It is within this paradigmatic drama that learning is realised. Invariably, such experience also raises questions about how learning comes to be understood and communicated. These epistemological questions are similar whether the experience is considered from the viewpoint of ‘dancer’ or ‘learner’. ‘What does it feel like?’ ‘How do you understand... See more

On the workshop: The low teacher-student ratio (4:16), the deliberate cultivation of community, the concentration on fun, the valuing of personal experience, the adaptability of staff and the open acceptance of differences among and between students contributed to an inclusive and diverse learning environment — an ideal teaching environment, one... See more

Participant interview: I felt like my life was very directed in one way, but when I came here and communicated with everyone else and heard their ideas and their ways of thinking, I found there was more that I could offer. In a way, I have different paths going off my tree, with more branches and that kind of thing.

The experience alone is not enough for the learning to be valued. An understanding of the ways in which the learning is arrived at is integral. This does not mean that learning is predetermined, rather that t hose observing and/or evaluating the process need to be aware of and open to the variety of meanings that can be placed upon experience. It... See more

Jerry Gill argues that ‘learning to learn’ is of ‘primary importance . . . for when one knows this, he or she will always be able to learn more’. Because of its emphasis upon participation, communication, reflection and the negotiation of reason and emotion, the meta-process of learning to learn is made particularly accessible through drama.

Constructivism invites us to approach the object in a radical spirit of openness to its potential for new and richer meaning. It is an invitation to reinterpretation. This is a powerful challenge to traditions of learning that have long focussed on the effective mastery of prior knowledge. This could be pertinent for Startupy's re-curation... See more

The learning cannot be isolated within a script. As Piaget says, ‘it touches everything’ (Gardner, 1982:352).

The most interesting part of this sort of research is, for me, the meaning that participants make, the stories they tell as a result of experience. These stories are evidence in themselves. It is through embodied experience, reflection and explanation that cultural knowledge systems are determined. Our ‘participation’ in and through these knowledge... See more

Using dramatic techniques to improve learning through 'meta-process' enhancement. Psychology has long employed drama techniques for therapy (e.g. Gestalt) and the author suggests that we might do the same for learning. Key focus on embodiment, integration, reflection on the experience, and gives some examples of employing this method, which tends... See more