Experimental Learning Approach to the Teaching of Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency, and Social Deviance

• NCJ Number: 125305
• Journal: Teaching Sociology Volume: 17 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1989) Pages: 330-336
• Author(s): N Greenberg
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Program Description (Demonstrative)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The importance of direct experience has been emphasized in recent years as a means of enhancing the educational experience.

Abstract

In the field of sociology, the significance of field experience in the generation and evaluation of social theory has long been recognized. This paper outlines an educational program that incorporates experiential learning into the teaching of criminology, juvenile delinquency, social deviance, and related subjects. The program, called Discovery, has been used for 5 years as the basis for a pair of criminal justice classes at a State college in western Massachusetts. The Discovery program consists of a series of on-site meetings between undergraduate college students and jail inmates or incarcerated juvenile delinquents. Each meeting lasts a total of two hours. The first hour of each meeting is devoted to an interview, and the second hour is a group discussion. Guidance for the discussion is provided by two Discovery publications, each a questionnaire in pamphlet form. Questions are read to the groups and each group member, in turn, responds. When the circle is completed, the next question is read aloud and everyone responds, and so forth. With the insights and information acquired through the program, the students are required to write a fairly sophisticated term paper in which they present a profile of their clients' lives, speculate about the causes of their clients' criminality (in part by referring to the criminological literature), and recommend appropriate treatments and/or punishments. Adult inmates and juveniles both have responded positively to the program, with more than 95 percent of adult inmates and 92 percent of juveniles stating that they would recommend the program to their peers. Likewise, students have been enthusiastic about the Discovery program and have found it to be a valuable learning experience. 14 references. (Author abstract modified)