Immersive Arts: Musical Theater and Its Pedagogical Capacities in Artistic Curriculum

Abstract

The elements of immersive space can have a positive effect on students’ cognitive development. Jackson & Jackson (1993) discussed pedagogical methods to increase students’ development, concluding that educational mediums are at the center of social change in teaching and learning. The current study shows that the drama and theater class and its curriculum aid students’ critical thinking and its development, which aligns with previous studies by Pendzik (2008), suggesting that the emotional resonance of the audience in each space is a key contributor to the students’ attention and comprehension of the topic in question. The current study used qualitative methods to survey students and teachers after a completed immersive thematic exhibition on “Verbal Violence” to explore and analyze what factors influenced the improvement of students’ attention in the course activity and how teachers of other disciplines dialectically perceive the exhibition in relation to their traditional teaching methods. The participants were international high school students in grades 9-12. The immersive exhibition was a two-day event as part of the drama performance class curriculum. The study aimed to develop a dialectical analysis of the impact of the immersive space theme exhibition on the audience, how to apply immersive space and knowledge of the theatre field as an educational tool for the holistic development of young people’s education, and to contribute to the development of spontaneous and dialectical thinking while guiding the students’ critical thinking and individual educational development.

Presenters

Qitong Tian
Drama Teacher, Performing Arts Department, North America International School, China

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

Pedagogies of the Arts

KEYWORDS

Arts, Drama, Education, Immersion, Theater