S2Ep6: From Stage to Classroom: Drama-based Techniques in Teaching

In this episode, Dr Lauren Siegel and Dr Chen Yang speak with Dr Ewa Krolikowska-Adamczyk and Dr Robert Arnett Robson about drama-based teaching techniques for higher education. They define drama-based techniques as using elements from acting—such as voice, body, classroom space, props, humour, and performance skills—to enhance teaching and student engagement, emphasising that attention is a key resource for lecturers. Ewa outlines three focal techniques from their work: sketches (short humorous scenarios), soliloquies (voicing a character’s internal thoughts aloud), and storytelling delivered with dramatic elements to create a memorable “wow factor.” They stress inclusivity by depicting relatable scenarios that do not alienate diverse students and explain their focus is primarily on lecturers using these techniques rather than requiring students to perform. Ewa shares her drama and theatre undergraduate background, while Rob describes an informal performance interest developed through corporate training and his doctorate in education on drama-based techniques; they explain how they connected with colleague Kevin Williams and now collaborate as “Act One Education.” They discuss applicability across disciplines (including nursing, science, engineering, and medicine), advise hesitant or introverted educators to start with small performance tools and remain authentic. They position drama as one tool within a broader teaching toolkit and plan to write more due to a gap in higher-education-focused research, and future research on barriers and fears that prevent educators from adopting these techniques.

01:09 What Are Drama-Based Teaching Techniques?

01:46 The Real Reason Drama Works: Winning Student Attention

03:05 The Big 3 Techniques Explained: Sketch, Soliloquy & Storytelling

05:39 Do Students Have to Perform? ‘Acting for the Non-Actor’

06:34 Workshop Storytime: The Skit That Hooked the Room (No More Death by PowerPoint)

08:23 How Ewa, Rob & Kevin Found Each Other (and Built Act One Education)

11:32 From Corporate Training to Global Classrooms: Drama Across Cultures

14:39 Can Drama Work in Any Subject? Real Classroom Examples

16:50 Nervous or Introverted? Start Small with Props, Space & Baby Steps

22:30 Making Learning Memorable (and Not Over-the-Top): Drama as One Tool in the Toolkit

26:39 Workshops Beyond Greenwich + Building a Community of Practice

28:59 What’s Next: Future Research, Barriers & Spreading the Word