Meaningful learning through video-supported forum-theater

Abstract

This paper presents the first cycle of a design-based study at Mikkeli University of Applied Sciences, Finland, during which a video-supported forum-theater approach was implemented and evaluated. Students enrolled in the Drama course in the Civic Activities and Youth Work degree program produced and recorded forum-theater performances about elderly people’s use of alcohol, with the recordings used first as learning tools for themselves and later as video cases for social work students enrolled in the Substance Abuse course. The study sought to refine the design of these courses by analyzing the Drama course students’ experiences of the video-supported forum-theater approach from the viewpoint of meaningful learning and then the Substance Abuse students’ experiences of the video cases. The results indicate that, according to the Drama students, videosupported forum-theater facilitates both teaching and meaningful learning, enhancing the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge, methodological skills, and the ability to solve every day social problems. The Substance Abuse students perceived the video cases as useful for learning. According to students, the videos were authentic and represented working life well. The results suggest several practical refinements to both the Drama and the Substance Abuse course designs and to the teaching activities.

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