Postgraduate Drama as a Teaching Tool

In this one-year course you learn to apply Drama as a learning tool (based on Mantle of the Expert) in all its facets in your classroom practice.

This postgraduate degree is a collaboration between the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp and the Department of Education and Training of the AP Hogeschool.

Mantle of the Expert is a teaching method developed in the 1970s and 1980s by drama teacher Dorothy Heathcote. It is a form of process drama: the teacher and the students create an imaginary world in which they go on a mission to successfully complete the assignment of a (fictitious) client. In this way, the subject matter becomes tangible for the students, resulting in a strong commitment and striking learning results. After all, they are motivated to gain insight into the subject matter. That knowledge helps them to succeed in their mission. For example, they can become a team of animal rescuers who, at the request of a devastated mayor, must locate, capture and safely return escaped wild animals to the zoo. During their mission they will learn everything about nutrition, housing and care and they will be challenged to think about some ethical issues. They put on the figurative Cloak of an Expert to acquire the right knowledge and skills.

The course consists of pedagogy and practice. Over the course of the training program, participants will progress from a novice practitioner to an advanced practitioner in the use of the method. In addition to the teaching moments and the support of a personal mentor, participants are expected to work in their own classroom with the techniques that are taught to them. Planning, practicing and reflecting on the use of Drama as a learning tool (Mantle of the Expert) is key in one's own learning process.

More information about Mantle of the Expert and a study guide for the postgraduate can be found at www.mantleoftheexpert.be .