Lessons Learnt from Teaching an Applied Drama and Theatre Pedagogy Online in a Digitally Divided South Africa

Autor/inn/en	Mokoena, Moratoa Trinity; van Vuuren, Petro Janse
Titel	Lessons Learnt from Teaching an Applied Drama and Theatre Pedagogy Online in a Digitally Divided South Africa
Quelle	In: Perspectives in Education, 41 (2023) 1, S.103-118 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Mokoena, Moratoa Trinity) ORCID (van Vuuren, Petro Janse)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0258-2236
Schlagwörter	Drama; Teaching Methods; Theater Arts; COVID-19; Pandemics; Educational Change; Universities; Online Courses; Teacher Attitudes; College Faculty; Access to Education; Learning Experience; Ethnography; Learning Management Systems; Student Centered Learning; Barriers; Foreign Countries; Equal Education; Videoconferencing; South Africa + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schauspiel; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Theaterwissenschaft; Bildungsreform; University; Universität; Online course; Online-Kurs; Lehrerverhalten; Fakultät; Education; Access; Bildung; Zugang; Bildungszugang; Lernerfahrung; Ethnografie; Group work; Student-entered learning; Student-centred learning; Student centred learning; Schülerorientierter Unterricht; Schülerzentrierter Unterricht; Gruppenarbeit; Ausland; Südafrika; Süd-Afrika; Republik Südafrika; Südafrikanische Republik
Abstract	An Applied Drama and Theatre pedagogy is rooted in principles of embodiment, participation and collaboration, praxis and immersion in social contexts. Over the past fourteen years, the Drama for Life department at the University of the Witwatersrand prioritised the implementation of an Applied Drama and Theatre teaching and learning practice that is premised on our bodies operating within social and cultural contexts. Furthermore, the experiential pedagogy is reliant on physical presence and human contact for the purposes of reflection, transformation and education. With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, this complex pedagogy faced a threat. How can we migrate an Applied Drama and Theatre curriculum to online learning platforms? Can we fully honour its pedagogical objectives remotely? The study explored how Applied Drama and Theatre educators re-envisioned and implemented strategies to maintain the integrity of the embodied pedagogy as it moved online. These collective approaches transpired amidst a disruptive digital divide within a South African context, which impacted connectivity, access and the hopes of a synchronous learning experience. From 2020 to 2021, the ethnographic study tracked and observed Drama for Life and its Applied Drama and Theatre educators as they; 1) responded to the pandemic and identified its threats to the pedagogy; 2) through processes of experimentation, transitioned the curriculum to online learning platforms; and 3) reflected on their discoveries, challenges and interim solutions throughout the journey. The study found (based on literature and data) that the pandemic provided higher education institutions and practitioners with an opportunity for directed change. Central to the collective strategies remained student centredness and pedagogical alignment. Although certain aspects of the Applied Drama and Theatre pedagogy have undeniably been compromised online, the study demonstrated that with increased efforts to bridge the digital divide, the strategies can be navigated continually with a carefully negotiated balance. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	University of the Free State Faculty of Education. P.O. Box 339, Bioemfontein 9300, South Africa. Tel: +27-51-401-2368; e-mail: PiE@ufs.ac.za; Web site: https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/pie/index
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01