A presentation supporting a workshop at the New Media Consortium Symposium on New Media and Learning.

1. Kim Flintoff
Curtin University of Technology and
Queensland University of Technology

2. IN
Drama as skill and
knowledge set
THROUGH
WITH
Drama as
Drama as
pedagogy
delivery
system

3. “There seems to be a strong drive to
present theatre in Second Life. This is
especially interesting when we step back
and realize that we are ALWAYS performing
in Second Life.
…the very nature of this form of
communication suggests constant role-
playing and performance.”
(Schrum, 2007 )
Schrum, S. (2007), Poetry and Theatre Performance in Second
Life, presented at the New Media Consortium Symposium on Creativity
14 August , transcript viewed 13 June, 2008

4. “ In the book Drama of Colour Saldaña discusses a
study done by researchers Gourgey, Bosseau, and
Delgado (1985) with lower socio-economic Black
and Hispanic students in elementary school. After a
six month improvisational drama project, gains
were observed in vocabulary and reading
comprehension. Survey results also suggested that
students also showed improvement in attitude
areas including trust, self-acceptance, acceptance
of others, and empowerment “
from: http://www.angelfire.com/ego/edp303/whydrama.html
Saldaña, J. (1995), Drama of Color: Improvisation with Multiethnic
Folklore. Heinemann Drama.
ISBN-13: 978-0435086671

5. A complex form of “improvisation”
Creative/ structured play
Participatory performance – learners are inside
the performance
An “open” work; meaning is negotiated; a
‘writerly’ (Barthes) text
Always Fiction

6. Process Drama is a group engagement in a
negotiated fictional space where participants role
play (in realistic and creatively expressed forms)
around a theme or issue primarily for the benefit of
shifts in empathetic understanding and extended
perspective.

7. In recent years I’ve been advocating an approach
I’ve been calling “generative play”.
“This approach to learning that does not pursue
predetermined outcomes but rather recognizes that
serendipity in a focused, yet playful, exploration of ideas is
likely to lead to unexpected discoveries and insights that are
of great significance to individuals and groups involved in the
learning. The play is purposeful yet the specific learning is not
prescribed at the outset.”
Flintoff, K. Chapter 13: Online sites for Generative Play in Anderson
M., Carroll J. and Cameron D. (eds) Drama Education with Digital
Technology. Continuum Books (publication forthcoming)

8. “This generative play seems to best emerge when there is a
strong ludic engagement with a limited regard to formulating
an ideal narrative. The narrative emphasis is limited to the
degree to which participants are comfortable with sustaining
the fiction; in some ways this seems to have been anticipated
by Janet Murray when she speculated that:
If participatory environments merge with authored
environments … tensions between the author and the
participants may increase … The area of immersive
enchantment lies in the overlap between these two
domains. (Murray 1997, pp. 266-267)”
Flintoff, K. Chapter 13: Online sites for Generative Play in Anderson
M., Carroll J. and Cameron D. (eds) Drama Education with Digital
Technology. Continuum Books (publication forthcoming)

9. 1. Climate Setting
The stages in
planning and 2. Pretext
implementing a 3. Enrolling
Process Drama vary
4. Belief Building
but can be broken
5. Injection of tension
down into a series
6. Deepening tension
of phases – the
order of which can 7. Resolution
change depending 8. Reflection inside the action
on the nature of
9. Reflection outside the
the drama…
action

10. C
Personal and social experience
Starting point
O
Source material
N
Psychological
Responses to source V
processes
E
N
Active imagining Working in context, in action
T
Using and making symbols -
I
metaphors – tension –
Theatre structure
O
atmosphere – rhythm and pace
N
S
Purpose and motivation to create new meanings
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

11. REFLECTION
EXPERIENCE/SOURCE
FOCUS ISSUE
*subject to:
FRAMING ACTION
• an agreement to observe the constraints of the convention;
THROUGH CONVENTION*
• values held by the leader and students;
• learning purposes and intentions;
• appropriate mode of action
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

12. Context-Building Narrative Action
Action
“telling the tale”
“setting the scene”
Poetic Action Reflective Action
“symbol and metaphor” “psychology and insight”
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

13. Context-Building Action Narrative Action
In MUVEs like Second
Life these
conventions can be
modified and new
dimensions explored.
Poetic Action Reflective Action
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

14. Mapping/diagram
Circle of Life
ming
Circular Drama
Objects of
Collective Character
Context- Character
Role-on-the-Wall
Collective Drawing
Building Simulations
Defining Space
Soundtracking
Action Diaries, Letters, Jo
Still-image
urnals, Messages
The Ripple
Games
Unfinished
Guided tour
Materials
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

15. Noises Off
A Day in the Life
Overheard
Critical Events Conversations
Hot-Seating Reportage
Narrative Interview/Interrog Tag Role
ation
Teacher-in-Role
Action Mantle of the
Telephone/Radio
Expert
Conversations
Meetings
Time Line
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

16. Masks
Alter Ego
Metamorphosis
Analogy
Mimed activity
Behind the Scene
Montage
Caption Making
Play within a Play
Poetic Ceremony
Prepared Role
Come on Down!
Re-enactment
Cross-cutting
Action Revue
Documentary
Ritual
Flashback
Role-Reversal
Folk forms
Shape-Shifting
Forum Theatre
Small Group Playmaking
Gestus
TV Times
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

17. Choral Speak
Space Between
Gestalt
Spectrum of
Giving Witness Difference
Group Sculpture Taking Sides
Reflective If I was You… This Way/That Way
Action Marking the Thought-tracking
Moment
Voices in the Head
Moment of Truth
Walls have Ears
Narration
Neelands, J. and Goode, T. Structuring Drama Work: A handbook of
available forms in theatre and drama. Cambridge University Press
1990, 2000.

18. Early one morning before people had gotten up, a man from
Myrdal in the east was walking past some cliffs when he came to
the entrance to a cave. He could hear that there was merrymaking
and dancing going on inside the hill, and outside he saw a large
number of sealskins. He picked up one of them, took it home, and
locked it in his trunk.
Some time later, in the course of the day, he went back to the
cave's entrance. A beautiful young girl was sitting there. She was
entirely naked and crying bitterly. She was the seal to whom the
skin belonged that the man had taken. The man gave the girl some
clothing, comforted her, and took her home with him.
http://daryllorettecafe.typepad.com/the_altruism/2008/12/the-sealskin.html

19. Later she came to accept him, but never got along very well with
other people. She would often just sit there and look out to sea.
After some time the man took her as his wife. They lived well
together and had many children.
The peasant hid the skin, locking it securely in his trunk, and he
carried the key with him everywhere he went.
http://daryllorettecafe.typepad.com/the_altruism/2008/12/the-sealskin.html

20. Many years later he rowed out fishing and forgot the key at home
under his pillow. However, others say that the peasant went to a
Christmas service with his people, but that his wife had been sick
and was unable to go with them. They say that he forgot to take
the key out of the pocket of his everyday clothes when he
changed. When he arrived home that evening the trunk was
open, and his wife had disappeared with the skin. She had found
the key, out of curiosity looked through the trunk, and found the
skin.
http://daryllorettecafe.typepad.com/the_altruism/2008/12/the-sealskin.html

21. She could not resist the temptation. She said farewell to her
children, put on the skin, and threw herself into the sea.
Before the woman jumped into the sea, it is reported that she
said:
This I want, and yet I want it not, --
Seven children have I at the bottom of the sea,
Seven children have I as well here above.
http://daryllorettecafe.typepad.com/the_altruism/2008/12/the-sealskin.html

22. It is said that this touched the peasant's heart. After this, when he
rowed out fishing, a seal often swam around his boat, and it
seemed that tears were running from its eyes. From this time on
he was always successful catching fish, and luck often came to his
beach.
People frequently saw this couple's children walking on the beach
while a seal swam along out in the sea accompanying them. It
would throw colourful fish and pretty shells to them.
But the mother never again returned to land.
http://daryllorettecafe.typepad.com/the_altruism/2008/12/the-sealskin.html

23. Email: kim@kimflintoff.com
Skype: kimbowa Blog:
http://www.dramanite.com
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24. ABSTRACT:
Drawing together the established wisdom of
educational drama, applied theatre and quot;situated
role,quot; this session will examine the benefits of creating
socially-driven learning activities inside 3D MUVEs.
Role-played learning activities in 3D MUVEs can be
framed as an quot;active-inquiry process.” This session will
propose and test some effective forms and
conventions to frame inworld roleplay as purposeful
collaborative learning.