Drama online

Abstract

Drama, because of its practical requirements, would seem to be one of the last courses to benefit from the incorporation of online learning technologies. Yet, by embedding web based conferencing in the curriculum, and utilising the graphic and communication capabilities of the web, there is an exciting opportunity to enrich the learning environment in drama. Predictably, such innovations have an impact on the pedagogy. In this paper the authors (unit coordinator and educational developer) report on evaluations conducted over two years in Elements of Drama, a first year university unit. We particularly refer to the impact of the introduction of a compulsory, online collaborative assignment and the change this made to the teaching and learning outcomes. We discuss the changing pattern of delivery of this unit which now affords both on campus and distance students more opportunities for interaction and communication. We evaluate the effectiveness of the online assignment and discuss the factors that contributed to its success.