Introduction to Module (INT01)

Welcome

Welcome to the Distance Learning Programme of the British Bible School. We anticipate that those reading this will be from one of three groups:

  • Those visiting to have a look around before deciding whether to go further. Welcome. We hope you enjoy your visit.
  • Bible students, whether enrolled on other BBS modules or not, seeking information. Welcome. We hope you find what you are looking for. If you do not, please let us know.
  • Those who are studying this module for British Bible School credit. Welcome. May God bless you in your study of His word. You should find all the instructions you need clearly indicated as you work through the material

Before starting your studies please take a few moments to read this introduction and to familiarise yourself with the material that is available as listed on the Table of Contents. If there is anything you do not understand about these instructions please speak to your local mentor, if you have one, or contact your tutor. If you do not yet have contact details for your module tutor he should be in touch shortly; if you need help in the meantime please contact him through the BBS Office. We are here to help, so use us!

Some preliminaries

We cannot over emphasise the importance of approaching your studies with the right attitude so always  remember to pray before and after each session and if you have brothers and sisters willing to support you in prayer or through practical assistance then be thankful and accept this support with gratitude.

We suggest that reading these initial instructions should take about ten minutes but please do not try to rush through. You gain nothing by finishing too quickly and may well end up spending longer if you later find you have not taken in the material and have to read it again. So make yourself comfortable (but not too comfortable) and continue.

On the BBS residential programme teachers could quickly and continuously assess progress and make necessary adjustments in the course of the lesson. If I, the teacher, used a word that was unfamiliar to a student – or if I pronounced it in a way he (or she) did not recognize – I could tell at a glance that I had failed to communicate, even if the student did not raise her (or his) hand to ask. But in distance learning I cannot make this judgment although you, the student, can use your own dictionary without interrupting the lesson. One year I soon found that the new class were all proficient students and needed little help with basic study skills (note taking, précis writing, etc.) but were unfamiliar with the Bible in English. So that year we started where the students needed most help. Another year I found the reverse: most of the students were well aware of the many different English Bibles available to them but were struggling to take notes in class. Again, I started where the students most needed help. But in a distance learning programme we cannot offer this sort of flexibility, so it is up to you to make an informed decision on where you need to start.

Module outline

Unit 1 – Some Basics to Get Us Started

Unit 2 – Some Practical Considerations

Unit 3 – God, the Bible and Us

Unit 4 – The Bible in English

Unit 5 – Preparing a Research Paper

On average, each unit should take about ten hours to complete. Some tend towards reading or listening for much of the time while others require you to work on your own developing different learning skills. All units have clear instructions to help you but if anything is unclear please ask for guidance. If you have a local mentor please speak to him or her first, if not then ask your tutor and if he is unavailable contact the BBS Office.

Although we recommend that Unit One, Some Basics to Get Us Started, should be studied first you are at liberty to decide for yourself – or in consultation with your mentor and tutor – which order to proceed. By the end of the module you will have completed all five but the order in which you take the units is your choice. To help you make an informed decision there follows a brief summary (a précis, if you prefer) of the five units. A fuller list is in the Table of Contents.

INT01.1 Unit One – Some Basics to Get Us Started

  • Notes on basic study aids that you will need to buy, borrow or find online and some preliminary thoughts on other tools that you will need in later modules.
  • A Bible reading exercise.

INT01.2 Unit Two – Some Practical Considerations

  • Thoughts on both the “Why” and the “How” of study.
  • Some practical guidance on basic study skills, including the use of information technology.

INT01.3 Unit Three – God, the Bible and Us

  • A series of short Bible readings and questions to help you begin to understand what the Bible is and how God uses it to communicate with His creation.
  • A TV programme designed to help you recognise the preconceptions we all bring to Bible study.

INT01.4 Unit Four – The Bible in English

  • An illustrated lecture introducing some of the issues in Bible translation with specific reference to the major versions of the Bible in English available to us today.
  • An exercise in comparing and contrasting different English versions of the Bible.

INT01.5 Unit Five – Preparing a Research Paper

  • A guided walk through some of the techniques required in researching and writing an extended essay.

Learning and assessment

Study type Duration Details
Video presentations 4 hours 6 episodes
Reading 16 hours Module notes and guided Bible reading
Assessed assignments 30 hours Various assignments, some being self-assessed

 

Submitting assignments

Make a noteAs you progress through the module you should find instructions on how to complete assignments. These will generally be accompanied by the image shown to the right. The instructions should be clear, but if you are uncertain about anything, please do ask.

Where you are to submit written work, you will either find a link to a form on which to complete the assignment or be asked to submit it by e-mail to your module tutor. Please note that if you are submitting a document, this must be as either a Plain Text document or as a PDF. You should ensure that your Name and Student No. are clearly indicated, and the word “assignment” appears in the Subject line.

If you have not yet enrolled on the programme, you will find instructions here.

DVD presentations

DiscUnit One:

  • The ABCs
  • The Right Place
  • The Right Time

Unit Two

  • The Why, Where, When and How?

Unit Three

  • Whose Bible Is It Anyway?

Unit Four

  • The Bible in English

Module resources

Books - lt green-blueUnit One will advise you on “Essential Purchases” that will provide you with the basic tools needed to proceed with your studies. In brief, you will need to own or at least have reliable access to at least two Bibles in English and an English dictionary.

Subsequent Modules will require further resources which will help you to build up a useful library for ongoing use and we introduce some of these tools of the trade at this point although you will not need all of them to complete this module.

What next?

It’s really up to you.


If you are new to the idea of Distance Learning, then you might like to read the article: Advice on Studying by Distance Learning

Distance Learning Advice > 


If you would like to familiarise yourself with the material that is available, then look through the Table of Contents

Module Contents > 


If you would like to get on with your studies right away and start working through the module, then move directly to the first unit

INT01 Unit One >