Study Technology

Last updated

Study Tech.jpg

Study Technology, also referred to as study tech, is a teaching methodology developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. [1] Study Technology is used by Scientologists as part of their training, and is also promoted outside the church by the affiliated corporation Applied Scholastics, which presents Study Tech as a secular, universally applicable method to enhance the comprehension of any student, studying any topic. However, the method has many critics, including former teachers, claiming that the "technology" and associated schools are intrinsically linked with religious aspects of Scientology. [2]

Contents

Hubbard wrote in a Scientology policy letter in 1972 that "Study Tech is our primary bridge to Society." [3] Most Study Tech books include a two-page biography of Hubbard that does not mention his role in creating Scientology. [4] Religious scholar J. Gordon Melton said that Hubbard wrote the Study Tech materials to help people who joined Scientology with a low level of literacy, and that the materials are used within the Church of Scientology “not to proselytize for the religion but to teach people how to read.” [5]

Theory

According to Study Tech, there are three barriers that prevent students from learning: "absence of mass", too steep a gradient, and the misunderstood word. According to Hubbard, each barrier produces a physiological response in the student such as yawning, or feeling bored or frustrated. [6] In accordance with L. Ron Hubbard's beliefs, the method denies the existence of psychiatric conditions, or any biological learning difficulties. [7]

Harley and Kieffer (2009) stated that what they knew was Study Tech materials claim that "absence of mass" is the idea that abstractions must be illustrated physically before they can be fully understood: learning about trains is accelerated if the student can see a train or a representation of one. [1] Scientology classrooms are equipped with modeling clay and "demo kits", small collections of everyday objects, such as corks, caps, pen tops, and paper clips. Modeling clay or the contents of such a kit are used to create a physical model of what is being studied, thereby giving the student "mass". [8] One of the course requirements for people learning to be Scientology trainers is to model in clay the premise of every paragraph in Hubbard's book, Dianetics . [1]

Scientology classrooms are supplied with different kinds of dictionaries, and students are directed to "find your misunderstood [word]." [6] Yawning is taken as a physical sign that a student has misunderstood a word or concept. [6]

Study Tech emphasizes the principle of "word clearing," an activity in which readers are asked to look up the meaning of words that they do not understand, and in turn look up unfamiliar words within the word's definition. [5] The reader next is instructed to make up sentences of their own which use the word. [9] This is their method of teaching vocabulary.

Use in schools

According to Applied Scholastics in 1991, there were 150 schools using the Study Tech worldwide. However, a report by the St Petersburg Times said that response has been mixed. One school was forced closed in Germany and another one stopped from opening. Whereas in South Africa where the schools are backed by South African corporations, they reported success among poor black families. The Clearwater Florida schools were unaccredited, and some students reported learning more in the public schools. [10]

In the United States, the method has been used in private Scientologist schools such as Delphi Schools, which runs a number of primary, middle, and secondary schools, and the former New Village Academy which was a private school in Calabasas, California. [11]

In 1997, the California Department of Education reviewed the five Study Tech books as potential "supplementary texts" and found them to not be overtly religious. They were concerned, however, with the lack of social and gender diversity displayed in the books. The materials were criticized by a number of experts; for example, the practice of "word clearing" was criticized as a means for advancing the Scientologist use of clearing technology, and as inadequate for all levels of reading ability. Experts also criticized the inclusion of religiously-loaded terms such as "mass", "gradient" and "demo kit". [5]

Study technology had been used extensively at the Mace-Kingsley Ranch School, a Church of Scientology-affiliated private ranch school for teenagers in a rural ranch environment. [12] There have been several documented complaints of abuse and neglect, including students being lied to about the academic value of Study Tech. [13]

The Literacy, Education and Ability Program (LEAP) of Memphis, Tennessee, an Applied Scholastics member organization, received a grant of $250,000 from the U.S. government's Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) in 2005. [14]

In 2012, the Pinellas County School Board revoked the Life Force Arts and Technology Charter School's charter. Teachers blamed new school management's implementation of Study Tech curriculum for poor test results; the curriculum was not approved by the school board, which in part caused the charter to be revoked. [15] [16]

Study Tech was introduced in September 2008 at Bambolino Montessori Academy, a private school in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the school's principal and dean said that the method is secular and that they do not teach Scientology. [17] However, by 2012 Toronto, as well as Georgia, San Antonio, Texas, St. Louis, and Nevada had backed away from supporting Study Tech, after numerous complaints from educators and parents. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free Zone (Scientology)</span> Scientology groups independent of the Church of Scientology

The Free Zone, Freezone, or more recently identified as Independent Scientology, comprises a variety of non-affiliated independent groups, organizations, and individuals who practice Scientology beliefs and techniques independently of the Church of Scientology (CoS). Such practitioners range from those who closely adhere to the original teachings of Scientology's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, to those who have adapted their practices far from CoS beliefs and practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology beliefs and practices</span> Scientology beliefs and practices

The Church of Scientology maintains a wide variety of beliefs and practices. The core belief holds that a human is an immortal, spiritual being (thetan) that is resident in a physical body. The thetan has had innumerable past lives, some of which, preceding the thetan's arrival on Earth, were lived in extraterrestrial cultures. Based on case studies at advanced levels, it is predicted that any Scientologist undergoing auditing will eventually come across and recount a common series of past-life events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volunteer Ministers</span> Scientology outreach group

A Volunteer Minister (VM) is a member of Scientology sent to a disaster zone to spread the doctrine of Scientology and provide disaster relief. The program was created in the 1970s by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miscavige</span> Leader of the Church of Scientology (born 1960)

David Miscavige is the second and current leader of the Church of Scientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology. He is also referred to within the Scientology organization as "DM", "C.O.B." or "Captain of the Sea Org".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Applied Scholastics</span> Scientology study techniques organization

Applied Scholastics (APS) is an organization that promotes and licenses the use of study techniques created by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology. Applied Scholastics is operated by the Church of Scientology.

The Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Los Angeles, California, established by the Church of Scientology. It states that it is "dedicated to creating a better future for children and communities." It promotes secular uses of L. Ron Hubbard's works, and has been classified as a "Scientology-related entity". Founded in 1988, ABLE's main office is located at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard, the former headquarters for the Screen Actors Guild.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Scientology</span> American organization and business

The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a religious movement. The movement has been the subject of a number of controversies, and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgements as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business. In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church of Scientology itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The German government classifies Scientology as an unconstitutional sect. In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult. In some countries, it has attained legal recognition as a religion.

Scientology terminology consists of a complex assortment of jargon used by Scientologists in conjunction with the practice of Scientology and in their everyday lives. It is difficult if not impossible to understand Scientology without understanding its terminology the way Hubbard defines it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Spiritual Technology</span> Scientology organization

The Church of Spiritual Technology (CST) is a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, incorporated in 1982, which owns all the copyrights of the estate of L. Ron Hubbard and licenses their use. CST does business as L. Ron Hubbard Library. The Church of Spiritual Technology points to Hubbard as the “focal point,” with the structure designed to realize what Scientologists understand to be his vision. The stated purpose of the archive in CST, according to the church is “so that future generations will have available to them all of L. Ron Hubbard’s technology in its exact and original form, no matter what happens to the society.”

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag Building</span> Scientology building in Clearwater FL

The Flag Building, also referred to as the Super Power Building, is the largest building in Clearwater, Florida. It is owned by the Church of Scientology and was built principally to deliver the Super Power Rundown, a high-level Scientology training course intended to train Scientologists to use what Scientology describes as all of their 57 "perceptics" or senses. The interior of the building contains training suites, course rooms, theaters and various devices intended to test these "perceptics," including a "time machine", an anti-gravity simulator, an "infinite" pit, and a pain station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Youth for Human Rights International</span> Church of Scientology-run organization

Youth for Human Rights is a program run by United for Human Rights, an American non-profit organization managed by Church of Scientology International. Founded in 2001, its mission is "To teach youth around the globe about human rights, thus helping them to become valuable advocates for the promotion of tolerance and peace."

Timothy Bowles is an American attorney who served as general legal counsel for the Church of Scientology International for eight years. In addition to his legal practice, he also serves as the executive director of Youth for Human Rights International, is a Commissioner on the Board of Advisors of the Citizens Commission on Human Rights and has helped establish other social organizations sponsored by the Church of Scientology, including Narconon and Applied Scholastics.

<i>The Profit</i> (film) 2001 film by Peter N. Alexander

The Profit is a feature film written and directed by Peter N. Alexander. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France in 2001. Distribution of the film was prohibited by an American court order which was a result of a lawsuit brought by the Church of Scientology, although the filmmaker says that the film is not about Scientology. As a result, The Disinformation Book Of Lists and The Times have characterized The Profit as a banned film in the United States.

Mace-Kingsley Ranch School was a ranch school for children aged 8 to 17 affiliated with the Church of Scientology. The School opened in 1987 and based in Palmdale, California before moving to a property in the Gila Wilderness, New Mexico in the early 1990s. It closed in 2002 and its certificate of incorporation was revoked. The school's curriculum focused heavily on the teachings of Scientology. Students were subjected to pseudo-scientific processes such as the Purification Rundown and daily auditing. A large portion of each day was dedicated to cleaning and general manual labor. The school received criticism over the years for the treatment of students under its care. Students have reported cases of being underfed as well as being beaten, whipped and publicly humiliated as forms of punishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Bridge to Total Freedom</span> Primary road map chart in Scientology

The Bridge to Total Freedom, also known as the Classification, Gradation and Awareness Chart, is Scientology's primary action plan and road map to guide a person through the sequential steps to attain Scientology's concept of spiritual freedom. Displayed in every Scientology organization as an enormous poster using red ink, the comprehensive chart contains almost every service available within Scientology. All steps on the Bridge cost money.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology</span> Beliefs and practices and associated movement

Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a cult, a business, a religion, a scam, or a new religious movement. Hubbard initially developed a set of ideas that he called Dianetics, which he represented as a form of therapy. An organization that he established in 1950 to promote it went bankrupt, and Hubbard lost the rights to his book Dianetics in 1952. He then recharacterized his ideas as a religion, likely for tax purposes, and renamed them Scientology. By 1954, he had regained the rights to Dianetics and founded the Church of Scientology, which remains the largest organization promoting Scientology. There are practitioners independent of the Church, in what is referred to as the Free Zone. Estimates put the number of Scientologists at under 40,000 worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Village Leadership Academy</span> Private school in the United States

New Village Leadership Academy (NVLA), also known as New Village Academy, was a private elementary school located in Calabasas, California, USA. Indian Hills High School previously used the campus, and in 2008 actor Will Smith funded New Village Academy and leased the Calabasas facilities for three years.

The Second Chance Program is a controversial detoxification and rehabilitation program based on the ideas of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology. It focuses on individuals convicted of substance abuse offenses. The program utilizes a combination of saunas, vitamins, minerals and oils to tackle the effects of drug addiction. Other elements of the program aim to improve the educational and social abilities of inmates, and to instil a moral code for them to live by. First established in Baja California, Mexico, in 1995, Second Chance has attracted controversy over its methods and claimed success rates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology front groups</span> Orgs pretending to be not-Scientology

Scientology front groups are those groups named or operated in such a way as to disguise their association with the Church of Scientology (COS). COS uses front groups to promote its interests in politics, to make itself appear legitimate, and to recruit. The Times published, "[The church attracts] the unwary through a wide array of front groups in such businesses as publishing, consulting, health care and even remedial education." Many of the groups are founded on pseudoscience, named disingenuously, and underplay their links to Scientology.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Harley, Gail M; Kieffer, John (2009). "The Development and Reality of Auditing". In Lewis, James R (ed.). Scientology. Oxford University Press. pp. 192–193.
  2. ↑ Adams, Guy (July 3, 2012). "The school at the centre of Cruise split; Insiders claim Katie Holmes filed for divorce to prevent the Church of Scientology educating her daughter". Independent. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022.
  3. ↑ Hubbard, L. Ron (4 April 1972). Ethics and Study Tech, Hubbard Communications Office Policy Letters.
  4. ↑ Farley, Robert (May 20, 2007). "Church tutors embrace methods". St Petersburg Times . Archived from the original on May 10, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Walsh, Mark (September 17, 1997). "Texts highlight scientology's role in education". Education Week . Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Farley, Robert (May 20, 2007). "Scientology makes it in classroom door". St Petersburg Times . Archived from the original on May 23, 2007.
  7. ↑ Palmer, Brian (September 20, 2011). "Edu-netics". Slate Magazine .
  8. ↑ "Remedying an Absence of Mass". Church of Scientology . Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Steps to Clear a Word". Church of Scientology . Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  10. ↑ Krueger, Chris (November 11, 1991). "On Education". St Petersburg Times . pp. 1, 6. Retrieved February 18, 2023. page 6
  11. ↑ Ayres, Chris (July 1, 2008). "Will Smith's school deserves to avoid cult status". The Times . Archived from the original on December 2, 2008.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ Porpora, Jennifer (March 2004). "Meagan Porpora at Scientology's Mace-Kingsley Ranch". David S. Touretzky . Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Committee Reports, 108th Congress (2003-2004), House Report 108-792". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016.
  15. ↑ Harwell, Drew (May 26, 2012). "FCAT scores at Pinellas charter school that used Scientology 'study tech' are among lowest in Tampa Bay". Tampa Bay Times . Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ Harwell, Drew (May 26, 2012). "Life Force Scores Suffer". Tampa Bay Times . pp. 1A.
  17. ↑ "Scientology link at Montessori school alarms parents". CBC News. September 18, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008.
  18. ↑ Harwell, Drew (February 26, 2012). "Charter School's Troubling Twists". Tampa Bay Times . pp. 1A.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.