Come explore the benefits of applying basic drama principles for engagement. In this active workshop participants will learn and practice theatre elements as described by Aristotle. These building blocks of drama will help you gain the confidence to connect and engage with your students through written, audio, and video content.
Connecting with students in an online course is a particular challenge that few academics are trained in. While faculty may be specialists in their disciplines and fields of expertise, they may feel less confident in their creation and delivery of engaging lecture materials. Because of their exposure and access to television, movies, video games, and other professional media content, students are an increasingly tough audience. While it is not reasonable or desirable for faculty to become entertainers, there are some methods structure and manners of delivery that can be learned from the Theatre discipline that can help bring student attention back on the learning experience.
To address the engagement issues of his day, Aristotle outlined the basic building blocks of drama: plot, character, thought, diction, and spectacle. In this hands-on workshop we will examine these elements and apply them to the modern challenges of online content creation and delivery. Participants will learn the basics, create simple elements, and practice their delivery in small groups. By adding hese building blocks of drama to your tool inventory, you will gain the confidence to connect and engage with your students through written, audio, and video content. Presenters will provide hand-outs, a tip sheet, and connections to resources for continuing and expanding your practical application of the drama principles to future content development.