EXPERIENCE Make It Accessible A key part of Think Like A Scientist is that it is not taught in typical classrooms - an arena where many of our students have had previous negative experiences. A common place to hold the course is in the library, which is not only sufficiently neutral ground to engage difficult to reach learners, but is also often carpeted, to help with some sensory issues. Resources whilst teaching in prison are scarce, and often the only teaching aid available (apart from a pen and paper) is language (which turns out to be key). If the language used was terminology heavy or uses allegory, metaphor, or other forms of figurative or culturally specific language this will often be too difficult to process for many students, particularly those with learning difficulties, whose literacy skills are low, or whose experiences either very different, or aren’t sufficiently culturally rich to understand the references made in explanations.
Ensure You Are Inclusive Although a certificate from a university is offered on completion of the course, there is no formal assessment strategy linked to the program. By breaking down the barrier of grading, an environment of open expression can begin to be created and allow for more potential students to engage. Through the main focus of the course being on how an individual’s mind works to tackle a problem, we are able to tailor
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the learning experience and bring education to the student. Group discussion of opinions on topics are fundamental to the class. In Think Like A Scientist, students are asked to give their thoughts on current topics (after reading recent research) with which there is no scientific consensus (e.g., should we colonise Mars? Is there life outside our Solar System?). As the answers are debatable, the students are allowed a voice on cutting-edge science - the impact of this on a student’s confidence can be highly significant. Related to the previously mentioned ‘Stereotype Threat’ and ‘Minority Stress’ theories, this flattening of the power dynamic within the classroom meant that learning was made more inclusive and critical barriers to students’ learning (which teachers may or may not be aware of) were removed.
The Importance Of Encouragement From the classes taught in prison, not all students write down their thoughts and submit work. However, for those that do, the work is ‘marked’ by highlighting the main points of their discussion and offering encouragement. Here, it is important to ignore spelling errors and grammar, and focus on the positive aspect of the student submitting thoughts and ideas. Incidentally, by setting a task to express their thought process, rather than ‘testable’ questions, the work submitted is often really interesting. For those who submit, the feedback
can be “like receiving a prize” as one student wrote in the course evaluation.
Wider Application? Even though the course has been designed with the restrictive and complex prison education system in mind, there is a wider application to this work (specifically in settings where students aren’t engaging in formal education). In Think Like A Scientist, the creation of a neutral classroom dynamic (in location and environment), producing content that is relatable, removing the grading structure, and emphasising encouragement have been powerful in breaking down educational barriers. Furthermore, in terms of the consideration of language in the classroom, avoiding assumed previous knowledge and asking explicitly worded questions, alongside the implementation of clean ‘Plain Speak’ English, can make learning resources and discussions accessible to all.
...this creates an open structure, rewarding exploration and engagement over attainment, suggested to be positive for all learners’ self-esteem and progression.
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