PERFORMANCE PEDAGOGY: UTILIZING ALTERNATIVE METHODS IN THE CLASSROOM

Author

Alexander Paez, University of the PacificFollow

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Marlin Bates IV

First Committee Member

Teresa Bergman

Second Committee Member

Graham Carpenter

Abstract

Teaching methods and styles at the collegiate level have not changed all that much: Professors still generally give lectures from the lectern or stand in the front of the class, while writing on the board or pointing to a slide projected on a screen. Some questions and answers can occur with the occasional group activity; however, the focus seems always to come back to the text. Students read the required textbook, listen to a lecture and take tests. There are however alternative methods that engage the students as well as the professor in the learning process. Active learning is one such method that is rooted in anything course-related that all students in a class session are asked to do other than simply watching, listening and taking notes. Active learning focuses on involving students in the learning process more directly compared to traditional methods. Another method which infuses both a performative background with an academic footing called performance pedagogy, emphasizes on the students bringing their ideologies, cultures, belief systems, and backgrounds into the classroom while incorporating their physical and metaphorical selves into the classroom space. The idea is that when students are exposed to these methods in a classroom setting, they can apply the subject content more effectively outside of the classroom, receive more frequent and immediate feedback, and provide students an opportunity to think about, talk about, and process course material. To demonstrate these methodologies, this teacher’s supplement has been created containing class activities for an undergraduate intercultural communication course using a standard sixteen-week semester.

Recommended Citation

Paez, Alexander. (2018). PERFORMANCE PEDAGOGY: UTILIZING ALTERNATIVE METHODS IN THE CLASSROOM. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2982