!
THEORETICAL THEATRE: HARNESSING
THE POWER OF COMEDY TO TEACH
SOCIAL SCIENCE THEORY
Viviane Gravey, Tom Hargreaves,
Irene Lorenzoni and Gill Seyfang
3S Working Paper 2017-30
!
Established in early 2011, and building on a
tradition of leading environmental social science
research at UEA, we are a group of faculty,
researchers and postgraduate students taking
forward critical social science approaches to
researching the social and political dimensions of
environment and sustainability issues.
The overall aim of the group is to conduct
world-leading research that better understands,
and can potentially transform, relations between
science, policy and society in responding to the
unprecedented sustainability challenges facing our
world. In doing this our approach is:
INTERDISCIPLINARY, working at the interface
between science and technology studies, human
geography and political science, as well as linking
with the natural sciences and humanities;
ENGAGED, working collaboratively with publics,
communities, civil society organisations, government
and business; and REFLEXIVE, through being
theoretically informed, self-aware and constructively
critical. Our work is organised around five
interrelated research strands:
KNOWLEDGES AND EXPERTISE
PARTICIPATION AND ENGAGEMENT
SCIENCE, POLICY AND GOVERNANCE
TRANSITIONS TO SUSTAINABILITY
SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION
Science, Society and Sustainability (3S) Research Group
School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia
Norwich Research Park
Norwich NR4 7TJ UK
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.3S.uea.ac.uk
www.3Sresearch.org
3S researchers working across these strands focus
on a range of topics and substantive issues including:
climate change, energy, emerging technologies
(such as biotechnologies and geoengineering),
natural hazards, responses to the economic and
financial crisis, and grassroots actions and social
movements on sustainability.
THEORETICALTHEATRE:HARNESSINGTHEPOWEROFCOMEDYTOTEACHSOCIALSCIENCETHEORY
VivianeGravey,TomHargreaves,IreneLorenzoni,GillSeyfang
ABSTRACT
RoleplayingisincreasinglyusedinEuropeanStudiesandpoliticalsciencemoregenerallytofoster
studentsunderstandingofsocialsciencetheories.Yetinmostcases,roleplayingisonlydoneby
students.NotsoinTheoreticalTheatre,ateachinginnovationwhichputstheonusonteachersto
act.Inourperformances,teachersembodycompetingtheoriesandenactdramaticscenariosin
front,andincollaborationwith,theirstudentaudience.Thisarticleexplainshowwedeveloped
TheoreticalTheatreandhowitrelatesnotonlytogamesandsimulationsbutalsoDramaIn
Education.Itreflectsonourexperienceofperformingacrossfourmodulessince2012andour
students’feedbackanddiscusseshowitcanbesustainedovertimeandtransferredtoothersettings
anddisciplines.
KEYWORDS
Performance,pedagogy,teachinginnovation
SUGGESTEDCITATION
Gravey,V.,Hargreaves,T.,Lorenzoni,I.andSeyfang,G.(2017)TheoreticalTheatre:HarnessingThe
PowerOfComedyToTeachSocialScienceTheory3SWorkingPaper2017-30.Norwich:Science,
SocietyandSustainabilityResearchGroup
1
THEORETICALTHEATRE:HARNESSINGTHEPOWEROFCOMEDYTOTEACHSOCIALSCIENCETHEORY
INTRODUCTION
Theoriesareattheheartofsocialscienceteaching,thecentrepieceusedtofosterstudents’
analyticalcapacitiesandtheirabilitytointerprettheworld.Yet,teachingsocialsciencetheoriescan
beaverycomplicatedendeavour(Asaletal.2014).Ontheonehand,teachershavetoconveythe
usefulnessoftheoriestostudentswhomayneverhavefeltaneedforthem.Ontheotherhand,
theoriesofferstudentsdifferentwaysofunderstandingtheworldandtheyareoftenencouragedto
thinkcriticallyaboutthelimitsandbenefitsofeachofthem(Boyeretal.2006,p.67).Understanding
theroleoftheoriesinsocialscienceisa‘thresholdconcept’,whichstudentsarerequiredtograsp
effectivelybeforetheyareabletoaccessandsucceedinmoreadvancedlearning(Kiley&Wisker
2009).
Thereisagrowingconsensusthatlecturesontheirownarenotsufficienttohelpstudents
apprehendabstractconcepts.Asaletal.arguethatlecturesaremostlycharacterisedbypassive
learningmethodsthroughwhichstudentscanonlygainsuperficialknowledge‘becausetheyarenot
forcedtoengagethecoursematerialinawaythattheycanmaketheknowledgetheygainedtruly
theirown’(Asaletal.2014,p.347).Activelearningisthereforeamoreeffectivealternative
(Freemanetal,2014),andincreasinglysimulations,gamesandroleplayhavebeendevelopedinthe
socialsciencestoenhanceteachingeffectiveness.1However,todatethismovetowardsactive
learningandsimulationsbeenlimitedtostudents-in-roleandhasneglectedtheroleofteachersin
enactingdramaticscenarios.
Toaddressthis,wepresentourexperienceandreflectionsonTheoreticalTheatre(TT),anawardwinningteachingmethoddesignedtoengagestudentsinactivelearningaboutcompetingtheories,
withwideapplicabilityacrossthecurriculum.InTTperformances,theoriesare‘notmerely
discussed,butembodied’(Jacobs2010,p.2)byagroupofinstructorsand/orstudents,bringing
conceptualdebatestolifeasinteractingcharactersinsemi-improvisedscenarios.
WebeginthisarticlebyprovidingabriefintroductiontoTTasateachingmethodanddepicthowwe
haveuseditacrossfourdifferentmodulesinenvironmentalsocialsciencesince2012.Wethen
situateTTwithininnovativeteachingliteratures,arguingthatwhilesomeofitselementsaresimilar
tosimulations,discussionsinDramainEducationhelpshedlightonhowTTredrawstherelationship
betweenteachersandstudents.WethenreflectonourexperiencedevelopingTTasateamandon
itsevaluationbystudents,beforeconcludingwithadiscussionofthechallengesandopportunitiesin
transferringTTtootherdisciplines.
THEORETICALTHEATRE:ATEACHINGINNOVATION
TheoreticalTheatreisateachingtoolusingsemi-improvisedcomedyperformances.Teachers
portraycharacterswhophysicallyembodydifferenttheoriesininteractivescenariosincludinga
QuestionTime-styledebate,achat-show,oradate.Weusepropsandcostumestoenliventhe
‘extra-ordinary’lecturesetting.Charactersmaygetalongorarguewitheachother,reflecting
1
SeeforexampletheActiveLearninginPoliticalScienceblog,http://activelearningps.com/(accessed
08/12/2016)
2
academicandpolicydebatesbetweendifferentperspectives.Usingcomedyhelpsstudentsmakean
emotionalconnectionwithcomplexmaterial,andresultsinactiveanddeeperlearning.
TheSchoolofEnvironmentalSciencesattheUniversityofEastAngliaisinterdisciplinary;students
withnaturalsciencebackgroundscommonlyencountersocialscienceforthefirsttimeinour
modules.Wehavefoundthatstudentsaccustomedtodealingwith‘facts’struggledtocomprehend
competingtheoriesaboutsociety,andthattheydidnotdistinguishthenuancesbetweendifferent
theories,orstruggledtoapplyatheory.Sometimesstudentsadvocated‘addingtogether’allthe
differentperspectivestogetthe‘best’aggregatedapproachwhichappearedtobe‘commonsense’
and‘thebestofallworlds’.
Consequently,wecreatedTheoreticalTheatretohelpstudentsbettercomprehendtheunderlying
basisofcompetingtheoriesofsocietyandtheenvironment,andencouragethemtoreflectcritically
abouttheirstrengthsandweaknesses.Theperformanceswehavedevelopedtodatearepresented
asexceptionallectures,onepermodule(asoutlinedbelow),toconveytheoreticalthreshold
concepts.Insomecases,follow-upactivitiesinvolvestudentsdevelopingoradoptingand
performingconcept-charactersthemselvestofurtherdeepentheirunderstanding.Thisisadeeply
experientialwaytolearn:asdramapedagogueGilbertoScaramuzzoasserts‘ifwewanttospeak[on
atopic]wemustlearntobecome[thetopic]’(Grove2015,p.22).
DevelopingTheoreticalTheatre
WeadoptedTTasanevolvingexperimentinimprovingourteachingeffectivenessaswestruggledto
addresstherecurrentteachingchallengesexplainedabove.Wedevelopedourfirstprototypein
summer2012.Webeganbydraftingnotesabouthoweachtheory(representedbyalecturer)of
sustainableconsumptioninterpretstheworldandhowtheywouldanswerquestions,e.g.‘howcan
weencouragemorepeopletousepublictransport’or‘whydoweconsumeaswedo?’.These
becamequiteelaboratescripts,butthedeliverywasstillessentiallyin‘lecture’mode,albeitamultivoicedlecture.Itlackedcharactersanddynamism,andwefelttherewasmorewecoulddotobring
thedebatestolife.
Westartedworkingwithanexpertincomedyimprovisation,CharlotteArculus2,whouseddrama
gamesandplaytohelpusloseourinhibitionsandbuildtrustasateam.Welearnedaboutstage
technique,thepowerofsilenceandstillness,awarenessoftheensemble,andtheimportanceof
takingarisk.
Wethenmovedontothinkingabouttheperformancepieceitself,andCharlotteArculusaskedusto
putthescriptsasideandthinkinsteadaboutthecharacterswewouldbeenacting.Whatkindofcar
wouldtheydrive?Whowastheirhero?Whatdidtheyeatforlunch?Answeringthesemundane
questionshelpeduscreatefleshed-outcharactersinourminds,peoplewhowewouldpretendto
be.Wethenmovedonto‘hot-seating’andthecharactersexplaininghowtheyfeltabouteach
other.Characterthenbecamerealpeoplewithbackstoriesandhobbies.Aboveall,theinteractions
wereincrediblyfunnyandweenjoyedseeingeachotherplaythesecharacters.Andoncewe‘knew’
ourcharactersandtheirviews,thescriptswerenotneeded.Thedramaessentiallywroteitself,
basedontheimprovisationofthecharacters’interpersonaldynamics.
2
Herworkcanbefoundathttp://www.theatreofadventure.co.uk/,accessed08.12.2016
3
SustainableConsumption
ThefirstperformancewecreatedwasforaMasters-levelmoduleonSustainableConsumption(2030students,over12weeks),andaddressedthequestionof‘whydoweconsumethewaywedo?’.It
portraysaQuestionTime-styledebatebetweenfourcompetingtheoriesofconsumptionbehaviour:
logicalRationalChoiceTheory,gossipySocialPsychology,busySocialPracticeTheoryandpuppet
masterSystemsofProvision,plusthecurious(andimportantly,neutral)showhost(seeShwom&
Lorenzen(2012)foracomparisonofthefourapproaches).Studentschooseonetheorytoapplytoa
casestudy,andcritique,intheirassessedwork.PriortoTT,studentsoftenattemptedtoaggregate
allthetheoriesdespitethefactthatthetheoriesfundamentallydisagreewitheachother.Our
performancebringsthosedisagreementstolife.Inafollow-upworkshop,studentsadoptthe
charactersthemselves,andthisreallycementstheirunderstandingastheyphysicallyembodythe
concepts.
TheoreticalBlindDate
Developedaspartofa2ndyearundergraduatemoduleEnergyandPeople(60-70numberof
students,over12weeks),TheoreticalBlindDateinvolvesthreecharacters(abusinessperson,a
policymakerandanenvironmentalactivist)facing‘realworldenergyproblems’posingquestionsto
threedifferenttheories(theoriesofbehaviourchange;socialpracticeandtransitions–eachplayed
byadifferentlecturer)thatare‘hidden’behindascreen.Thetheoriesprovideanswerstothe
questionsposedderivedfromtheirparticulartheoreticalstandpoint.Finally,aftersomevocalised
deliberationandwiththehelpoftheaudienceofstudentsshoutingouttheiropinions,thecharacter
askingthequestionthendecideswhichtheorytotakeoutona‘date’,inwhichtheyaretaskedwith
thechallengeofsolvingtheproblemposedinthequestion.Towardtheendofthemodule,the
studentsthemselvesthenengageinagroupactivityinwhichtheyhavetodecidehoweachofthe
differentdateswent.Theythenhavetoputonashortperformancetotherestoftheclass,playing
theroleofthecharactersandthetheoriesthemselves.
TheatreofPower
TheatreofPowerbringstogetherthethreedimensionsofpowerasdevelopedbyDahl(1961)
BachrachandBaratz(1962)andLukes(2005)whicharecentraltothesecondyearmoduleon
EnvironmentalPoliticsandPolicymaking(40-60students,overoneteachingsemester,equivalentto
12weeks).Itisthefirstofseveraltheoreticalapproachesstudentsareexposedtointhemodule,
andmanyadoptitintheircasestudy.However,wenoticedovertheyearsthatthedistinction
betweenthedimensionsisoftenpoorlyunderstoodbythestudents.Wedevisedahalfhour
performanceaimingatbetterfleshingouttheirkeydifferencesandcommonalities,asanadd-onto
astandardlecture.Thelecturerstartswitha20-minuteconventionalpresentationaboutapplying
theoriesofdimensionsofpowertoahistoricalcasestudy(currently,the1932MassTrespasson
KinderScoutandtheramblingmovement).Attheendofthepresentation,thefirstdimensionof
power(holdingaswordtorepresentbruteforce)interruptsthelecturerandexplainhowtheyview
theevents.Thetwootherdimensions(thesecondcarriesamagnifyingglasstoinvestigatehidden
agendas,andthethirdamagician’swandtosignifymind-control)takeissuewiththefirstdimension
imposingitsviewsandfollowsuit.Allthreethenengageinalivelydebateontheprosandconsof
eachapproachandtheyanswerquestionsfromtheaudience.
4
SwipeRightforSustainability
‘SwipeRightforSustainability’isourlatestperformance.Itpresentstwocompetingapproachesto
sustainabledevelopment(Gareth‘greengrowth’Juggernaut,andDaisy‘de-growth’Beansprout)
usingadatingapp,andgoingonadate.Itwasdevelopedforthefirst-yearundergraduatemodule
Sustainability,SocietyandBiodiversity(154studentsin2015/16,over12weeksintheSpring
semester),andhassincebeenusedwithMastersstudentsonSustainableConsumption(20students
in2016,over12weeks).Thispiecewasdesignedtohelpstudentsgraspthatthereisnocorrect
definitionofsustainabledevelopment,butratherdifferentperspectives(Hopwoodetal.2005).The
subjectisfirstintroducedusingatraditionallecturecomparingandcontrastingthetwoapproaches,
followedinasubsequentclassbytheperformance.AlthoughDaisyandGarethinitiallyappearto
havesomuchincommon(theyarebothkeenadvocatesof‘sustainability’),theirdifferingviews
soonbecomeapparentandthedatedoesn’tendwell.Thedramaandcomedyliesinseeingtheir
datingoptimismwitherduringthecourseoftheirconversation.Studentsfollow-upbycreatingnew
datingprofilesforthecharacters,andcanalsoenactthecharactersthemselvestogivea‘date
report’.
TheoreticalTheatreperformancesarethusallbasedonacommon,highlyflexibleapproach:using
teacherstoembodytheoriesandinteractincharacterinfrontofaswellaswiththestudents(Table
1).
5
Sustainable
Consumption
Target
audience
andmodule
description
40minperformance,
firstdeliveredin2012
forMasters-level
postgraduatestudents
(20-30students)
Learning
objectives
Tounderstandcritical
similaritiesand
differencesbetween
competingtheoriesof
consumption
behaviour.
Consumptionbehaviour
Topic
Theories
Staff
needed
RationalChoice,Social
Psychology,Social
PracticeTheory,
SystemsofProvision
5teachers(Showhost,
4theorycharacters)
Rolefor
students
Asanactiveaudience,
theyareinvitedtoask
thepaneloftheories
questionsabout
sustainable
consumptionpolicyand
practice.
Followup
activities
Inafollow-up
workshop,students
workinsmallgroupsto
adoptoneofthe
theory-charactersand
tackleasustainable
consumptionproblem
(egfoodwaste)from
thatperspective.
Studentsrepresentthe
charactersinashort
classroomperformance
anddebatein
character.
BlindDate
TheatreofPower
SwipeRightforSustainability
40-50minperformance
firstdeliveredin2014for
nd rd
2 -3 year
undergraduates(60
studentsin2013/14;70
in2014/15)
Tointroducestudentsto
arangeoftheoriesthat
exploreissuesofsocial
andtechnicalchangein
relationtotheenergy
system.
Energysystemchange
25minperformancefirst
nd
deliveredin2013,for2 yearundergraduates.
(55studentsin2012/13,
40in2014/15and60in
2015/16)
Tointroducestudentsto
howthethreedimensions
ofpowerexplainevents
andtherelationshipsof
poweramongsocialactors
differently
1932MassTrespassand
accesstolandintheUK
20-40minperformancefirst
st
deliveredin2015for1 year
undergraduates(150
students)andin2016for
Masters-levelpostgraduates
(20students).
Tounderstandcritical
similaritiesanddifferences
betweentwocompeting
perspectivesonsustainable
development
BehaviourChange;Social
PracticeTheory;
TransitionsTheory
Thethreedimensionsof
power
De-growthandGreenGrowth
5teachers(Showhost;3
theorycharacters,and
oneteacherplaying
businessperson,policymakerandactivist)
Asanactiveaudience.
Theyareaskedtoshout
outtheiropinionsabout
whichtheoryeach
charactershouldchoose
togoonadatewith,with
afewstudentsselected
toexplaintheirreasoning
inslightlymoredepth.
4teachers(facilitator,3
theorycharacters)
2teachers(degrowthand
greengrowthcharacters)
Passiveviewersofthe
performanceinitially;then
invitedbythefacilitatorto
expresstheirviews(yes/
no)ontheviewspresented
bythedifferenttheories,
andaskquestions(planted
amongtheaudiencein
advance,aswellastheir
own)
Studentsencouragedto
reflectonthesetheories
andhowtheycanbe
appliedtounderstand
contestedsituationsduring
theseminarstheypresent
inweeksfollowingthe
performance.Many
studentsalsoapplythese
theoriesintheircasestudy
coursework.
Activeaudienceintherun-up
tothedate(givingfeedback
tobothcharacters),then
passiveduringthedate.
Afollow-upseminar,
towardstheendofthe
moduleputsthestudents
intheroleofthe
charactersandthe
theoriesandrequires
themtoperformtothe
classhowtheythinkthe
datesbetweenthe
characterswent(i.e.how
didthetheoriesapproach
theproblems,howdid
thecharactersrespondto
thisetc.).
Table1:acomparisonofallfourperformances(2012-2016)
6
Sustainabledevelopment
Followingtheperformance,
studentsworkinsmallgroups
tocreatenewdatingprofiles
forthetwocharacterswhich
bringouttheircore
differencesaswellastheir
similarities.Studentscanalso
enactthecharacterstogive
datereportsoneachother,
asanalternative,more
interactivewayofpresenting
thisanalysis.
RECONNECTINGTHEORETICALTHEATRETOTHEPEDAGOGICALLITERATURE
AlthoughTheoreticalTheatrewasbornoutofourownexperimentationsinresponsetoarecurring
teachingchallengeinourSchool,itfitswithinamuchbroadermovementaimingtopushforamore
learner-orientedapproach(Buckley&Reidy2014,p.342)toaddressthelimitsofconventional
lectures(Asaletal.2014).TheoreticalTheatreusesdramaandcomedyto‘preventacademic
contentfromappearinglifeless,abstractandbeyondunderstanding’(Smith&Herring1993,p.419).
WearguethatTTcanbeunderstoodasahybridbetweensimulations–widelyusedinpolitical
scienceandinternationalrelationsteachinginhighereducationinternationally–andDramain
Educationapproaches,mostlyusedinprimaryeducationintheUK.Inthissection,wecompareand
contrastourownexperienceofTTwithcentralelementsofbothliteratures.
TheoreticalTheatre,ASortOfSimulation?
Gamesandsimulationsareanincreasinglypopularalternativetoa‘lectureonly’typeofteaching(
Lightfoot&Maurer2013).Theyareextremelyvaried,rangingfromasemester-longsimulationof
theadministrativefunctioningoftheEuropeanCommission(Giacomello2011)toaseriesofshort
games–allheldduringonesinglelecture(Asaletal.2014).Somemayrequirespecificallytailored
material(Usherwood2015)orusepre-existingmaterialsuchascardgames(Boyeretal.2006).
Theapproachthatwepresentinthisarticleisinmanywayssimilartogamesandsimulations.Italso
movesawayfromsimply‘telling’students,favouringinstead‘showing’or‘roleplaying’(Paschall&
Wustenhagen2012),whichcanencourage‘studentsawayfromthesecurityofasingular,
authoritativenarrative’(Stevens2015,p.490).Italsousesroleplayingtomaketheories‘clearina
waythatlecturesanddiscussionsdonot’(Asal2005,p.361),andrequireanimportantamountof
preparatoryworkbystudentsandstaff,oftenincludingmorethanonememberofstaff(Usherwood
2015).Asgamesandsimulations,ittakesplacewithinthecontextofabroadermodule,alongside
traditionallectures,andrequirecarefularticulationbetweentheinnovativeandtraditionalelements
ofteaching(Raiseretal.2015,p.2).Finally,assimulationsandgames,ithappensinconjunctionwith
discussionand/ordebriefwithstudents(Boyeretal.2006,p.73).
ButTTradicallydiffersfromgamesandsimulationwithregardstotherelationbetweenteachers
andstudents.Ingamesandsimulations,‘thestudentbecomesthelabratandthengetstodiscuss
theexperiment’(Asal2005,p.361)and,forexample,startbehavingandinteractingasmembersofa
politicalinstitution.Duringthegameorsimulationslecturerscanactas‘facilitator,controlteam,
and/orobserver’(Asal&Kratoville2013,p.138)ensuringeverythingisrunningsmoothly(Buckley&
Reidy2014).DuringaTTsessionhowever,theonusisontheteachers.Contrarytosimulations,they
retainmorecontrol,butitisuptothemtoputonacostume,toadoptarole,tobehavesometimes
foolishly,harnessingthepowerofroleplayandcomedytointroducestudentstosocialscience
theories.
Theseteachingmethodsalsodifferintermsofhowtheytreattheories.Inmanysimulations,
studentsengagewiththeoriesbefore(toprepare)andaftertheperformance(tomakesenseof
whathappened).Thesereflectionsoftenrequirepromptingbyinstructors(Asal&Kratoville2013),
asstudentscanstruggletomaketheconnectionbetweenwhattheyexperiencedandthetheories
theyaretaught.TTalsoaimstomakestudentsreflectonthedifferenttheoriesandhowtoapply
them,buttheoriesareattheheartoftheperformance.Instructorsembodytheories,turningkey
7
socialsciencetheoriesintofull-fledgedcharacterswithaname,profession,hobbies,favouritefood
andholidayslocation.
Thus,whileTT,gamesandsimulationsuseroleplaytheydosoinamarkedlydifferentmanner.As
thesectionbelowexplores,thecentralroleofinstructorsinrole-playingbringsTTclosertothe
DramainEducationliteraturethroughthenotionofteacher-in-roleinparticular(Prendiville2000).
TheoreticalTheatreBy‘Teachers-In-Role’
DramainEducationisanapproachwhichseesstudentsengageindrama,oftenthrough
improvisation(Fleming2010),togetherwiththeirteacher(s).ItwasdevelopedintheUKfromthe
1970sonwardwithkeycontributionsofferedbyHeathcoteandherco-authors(Heathcote&
Herbert1985).
WhileitsoriginalfocusandearlydevelopmentintheUKisonprimaryeducation,engagingboth
studentsandinstructorsindrama,theusesofDramainEducationhavebecomeincreasinglydiverse
overtime(Lee2014).Theuseofsolodramas,monologues(Kemeh2015)or‘hot-seating’where
studentsquestionateacher-in-role(Pearce&Hardiman2012)showsitdoesnotnecessarilyrequire
studentsandinstructorsrole-playingtogether.
Oneofthecentralelementsofthisliteratureisthepedagogicalstrategyof‘teacher-in-role’–
teachersinteractingwithstudentswhile‘inrole’,aspartofagrouporduringsolodrama.Two
debatesregarding‘teacher-in-role’wereparticularlyhelpfultobuildandreflectonTheoretical
Theatre:whatexactlyaretheteachersupto–isitactingornot–andhowdoestheatreredrawthe
relationshipbetweenteachersandstudents?
IsTeachingActing?
EarlyliteratureonDramainEducationarguedforcefullythatteacher-in-roleswerenotacting.Thus,
forPrendiville(2000,p.12),teacher-in-roleis‘notaboutputtingonaperformanceandbecoming
theatrical,ifyoudothat,youpushthechildrenawayfromyou[…]cheeringandlaughingfromasafe
distance,thedistanceyouhavecreatedby‘actingup’thepart’.Ackroyd-Pilkingtoncontendedthat
rejectingactingmayappearreassuringandagoodwaytopersuade‘non-specialiststotakeonroles’
(2001,p.21).Furthermore,actingtendstobe‘associatedwithfalsehood[…]notdeemed
appropriatefortheworthyandseriousendeavoursofclassroomdrama’(Ackroyd-Pilkington2001,
p.20).Butsuchrejectionisproblematic,asittendstounderplaytheskillsrequiredandalsothe
creativityofrole-playing(Ackroyd-Pilkington2002,p.74).
Critically,askingwhether‘teacher-in-role’isaperformancebringsusbacktohowmuchteaching,in
allitsvariedforms,isaperformance(Schonmann2005,p.287).AsJacobsargues,‘Inmanyways,a
teacherislikealive-theatreactor.Ateacherhasanaudienceofstudents,andhastoperformin
frontofandfor(andininteractionwith)thataudience’(Jacobs2010,p.2).Yetwewouldarguethat
performingasalecturerisnotthesameasperforming,aswedoinTT,asacharacterembodyinga
theory.Buildingontheatricalconcepts,Schonmann(2005)arguesthesetwotypesofperformances
aresubsumedunderthe‘roleoftheteacher’underabinaryunderstandingofteachinginwhichthe
onlydistinctionisbetweenthepersonandherrole.Adoptinganalternativetriadicviewofteaching
allowsdistinguishingbetweentheperson,theirprofessionalroleasateacher,andthecharacter,
e.g.thetheoryembodied(Schonmann2005;Kempe2012).
8
ChangingHowTeachersArePerceived?
Aitken(2007,pp.91–92)arguesthattheatrerelationships–betheyinarealtheatreorina
classroom–requirea‘sharedunderstandingofhowthefictionistobedistinguishedfromreality,
whatistobeconsideredofvalue,thebehavioursthatwillsupporttherelationship’aswellas,
criticallyforTT‘whowillhavethepowertoperform’.
Thesedecisionsareuptotheteacher–the‘relationshipmanagers’(Aitken2007)–whoneedto
communicatethemtothestudents.Crucially,teachershavetotakeintoaccountthepre-existing
relationshipwiththeirstudents.Whendoteachersbehaveas‘teachers’,andwhenarethey
‘teachers-in-role’?Andwhatdoesitmeanforstudents:doeschangedbehaviourfromteachers
implieschangedbehaviourfromstudentsaswell?
Propsandcostumesarefrequentlyusedtomarkthechangedrelationship,asillustratedby
Prendiville(Prendiville2000,p.12):
‘Wearegoingtodoastory[…]YouwillknowwhenIamgoingtobepretendingtobesomeone
inthestorybecauseIshallwearthishat[…]WhenItakemyhatoffIwillbeyourteacheragain.
IsthatOK?’
Consequently,webuiltcleardemarcationusingprops,costumes,musicandlightingtosetapart
performancesinwhichweappeared‘incharacter’fromotherlectures.InTheoreticalBlindDate,for
example,wehavemusicandtitlecreditstomarkitsbeginningandend,propsonthestageinthe
formofseatsforeachofthecharacters(incostume)andascreentokeepthedate‘blind’.
NewRolesForStudents?
TTdoesnotonlychangehowteachersbehave,butoffersdifferentwaysforstudentstoengageas
well.Basedontheliterature,wecouldexpectduringtheperformance,studentstochangefromjust
attendingalecture,tobeingpartofanaudience,‘awareoftheresponsesofotheraudience
members’(Bundyetal.2013,p.156)followingbothwhathappensduringtheperformanceandhow
theirpeersreacttoit.Intheaudience,studentsareexposedtoaliveperformance,andtotheir
teacherstakingarisk–whichisoftenpositivelyperceivedbystudents(Bundyetal.2013).
InTheoreticalBlindDateforexample,studentsareexplicitlyinvitedtoparticipateandatvarious
pointsarerequiredtoshoutouttheiropinionsaboutwhichtheorymatchesaparticularcharacter.
Overandabovetheseexplicitinvitations,however,studentswatchingtheperformancetendto
laugh(orgroan)atthejokes,tofilmpartsoftheperformanceontheirsmartphonesandare
generallyveryactiveengagedintheperformance.Inthesecondhalfofmostoftheperformances,
studentsfurthermorehavetheopportunitytoaskquestionsoftheteachers‘incharacter’.Students
alsomakeuseofquestionsplantedbeforehandamongsttheaudiencetofacilitateandencourage
interaction.
Inconclusion,TTcanbeconceivedasahybridbetweentwostrandsofinnovativeteaching:DramaIn
Educationandsimulationsandgames.Itcanbeexpectedtochangehowweteach,addingathird
dimension(thecharacter)toourteaching,aswellasaffecthowstudentsengageintheclassroom.
Thenextsectioncomparestheseexpectationsfromtheliteraturetostudentvoices(Stevens2015)
gatheredinourevaluations.
9
EVALUATINGTHEORETICALTHEATRE
TTwasbornoutofadesiretoencourageourstudentstoengagewithsocialsciencetheoriesand
thustotryandimprovetheirunderstanding.Ratherthanbeingdrivenbythewiderpedagogic
literatureonDramainEducationorteacher-in-role(asreviewedinSection3)TTwasdeveloped
moreexperimentallyandwehavecometoevaluateitagainstthisliteraturemorerecently.
IntheveryfirstyearofrunningtheoriginalSustainableConsumptionTTin2012wenotedthatthe
overallqualityofthecourseworkstudentsproducedwasconsiderablyhigherthananyprevious
cohort:theaveragegradejumpedfrom60percentto67percent.Whilstthisisfarfromarobustor
conclusiveresult,itdidencourageustopersevereindevelopingTTandtomakeuseofseveralother
techniques,especiallystudentsurveys,formonitoringitseffectiveness(Baranowski&Weir2015).
BoththeSustainableConsumptionandTheoreticalBlindDatevariantsofTThavebeenregularly
assessedviaopen-endedmid-andend-of-modulereviewsconductedinclasswiththestudents.In
addition,forTheatreofPower,follow-upsurveyswereconductedin2013and2015focussed
predominantlyonwhetherandhowtheperformanceincreasedstudentunderstandingofkey
concepts.Responserates,however,werelow,withjust14/55,7/40and16/60completedsurveysin
2013,2015and2016respectively.Therewerealsomoreextensivefollow-upsurveysforSwipeRight
forSustainability,involvingafocusonincreasedunderstandingaswellastheextenttowhichthe
performanceencouragedstudentstothinkabouttheoryandtotalkaboutitwithothers(55/110
responserate).
Thissectionreflects,inturn,onthreecorethemesemergingfromthisstudentfeedback:i)making
theorymoreinterestingandengaging;ii)makingtheoryeasiertounderstandandapply,andiii)
changingdynamicsandengagementintheclassroom.
MakingTheoryMoreInterestingAndEngaging
AcoreaimofTTistoencouragestudentstoengagewiththeorymoreenthusiasticallybymakingit
seemgrounded,interestingandvaluableratherthanabstract,complexandunhelpful.Student
feedbackfromacrossallTTvariantssuggestsstrongsuccessinachievingthisaimintwoways.First,
andasthefollowingquotationsshow,studentsregularlyreportthataTTperformanceismore
interestingandengagingthanaconventionallecture.
‘You’vehelpedmegetexcitedabouttheory!’(SwipeRight,2016)
‘TheoreticalBlindDate!Highlyentertainingwithgreatinteractionandlearningaswell.
Uniqueandinteresting.’(TheoreticalBlindDate,2014)
‘Interestingandmostlyfunalternativeto'dry'lectures.’(TheatreofPower,2016)
Second,thestudentsalsoregularlynotethatTTencouragedthemtopaymoreattentioninclassand
increasedtheirmotivationtostudybeyondtheclassroomitself.Forexample:
‘Itwasabitofasurpriseattheendofthelecture–goodwayofgettingustopayattention!
Helpedmyunderstandingalot.’(TheatreofPower,2015)
‘It...madememoremotivatedtostudy.’(SwipeRight,2016)
10
Acoreaspectofthisincreasedmotivationandexcitementabouttheoryseemstorelatetothefact
that,throughtheperformance,studentswereabletowitnessthepassionandenthusiasmtheir
lecturershavefortheirsubjects.Forexample,severalquotesillustratethismore‘human’
connectionwiththeorythatTTgenerates:
‘Lecturersarenormalhumanbeingstryingtoteachsubjectsthey'repassionateaboutand
aren'tasscaryastheysometimesseem!!!’(SwipeRight,2016)
‘Ilikethefactthatitcameoutofnowhere.Itwassosurprising.Everyoneseemedreally
passionateandenthusiastic.’(TheatreofPower,2015)
Inthisrespect,whetherTTinvolvesteachingoracting,orsomethinginbetween,itappearsto
mattersignificantlythatitisthelecturerherselfwhoisdoingtheperforming,ratherthana
professionalactor.
MakingTheoryEasierToUnderstandAndApply
Baranowski&Weirarguethat‘thatgaugingwhatstudentslearnedisunquestionablymoredifficult
thandetermininghowmuchtheyenjoyedasimulationexperience’(2015,p.396),butthatdoingso
isnecessarytoevaluatewhetheraninnovationwastrulysuccessful.Here,studentfeedbackagain
suggeststhatTThasfosteredstudentslearninginanumberofdifferentways.
ResultsfromthefollowupsurveyssuggestthatstudentsthemselvesthinkTTsignificantlyimproves
theirunderstanding.ForTheatreofPower,88%ofstudentsagreedorstronglyagreedthatthe
performancehadhelpedthemunderstandkeyaspectsofeachdimensionofpowerin2013andthis
roseto100%in2015.ForSwipeRight,78%feltitwasbetterathelpingthemlearnkeyconcepts
thananormallecture.
Students’open-endedcommentsprovidesomeinsightintothesenumbers.First,studentsargue
thattheperformancesmaketheoryseemclearandsimple.Forexample:
‘Ilikedthethreedifferentcharactersplayingthethreedimensionsofpower-madeitclear
toseetheseparateideas.’(TheatreofPower,2016)
‘TheoreticalBlindDatemadethetheoriessoeasytounderstand.’(TheoreticalBlindDate,
2015)
Whilstwehaveevidentlythoughthardabouthowtoclearlycommunicatetheoreticalideasthrough
TT,wehavealsostrivedhardtoensurewedonotdumb-downcomplextheoreticalideas.Indeed,
weuseaspectsTTasameansofdemonstratingthemorein-depthdebatesbetweendifferent
theoreticalapproaches.Assuch,thefactthatstudentsfeelTTmakesthingseasytounderstand
stemsfromtheperformanceasamediumofcommunicationratherthanfromanysimplificationof
content.
AsecondpotentialreasonthatstudentsfeltTTincreasedtheirunderstandingemergesfromthefact
thatTTappearstoturntheoryintosomethingstudentswanttodiscusswithothers.Inanearly
responsetotheSustainableConsumptionperformance,astudentnotedthat:
11
‘Itimprovedmyunderstandingalotquickerthanmerelyreadingandmakingnotesabout
thetheories,and...generatedmuchenthusiasticdiscussionbetweenthestudentswhich
reinforcedtheconceptseffectivelyandmadetheminterestingtoexplore.’(Sustainable
Consumption,2014)
Commentssuchasthis,aswellasourownperceptionsofhowstudentsrespondtothe
performancesinclass,encourageustofollow-uponthisthemeinsubsequentsurveys.Here,forthe
SwipeRightperformance,resultsshowthatTTencouragesstudentstotalktoothersaboutthe
performanceswith76%sayingtheyspokeaboutitwiththeirclassmates,74%withotherstudents,
and44%withfriendsorfamilyoutsideUEA.Onestudentevencommented:
‘Ienjoyedtellingmyparentsallaboutitandendedupgivingthemalessonontypesof
sustainability.’(SwipeRight,2016)
AthirdpotentialexplanationforwhytheTTperformancesappeartoincreasestudentunderstanding
emergesfromthefactthatseveralstudentsnotedthatthecharactershelpthemtoidentifywith
differenttheoreticalapproachesandthusthinkabouthowthatcharactermightrespondinreal
worldsettings.Forexample:
‘LovethetheoreticalBlindDatewhichwecanputintoanysituationandgothrougheach
theory.Verygoodpractice.’(TheoreticalBlindDate,2015)
‘Ilikethatyougaveareallifeexampleandappliedthetheoriesofpowertoacasestudy.’
(TheatreofPower,2016)
Thiscommentappearstobearoutthevalueoftheoriesbeingembodiedratherthanmerely
discussedortaughtthroughTT.TTseemstoallowstudentstoidentifywithhowalecturerbecomes
aparticularperspectiveintheperformanceandapplythisthemselvesbeyondtheclassroom.
ChangingDynamicsAndEngagementInTheClassroom
WhilstthecoreaimsofTTaretoincreasestudentengagementwithandunderstandingoftheory,an
unexpectedside-benefitoftheperformanceshasbeendramaticallyimprovedstudentengagement
intheclassroom.Studentfeedbackidentifiestwopotentialreasonsforthis.
First,theperformanceschangedhowthestudentsperceivedlecturersthemselvesandmadethem
seemlike‘normalhumanbeings’.Thisthemewaswidelyrepresentedinstudentfeedbackwith56%
ofstudentswhocompletedthefollow-upsurveyfortheSwipeRightperformancesayingitchanged
howtheyviewedlecturers.
‘[It]madethelecturersseemmoreapproachableandlessintimidating...[so]itwaseasierto
participate.’(SwipeRight,2016)
‘Ifeltmorecomfortableaskingquestionstolecturers.’(SwipeRight,2016)
Second,andcloselyrelated,studentsalsocommentedthatTTcreatedan‘informalandfun’
atmosphereduringlecturesandseminarswhichmadethemmoreconfidenttotakerisksinclassand
playwith,testoutandtrytoapplythenewtheoreticalideastheyarebeingexposedto.Although
12
we’vefoundthistoapplyequallyacrossyeargroups,theseside-benefitsseemlikelytobeespecially
significantandvaluableforfirstyearstudentsandthoselessusedtoparticipateinclassdiscussions.
Insummary,despitelimitedformalevaluation,thevariousmethodsofgatheringstudentfeedback
wehaveusedsuggeststronglythatTTnotonlyachievesitsaimsbutalso,andperhapsmore
importantly,carriesanumberofadditionalbenefitsaroundstudentengagement,risk-takingand
confidenceinclassthathavethepotentialtoimprovestudentperformancemorewidely.
Nonetheless,despiteTT’sapparentbenefits,therearemanyimportantchallengesandareasfor
furtherdevelopmentthatremaintobefurtherexploredandtowhichwenowturn.
CHALLENGESANDOPPORTUNITIESFORFURTHERDEVELOPINGTHEORETICALTHEATRE
TThasbeenrecognisedforitsinnovativenessinteaching,contributingtotwooftheauthorswinning
UEATeachingExcellenceAwards,andafurtherUniversityTeachingFellowship.TTwasahighlightof
theSCORAIteachingbenchmarkingexerciseandfeaturesprominentlyatpedagogicalconferences;it
hasalsobeenperformedasakeynotepresentationatUEA’sLearningandTeachingDay2016,which
hasencouragedcolleaguestoadoptitintheirownteaching.Inordertoenableustohelptransfer
TT,butalsotomonitorourpractice–andevaluateprogressandchange–wehavedevelopedand
madeavailablearesourcehubthroughourwebsite(www.comedyintheclassroom.org).Theplatform
containsresourcesandexperiences,supportingsharingbestpracticeandinspiringeducatorsworldwidewhowouldwishtoadoptandadaptTTwithaviewtoinnovating,buildingandtransferring
skillsandmakingteachingfun.
Wetakeinspirationfromthisfeedbacktoreflectontheopportunitiesandchallengesassociated
withTT(withinUEAandexternally)andoutlinewhatthefutureofcomedyintheclassroomlooks
likefromourperspective.
Despiteitsinherentflexibility,TTasanykindofteam-ledinnovation,reliesonbuildingand
sustainingateamovertime(althoughalowerresourceoptionisnowavailable,developedasa
responsetothischallenge,seebelow).TTnecessitatesagroupofdedicatedpeopleenthusiasticand
willingtouseimprovisationandcomedytoexposestudentstotheoriesinanalternativetostandard
lectures.Whenthisgroupchangesovertime,asteachersmovetootheremploymentorareunable
toprovidetheirtimeforTT,thechallengebecomeshowtoadaptTTsothatitcanstillbeperformed
andengagestudents.Oneoptionwehavesuccessfullyundertakentodateistheregulartrainingof
teacherswillingtoparticipateinTT,whoviewparticipationasawaytodevelopskillsandabilitiesas
wellasintroduceasmileintotheclassroom.However,weforeseethatsuchastrategymaynotbe
alwayssustainable:relyingonashrinkingpoolofteachersmayputunduepressureonthem.We
havethereforestartedexploringotheralternatives.
WorkingwithPhDstudentsandEarly-CareerResearchers
Inrecentyears,wehaveofferedtheopportunitytoPhDstudentsandearly-careerresearchersto
assistwithin-roleperformance.Wehavehadamixedsuccesswiththisstrategy.Engagementwith
TTfromenthusiasticresearchershasenabledsomeoftheTTperformancestotakeplaceover
severalyears;conversely,wenowexperience,inoneofourmodulesinparticular,apaucityofnew
recruits,duetoavarietyofreasons.Asatemporarymeasure(e.g.2-3years)involvementof
researcherscanbeproductive,butitdoesnotresolvelonger-termstaffingissues.
13
VideoRecording
WehavestartedrecordingourTTperformances(seewww.comedyintheclassroom.org),inorderto
havethemavailableforreflection,demonstrationandtrainingpurposesaswellasforuseinthe
classroomshouldtheTTnotbedeliverableduetolackofteachers-in-role.However,weareaware
thatthissubstitutedoesnotfullyconveythespontaneityoftheperformance,thedirectenactment
infrontofthestudents,theimprovisation(whichbyitsverynaturechangeseverytimeTTtakes
place)andthelackofinteraction.Aconcernisthatthismode,althoughless‘risky’,removesthe
elementofdirectperformance.Bynotbeingexposedto‘human’teachers,studentengagementmay
bereduced,lesseningtheeffectivenessofTT.
TheoreticalTheatreisbasedontheinteractionbetweenteachers-in-roleandtheirstudents,using
improvisationandcomedytoexposestudentstotheoriesinanalternativetostandardlectures.For
us,TThasbeenanunexpectedpositiveteam-buildingexercise.Ourperformanceswereshapedwith
theparticipationofcolleagues–teachingondifferentmodules–whowereaskediftheywouldbe
willingtocontribute.Reciprocityresultedinmakingusmoreawareof,andparticipantin,the
teachingconductedacrosstheSchool,andhelpedthespreadofinnovativeteachingacrossthe
curriculum.HencetwoofthelecturershelpingoutonthefirstTTperformancesubsequently
adaptedittotheirownmodules.
InourexperienceatUEAandpresentationsofTTatconferencesandothersettings,wehavecome
totherealisationthattransferringaninnovationsuchasTTcanbedoneinmanydifferentways,
fromselectingonlyoneaspect,toorganisingwholenewperformancesbuiltondifferenttheories.TT
isadaptable.Itskeycharacteristic,engagingstudentswiththeories,remainsthesameinthevarious
formsitcanassume.
DevisingSmallerAndSimplerPerformances
Theperformanceswepresentinthispapervaryinlengthandinthenumberofteachersdelivering
them,makingTTmalleableandpossibleforbothsmallandlargerteams.Teamsizeisdrivenbythe
numberoftheoriesforstudentstofamiliarisethemselveswithandthescenarioorformatdevised.
Cruciallyperformances‘needonlybeascomplicatedastheeducationalgoaldemands’(Asal&
Kratoville2013,p.137).ExamplessuchastheSwipeRightforSustainabilityperformanceindicates
thatonlytwoinstructorsmaybeneededtoshowprofoundtheoreticaldivergences.Moreover,some
elementsofTTcanalsobeledbyonlyoneinstructor.WhenpresentingTheoreticalTheatrein
conferences,wefoundthatsimplybuildingacharactersheet(seeFigure1)–similartostudentsrewritingdatingprofilesaftertheSwipeRightforSustainabilityperformance–isaninteresting
exercisewhichallowstoidentifykeyelementsofeachtheoriesanddiscussthemingroups.Contrary
tofull-fledgedperformances,developingcharactersheetsdoesnotrequirethesupportofabroader
team,norlongpreparation.Itisalow-resourceTT.Thusthe‘conceptincharacter’TTmodelhasa
widerangeofpotentialapplications,andcanbeadaptedinavarietyofdisciplinesandteaching
contexts.Wehavetrieditoutatavarietyofconferences;forexample,atEUROTLC16thecharacter
developmentledsomeparticipantstoarguethatRealismwasjustlikeJustinBieber.
14
Figure1:Buildingacharacter
WehavearguedearlierthatinTTthedistinctionbetweenourprofessionalrole(asteacher)and
character(asaspecifictheory)iscritical.Itpointstowardtheneedforspecificskillsandtrainingfor
becomingcharactersthatarenotnecessarilycoveredinourtrainingtobeteachers.Whenwe
starteddevelopingTTwestruggledtomoveoutof‘lecture’mode,torelinquishcontrolanduse
comedyimprovisation–thesewerenewskillswhichwehadtolearninordertodevelopour
charactersandinteractwithourcolleaguesandstudentswhileincharacter.Thus,oneofthe
challengesfortransferringTTmaybetrainingneeds.Partofwhatwelearnedthroughourtraining–
howtofleshoutcharactersoutofabstractconcepts–canbepursuedwithnospecifictraining(see
Figure1).Wehavefoundtraininginimprovisationandcomedyskillskeyinfacilitatingbecoming
‘teacher-in-role’andengagingwithstudentsandcolleaguesinaradicallydifferentmanner.
CONCLUSION
Thisarticlepresentsateachinginnovation,TheoreticalTheatre,developedintheSchoolof
EnvironmentalSciencesattheUniversityofEastAngliasince2012.TheelementsofTTsetoutinthis
articlespeaktodifferentdebateswithinthepedagogicalliterature:inrelationtotheteachers’role
intheperformance,trainingrequirements,studentengagementandlearning.Weaskedif
performinginTTisaformofacting,andhowdoesitcomparetogivingalecture?Doesperforming
inTTredrawtherelationshipbetweenteachersandstudents?
Ourexperiencerevealsthatperformingastheoriesdrawsuponelementsofperformancein
lecturing,butgoesbeyondit.InTTwe(lecturers)performastheorieswiththeawarenessthatwe
areinterestedinconveyingparticularunderstandingstoourstudents,toenablethemtodiscernthe
15
differencesbetweenthetheoriesenactedandusetheseinturntomakechoicesanddistinctions
aboutthetheoreticalperspectivesusedintheirownwork.Wefoundthattrainingisakey
componenttoprovideknowledgeandconfidencetoperformatheoryinfrontofastudentclass.
OurexperienceofTTsuggeststhatperforminginTTdoescontributetoreshapingtherelationship
betweenteachersandstudents.Wefindthatstudentsaresurprisedandoccasionallytakenabackby
theseeminglyquirkyperformances.Especiallyinmoduleswherestudentsarethenencouraged,
later,totryitthemselvesandenactsomeofthetheoreticalperspectivestheyhavebeenstudying,
theboundarybetweenteacherandstudentbecomesmorepermeableandlessstrictlydefined:the
studentsarethemselvesteacherswhoperformforthebenefitoftheirpeergroup,toprovide
furtherinsightandunderstandingstemmingfromtheirindividualstudy.
WealsoreflectonthechallengesandopportunitiesprovidedbythedevelopmentofTT.Wehave
emphasisedhowtheTTperformedinourSchoolhasbeentheproductofateamendeavourbuilton
reciprocity.ThistakestimeandeffortandweforeseethiswillbeachallengetoTTinforthcoming
years,assomeofthisteamdiminishesinnumber,duetochangesinstaffing.However,todealwith
thischallenge,recruitingnewinterestedpeopletotheteam,aswellasvideo-recordingthe
performancessothattheycanbepresentedtofuturestudentcohortsareoptionsweareactively
exploring.
OurexperienceandevidencecollectedfromevaluationsofTTshowsthatTTisahighly-effectiveand
engagingwayofteachingtheories:moststudentsenjoytheperformances,areengagedwiththem
asnewwayoflearning,areaffectedbythemintermsofpromotingtheirownthinkingandreflection
aboutthematerialperformed.
Aswehaveshown,TTremainsaworkinprogressbut,we(andourstudents)thinkithasbeen
effectiveinreachingitsaimsandisthereforeworthwhiledevelopingfurtherinmoreandmore
variedsettings.Wethusconcludebyinvitingresponses/suggestions/commentfromreadersofthis
journaland,aboveall,toencourageotherstotryTTforthemselves,experienceitsbenefitsand
challenges,andworkwithustocontinuetobringsocialsciencetheorytolifeintheclassroom.
16
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