Drama Summer School

This stimulating programme is designed to give you a world-class education in Drama in Education.

Aims of the Programme

Drama is both an art form in its own right and also a highly effective teaching and learning methodology, which has been shown to operate successfully in formal and non-formal educational settings. Students will be introduced to the philosophies underpinning this creative educational approach, to its history, and to a wide range of drama and theatre in education techniques and to their use in diverse educational contexts.

Who is the programme for

The course has been running for almost twenty years and attracts an international audience. It is provided for teachers in primary, secondary and tertiary education, youth leaders, early childhood educators, theatre in education practitioners and others with a professional interest in the arts in education.

Structure

The taught component contains five modules, four of which are specialist modules in drama and theatre in education, with each module containing approximately 20-25 hours of contact time. The course is taught by tutors with international reputations in the field. Students are involved in practice focused workshops and seminars covering approaches to drama in formal and non-formal educational settings. Online and face-to-face support is provided during the academic year through regular scheduled tutorials. The common M.Ed. Academic Literacy and Research Methods module is delivered using a blended learning model.

Typically, students register for Option 2 taking the modules in year one and completing the related assessments from home. Students who have passed their module assignments and are eligible to progress to the dissertation year, attend a second, week-long Summer School the following July in preparation for their dissertation. This is a research year and students write a 15,000 word dissertation under the guidance of an assigned supervisor with additional scheduled online group tutorials. Students are required to submit their dissertation at the end of June in the following year. Students who for any reason do not wish to continue to the dissertation on the M.Ed. programme may, after satisfactorily completing the modules, apply to exit with a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Studies. They have up to 5 years from the date of leaving the programme to rescind the Diploma and return to complete the masters dissertation if they choose.

Taught component

Module One: Drama in Education (I)

• Topics covered in this module include: The nature of the art form and key components in drama; drama games and movement exercises; role playing and improvisation; teacher-in-role; depiction; fictional framing; drama conventions (such as hot seating, voices in the head, angels and devils, conscience alley, questioning in role, role on the wall); dramatic storytelling; facilitating group and whole class work; drama and second language learning; historical overview of drama in schools and current approaches to drama in schools; Augusto Boal and Theatre of the Oppressed.

Module Two: Drama in Education (II)

• Topics covered in this module include: The work of Dorothy Heathcote and Gavin Bolton (such as Mantle of the Expert; the Commission model; Rolling Role; Brotherhoods, self spectator, frame distancing, internal coherence; Living Through Drama; protection into role and protection into emotion); building investment; questioning/negotiating strategies; distancing techniques; belief, emotion, thought and imagination in drama; ways into drama; structuring drama sequences for learning; dealing with social, political and value issues in drama; approaches to text; using drama across the curriculum; drama and early years education; drama and students with special educational needs; assessing and evaluating drama; the use of ICT in drama.

Module Three: Advanced Issues in Drama and Theatre Education

• Advanced issues in drama education will cover such topics as the process of devising and staging theatre; Brecht, Bond and Stanislavski and their relevance to Drama and Theatre in Education; ways of knowing in drama; applied theatre; the social origins of drama; arts education and philosophy of the arts; the semiotics of drama and meaning making in a cultural context, dialogism, Bakhtin and dramatic inquiry; brain based learning, neuro-aesthetics, neuro-cognition and arts education.

Module Four: On-line Reading Seminar

• The on-line reading assignment is designed to allow students to formulate an overview and assessment of varying methods and approaches to drama teaching. In-depth reading is organised around a structured theme, which requires critical evaluation of the readings, and students are encouraged to establish contact with a number of other students on the programme with whom they will share and critically discuss their responses to the texts (peer-buddies). This reading module seeks to increase students’ critical awareness, ability to discuss theoretical concepts, relate theory to practice and engage in the learning of others.

Module Five: Academic Literacy and Research Methods

• Students will be introduced to the major conventions in academic writing and research methodology in preparation for completion of their coursework assignments and dissertation. Subsequent work is completed online during monthly tutorials in order to foster a critical understanding of educational research, and its relationship to policy and practice.

Teaching and learning strategies

Students participate in online and face to face practice focused workshops/seminars exploring drama in formal and non-formal educational settings. Each module is individually assessed through projects, case studies, portfolios, reports and essays. Integration of theory and practice is stressed in the content of modules and in assessments. Arts based, experiential and active teaching and learning strategies are used in the presentation of modules.

The M.Ed. programme fees for the academic year 2024/2025 are as follows*

*Full fees information is available at: https://www.tcd.ie/academicregistry/fees-and-payments/assets/PG-24-25-fees.pdf 

For queries related to course content, please contact Prof. Carmel O’Sullivan (carmel.osullivan@tcd.ie).
For all other enquiries, refer to: https://www.tcd.ie/education/courses/postgraduate/masters-in-education/drama-in-education/
Or contact Ms Sorcha Grisewood / Ms Jessica Freeman (master.education@tcd.ie / Tel: 00-353-1-8961290 / 00-353-1-8963568).