Dramatically re-examining conflict management with Forum Theatre

conflict management, improvisation, experiential learning

In delivering content, professors often use case studies where students negotiate conflicts with each other. However, the quality of learning is dependent on the dyad’s contribution. This loss of control on the learning outcomes can be rectified by re-examining the process of experiential learning. This session proposes using forum theatre, an improvisational pedagogy that demands meaning-making of a conflict situation. Here, participants uncover values, attitudes, and beliefs that affect communication. Similarly, through the improvisation, they get to rehearse a change in the outcome. This pedagogical model becomes a richer platform for learning as a process, rather than as a ‘product’.

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