thentrythis.org

What It Is

Then Try This is a non-profit research, design, and development organization based in Cornwall, UK. It is not an online course platform in the traditional sense; instead, it promotes equitable access to knowledge around environmental and social issues through research projects, commissioned development, university guest teaching, and participatory workshops. The website clearly states that it teaches at universities worldwide and develops workshops for organizations.

Core Courses and Teaching Scope

From an education/course perspective, its areas include citizen science, public engagement, critical technology, programming, electronics, community technology, data visualization, game design, and open science. These topics are closely tied to real research and social projects, such as mining pollution, epidemic spread, citizen science games, electronic music, and semiconductor materials experiments. In terms of delivery format, the text only mentions “guest teaching” and “participatory workshops”; it does not specify whether live classes, recorded courses, or one-on-one tutoring are available, nor does it provide a standardized course syllabus.

Pricing, Certificates, and Instructor Background

The website does not disclose course pricing, payment methods, certificates, or accreditation information, so it is more likely to operate through project consulting, commissioned work, or partnership-based quotations. The organization has a solid background: it can participate in research projects and funding applications, host a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, and collaborate with Deutsches Museum, Natural History Museum, Eden Project, and multiple universities. Its team member list is public, but specific instructor qualifications, course reviews, and learning outcome certification are not described in detail.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are a clear thematic focus, an emphasis on open source, open access, participatory design, and appropriate technology, making it especially suitable for public communication and interdisciplinary teaching around complex issues. Its project experience is also more grounded in real-world scenarios than that of typical course providers. The downside is that its courses are not highly productized: there is little clear information on class hours, pricing, language, certificates, registration process, or after-sales support. Individual learners may find it difficult to directly purchase and study courses in the same way they would on a MOOC platform.

Who It’s For and Access from China

It is better suited to universities, research teams, museums, non-profit organizations, local governments, and community project groups looking for customized workshops, public engagement design, or technology-based creative teaching. For users in China, the available text does not make it possible to determine network accessibility, payment availability, or cross-border collaboration procedures, so its access status is unknown. Individual learners may consider Coursera, edX, FutureLearn, MIT OpenCourseWare, or continuing education platforms from Chinese universities as more standardized alternatives.