Theatre Didactics in Education

Course Code
02ΥΧ004
ECTS Credits
4
Semester
1st Semester
Course Category

Compulsory

Compulsory

Professor

Dimitris Dimitriadis (Adjunct Lecturer ESPA)

Course Description

Course Objectives: 
The main objective of the course is to introduce students to the broad subject of theater pedagogy, through theoretical and practical training. The course aims to understand the ways of meeting the theatrical phenomenon (dramatic text - performance - audience) with the pedagogical process as well as to understand the needs that led to this partnership. Finally, the main objective is the awareness of the beneficial results of the theater pedagogy in terms of the individual and social level of the students and the familiarization of the students with the definition of cognitive and socio-emotional goals, the mapping of the needs and difficulties of the lessons, the application of differentiated teaching, the types of assessment (diagnostic, formative, final and summative) for the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching scenarios. They familiarize themselves with didactic terms such as the content of school textbooks, the concept and definition of syllabi, the identity of the teacher and the organization of teaching in the context of theater education in formal education, but also in the planning, implementation and evaluation of theater education programs in the context of non-formal education.

Learning Outcomes: 
The students will investigate the basic theoretical framework of the cognitive object and will come into contact with the theoreticians of different disciplines (theatre, psychology, pedagogy, social anthropology) who played a role in its formation and development. Through this process they will understand the social and political conditions that favored its development and become familiar with recognizing its different forms, focusing on educational drama. Through the recognition of the dual importance of theater both as an aesthetic product and as a means of education and training, they will understand their role as "animators". In this way, they will become familiar with the application of theatrical techniques and conventions, the integration of the structural elements of theater (dramatic environment, role, dramatic tension, space, narrative/dramatic text, character, dialogue) in the educational process and the ways of transition from educational drama in creating a performance with the students. To achieve these goals, the theoretical part is combined with the implementation of experiential theater-pedagogical workshops.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
•    To understand the dual meaning of the theater, both as an aesthetic product and as a means of education and training.
•    To recognize the different pedagogical, social and artistic forms of theater in Education (educational drama, theatrical play, dramatic art, dramatic play, social theater, applied drama, procedural drama, theater-pedagogical programs).
•    To know the different theories about children's play (phenomenological theories, psychoanalytic theories, behaviourist theories, developmental theories, motivational theories), to understand the relationship between children's play and dramatic play and to understand their influence on the development of theater in education.
•    To know the basic theories and methods of the pioneers who influenced the formation of educational drama both from the Anglo-Saxon area and from America.
•    To be able to distinguish and apply in practice the stages of theater teaching.
•    To apply the theatrical techniques of didactic theater in education, each time choosing the techniques that suit the characteristics of each group.
•    To be able to use in an appropriate way the structural elements of the theater and the techniques of the dramatic text for the development of experiential workshops.
•    To have skills that will allow them to create a theater performance with the students based on the educational drama workshops.
•    To plan, implement and evaluate integrated teaching scenarios, set cognitive and social-emotional goals, match them with the content and assessment tools at the different stages (diagnostic, final and formative assessment) both within the theater education course or application of theater-pedagogical techniques in the context of other courses based on the content of the syllabi as well as in the context of planning and organizing non-formal education theater-pedagogical programs.