Theory
According to Study Technology, there are three barriers that prevent students from learning: absence of mass, too steep a gradient, and the misunderstood word. Each barrier will, according to Hubbard, produce a physiological response in the student, such as yawning or feeling bored or frustrated. In accordance with L. Ron Hubbard's beliefs, the school eschews all psychiatric conditions, including any learning difficulties.
Gail M. Harley and John Kieffer (2009) write 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. Scientology classrooms are therefore equipped with modelling clay and "demo kits." 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 55!.
"Too steep a study gradient" occurs when the student tries to learn too quickly, in which case the teacher directs the student back to the point where he last demonstrated understanding. The "misunderstood word" is what Hubbard called the "misunderstood definition or the not comprehended definition, the undefined word." Scientology classrooms are therefore equipped with different kinds of dictionaries, and students are directed to "find your misunderstood." Yawning is taken as a physical sign that a student has misunderstood a word or concept.
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