Abstract:

The use of drama and theatre processes as psychological therapy is known [1-3]. Studies based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) point out higher cognitive activity in individuals who perform creative thinking tasks than in individuals performing other tasks non-related in arts training [1-3]. In this article, we explore the influence of drama and theatre projects to engage university undergraduate students in their learning process.

The participants were first- and third-year students of the “Integral Design and Fashion Management” degree of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Rey Juan Carlos University during the academic year 2022-2023. This active and experiential methodology has been implemented in two different subjects: “Fabrics and Materials” and “Industrial Manufacturing Processes”. These two themes present an elevated level of scientific and engineering content which creates challenges for the students in humanity and arts studies. In this research we make use of drama projects as a tool to experiment how to enhance the motivation of the students for their subjects.

Students organized themselves in groups of 4 to 8 people. Each team chose a specific topic of the syllabus, with the professor´s input and created a script related to that concept. They then had to investigate and get a deeper understanding of the specific subject that they had chosen to write the script. Simultaneously, students had to develop their creativity and soft skills to perform it in front of the audience. Critical thinking, sociability, communication skills, good organization, teamwork, time management, conflict resolution, companionship, punctuality, adaptability, and stress management were some of the soft skills that the students had to develop during these activities. In the creative process of writing the script and rehearsing the fictional character or role of the play, students integrate acquired concepts into everyday life situations.

We have found that students showed a high degree of enthusiasm for their achievements in both academic and personal sphere after performing the play in front of their classmates. More important, drama helped to acquire cognitive and technical concepts developing knowledge and facilitating the learning process. We conclude that theatre projects boost students’ creativity and self-confidence, and students learn by having fun and expressing themselves.

References:
[1] Crimmens, P. (2006) Drama therapy and storytelling in special education (London, Jessica Kinsley Publishers).
[2] Brooke, S. L. (Ed.) (2009) The use of the creative therapies with chemical dependency issues (Spring field, IL, Charles C. Thomas Publisher).
[3] Silverman, Y. (2009) Drama therapy with adolescent survivors of sexual abuse: The use of myth, metaphor, and fairy tale, in: S. L. Brooke (Ed.) The use of the creative therapies with sexual abuse survivors (Springfield, IL, Charles C. Thomas Publisher), 250–260.

Keywords:

Drama projects, Soft Skills, Student Motivation, Active Learning, Experiential Learning, Creativity Thinking.