Developing Learning Strategies through Creative Drama

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential of creative drama for developing learning strategies of learners through creative drama. It is widely accepted that creative drama contributes to the learning in different domains such as cognitive, affective, psycho-motor and emotional. Learning strategies are cognitive tools that help the acquisition, storage and retrieval of information. Strategies include activities such as selecting and organizing information, rehearsing material to be learned, relating new material to information in memory, and enhancing meaningfulness of material. Strategies also include techniques that modify and determine a positive learning climate. To construct a learning strategy, learners analyze the situation and their personal characteristics, devise a plan to accomplish the learning goal, implement the plan, monitor progress and modify the plan as necessary. Meta-cognitive knowledge guides the operation of these steps. Learners select methods they believe will help them attain goals, such as rehearsal, elaboration, organization, comprehension monitoring, and affective techniques. It is generally accepted that strategies can make learning more efficient and effective. Therefore it is aimed here to analyze the developing learning strategies through creative drama both in formal and informal settings. For implementing learning strategies the material which is used in creative drama sessions should be organized and presented in small steps. One of the important benefits of creative drama is to provide learners with practice, feedback and review immediately. The tension and situations created in creative drama will facilitate learning and motivation which influence learning directly.