Every Interaction Counts

Educational Methodology

EffectiveArts' programs are delivered through a powerful high-fidelity simulation based educational methodology developed by us over the last fifteen years. To date, we have offered more than 2,000 educational sessions across the US and internationally. We provide a learning experience that goes far beyond traditional stand-up lecture, PowerPoint presentations, or role-play (see our Technology and Applications). Our method is an educational delivery mechanism that is truly "up to the task."

The educational elements used in EffectiveArts' programs are primarily based on interactive drama simulations tightly coupled to Socratic-style facilitated inquiry discussions and experiential activities.  Very little lecture-style teaching is used.

EffectiveArts' methodology is deeply rooted in the tradition of experiential education (Dewey, 1938; Kolb, 1984).   Effective Arts' methodology also incorporates elements from research on adult education (Dewey, 1938; Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998), stress training (Cannon-Bowers & Salas, 1998; Driskell & Johnston, 1998), transformational education (Brookfield, 1987; Mezirow, 1991), student-interest -based teaching and learning (Dewey, 1938; Freire, 1970), the affective component of education (Bloom, Mesia, & Krathwohl, 1964), interactive drama (Boal, 1985; Holtom, Mickel, & Boggs, 2003), and facilitation- and inquiry-based teaching and learning (Bruner, 1966; Knowles et al., 1998; Postman & Weingartner, 1969).

Bibliography

Bloom, B. S., Mesia, B. B., & Krathwohl, D. R. (1964). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives .New York: David McKay.

Boal, A. (1985). Theatre of the Oppressed . New York: Theatre Communications Group.

Brookfield, S. D. (1987). Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bruner, J. S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction . Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

Cannon-Bowers, J. A., & Salas, E. (Eds.). (1998). Making Decisions Under Stress: Implications for Individual and Team Training . Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and Education . New York: Macmillan.

Driskell, J. E., & Johnston, J. H. (1998). Stress Exposure Training. In J. A. Cannon-Bowers & E. Salas (Eds.), Making Decisions Under Stress: Implications for Individual and Team Training .Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the Oppressed (M. B. Ramos, Trans. 20th Anniversary ed.). New York: Continuum.

Holtom, B. C., Mickel, A., & Boggs, J. G. (2003). Using Interactive Drama to Teach the Complexities of Decision Making. Decision Sciences Journal of Innovative Education, 1 (2), 305-311.

Knowles, M. S., Holton, E. F., III, & Swanson, R. A. (1998). The Adult Learner: The Definitive Classic in Adult Education and Human Resource Development (Fifth Edition ed.). Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Company.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development . Englewood-Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Postman, N., & Weingartner, C. (1969). Teaching as a Subversive Activity. New York: Dell.

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