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Last month I took a Narrative Economics class from Yale University’s Robert Shiller in which he expounded on the importance of cross-curricular connections in education.
Shiller quoted the 19th-century philosopher of science William Huo, who said, “Departmentalization of American Universities … has deprived the institutions of team play and integration intellectual. The remedy lies in a more intimate correlation of all departments.” Pulling findings (and combining methods) from disparate fields can also invigorate primary and secondary education levels.
When I interviewed Maria Kolovou three years ago, she was using a cross-curricular approach to schooling that pulled from the dramatic arts and sciences to address how students truly learn. As her Ph.D. (in Teaching and Learning, with a specialization in STEM Education) study on the topic wraps up this summer, I was eager to learn what developments she has since uncovered on this topic. Kolovou's answers follow each question below.
What updates do you have on the methods of teaching science through drama?
My work is part of a pedagogy that is called, “drama in education,” known to some also as process drama. The integrative drama-inquiry (IDI) model I developed lies on process drama’s cornerstones, but it is specifically designed for teaching science. It helps to create “as if” worlds in which students take on roles of scientists or other experts and engage in dramatic and scientific explorations.
Can you give us an example?
For example, students may set off for Darwin’s journey in the role of his assistants, or they may work in the role of historians trying to solve the “mystery” of how Newton developed his theories. Conventions used in theater, such as the use of props as signs, help to establish the dramatic setting. Other dramatic conventions help to move the narrative forward.
As a result, students engage fully–meaning with their bodies, their emotions, their thinking, their belief system, their whole self–with the historical events of scientific inquiries, and through this journey, they also engage with the relevant scientific concepts and practices. And importantly, they encounter ethical dilemmas, conflicts, and humanistic aspects of doing science.
I like that you incorporate history, as well. This reminds me of two books rich in dramatic science narratives: The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn in 1962 and, more recently, The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean. I notice you incorporate students’ emotions, as well.
Many scholars argue that in education, we should see students as a whole. We can’t separate thinking and feeling, cognition and affect. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang has done a lot of work explaining in neurobiological terms why students’ emotional experiences impact their learning and why emotions matter, and valuing emotions in education matters too. Dramatization helps move toward that direction. And it does this in a “safe” way. Students can explore different perspectives by taking on roles of different characters, but this is an “as-if” world.
Can you give us another example?
In one of my projects, students were following Watson’s and Crick’s steps for the discovery of DNA structure. As the drama was unfolding, they found out that Watson and Crick had used an X-ray photo from a scientist who did not give them her permission, and I am talking about Rosalind Franklin. I know you know this story. At one point, students wrote journal entries in character as Rosaline, describing her reaction when she heard the news. Their responses were so to the point as if they were really empathizing, the questions they posed, the feelings they revealed.
The incorporation of emotion will make these narratives more memorable. When I visited my local pharmacy (a well-established chain) recently, I was shocked to see art on the wall commemorating the DNA discovery, attributing it to–and only to–Watson and Crick. Whereas it’s well-established that they used Franklin’s photos and data without her consent.
History’s memory is biased, and the incorporation of emotion and exercises like this can fight against that problem. How easily can teachers without theater training establish these “as-if” worlds in the classroom?
My studies help me to design and develop these curricula, but the application of the curricula is not as hard or intimidating as it may sound. I worked with teachers in professional development programs when I was working as a science teacher in Greece, and I was surprised to see how willing teachers are to shift from the role of a lecturer to a more playful role.
I’ve noticed the same with my interactions with teachers here in the U.S. Now, I am not saying this is an easy endeavor. It needs step-by-step guidance, it needs time, and it needs experimentation in environments that are not so much restrained by standardized tests or other constraints. For example, I have worked with teachers in STEAM elective courses in middle schools here in the U.S. However, I see the potential for more. I see teachers, or some teachers, thirsty to try something new.
The best teachers make regular use of storytelling, as do scientists when they share their discoveries. Are you, in a way, merging science and dramatic storytelling?
I like the way you put it, the use of the phrase “dramatic storytelling.” In fact, many times in the past, scientists communicated what science meant to them using storytelling to engage their audiences’ imaginations. Look at Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jane Goodall, and Carl Sagan for examples. And notice how, in these cases, science becomes personal.
Note the “what science meant to them” aspect. We all know how powerful stories are. When science is told through stories, especially through human stories, people can place facts, names, and events, into an order, a timeline, which suddenly makes sense.
In conclusion, what have you learned from your research so far?
Drama as a medium has a power that is extremely motivating for students. My first published work was relevant to how students increased their intrinsic motivation through the IDI model. My following projects were all focused on seeing how students use their creativity and their collaborative creativity when they work on drama-related projects and how their science learning is supported.
The results seem impressive as to how diligently students investigate scientific topics when they are hooked by a dramatic narrative. We also see how willingly students unlock their creative skills, how fast they progress, what wonderful ideas they reveal, and connections they make with their real life.
