Study Tech

Study Technology, or Study Tech, is a methodology for learning developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Church of Scientology. Hubbard's "Study Technology" is used by Church of Scientology members as part of their training, and is also promoted outside the church by a church-affiliated corporation known as Applied Scholastics, which presents Study Tech as a universally applicable method to enhance the comprehension of any student, studying any topic.

It was publicly stated by Hubbard that Study Tech is directly affiliated with Scientology. He wrote in a policy letter that "Study Tech is our primary bridge to Society."[1] All Study Tech books include a two page biography of Hubbard which does not mention his role in creating Scientology

Theory

According to Study Tech, there are three "barriers" which prevent students from learning: misunderstood words, lack of a physical presence of a subject (mass), and proceeding through course materials too quickly, called too steep a gradient

Usage in schools

Delphi Schools runs a number of primary, middle, and secondary schools throughout the country which utilize the Study Tech, including the founding The Delphian School in Oregon, and seven other Delphi Academy campuses. The Oregon and Los Angeles schools offer a full secondary education and award high school diplomas to graduates. The founding Delphian School in Oregon is registered with the State of Oregon Department of Education and is listed as "privately accredited".[4] It is a candidate member of the Pacific Northwest Association of Independent Schools (PNAIS). According to PNAIS, "Candidate Members are schools the PNAIS Board of Governors have approved as being able to meet the PNAIS Major Standards within a five-year period."[5] The Los Angeles Delphi Academy, along with the remaining Delphi schools are listed with their respective state education departments but none carry accreditation from their respective regional or national accreditation bodies.

Study Technology is used at Hubbard College of Administration International, an unaccredited post-secondary school that grants a specialized associates degree.

In 2006 Scientology partnered with the Nation of Islam, the Glorious Church of God in Christ in Tampa, Florida and Joy Tabernacle Cathedral in Ybor City. All groups adopted Study Tech and their community support volunteers were trained in using the technology to teach children.

In 2008 it was revealed that Will Smith had donated money to New Village Academy in Calabasas, a private school which incorporates Study Tech into its curriculum.

Criticism

Though both Applied Scholastics and the Church of Scientology say that Hubbard's Study Tech is tremendously effective, no supporting evidence has appeared in educational journals or other third-party publications. The Study Tech materials have gained little acceptance among public school administrators or scholars of educational theory.

Parents were upset when Study Technology methods were introduced in September 2008 at Bambolino Montessori Academy, a private school in Toronto. The owner/principal and dean of the school are both Scientologists but they say that Study Technology is secular and that they do not teach Scientology

Reactions from different nations

Applied Scholastics programs, based on Hubbard's Study Tech, have received some limited acceptance by governmental education agencies. For example, Applied Scholastics received accreditation from the Italian Ministry of Education in 2005 as an organisation that Italian teachers can choose to attend, rather than a state University, for their continuing education requirement. In the United States, the Literacy, Education and Ability Program (LEAP) of Memphis, Tennessee, an Applied Scholastics member organization, received a grant of $250,000 from the US government's Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) in 2005.
Monika Schipmann, an official with the Berlin Education Department in Germany, stated in 1991 that she considered Study Tech to be "psychologically damaging". Schools which use Applied Scholastics are heavily monitored in Germany.
In South Africa, schools which apply Study Tech have been backed by local companies and have reported widespread success