issues addressed.
• Tutorials are followed by group discussionand an assessment by the Facilitator.
• To prepare for a tutorial … (i.) be clear about the focus of the assigned topic, (ii.) be careful to research toward obtaining your own opinion or viewpoint, (iii.)  be honest and ‘academically critical’ in your presentation of the ‘issue at hand,’ and (iv.) source original documentation – go to the ‘source’s mouth’ – when possible.